Groucho And Me (Paperback)

by Groucho Marx (Author) "The trouble with writing a book about yourself is that you can't fool around..." (more)
Key Phrases: gorilla skin, vaudeville actor, New York, Groucho Marx, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
The one, the only Groucho here offers his own life story, which, of course, includes his famous brothers (LJ 10/15/58). Though filled with laughs throughout, the book reveals the struggle of the Marxes to break from the poverty of New York's East Side to achieve success and stardom. A good companion to last year's reprint of The Groucho Letters (Classic Returns, LJ
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

With impeccable timing, outrageous humor, irreverent wit, and a superb sense of the ridiculous, Groucho tells the saga of the Marx Brothers: the poverty of their childhood in New York's Upper East Side; the crooked world of small-time vaudeville (where they learned to carry blackjacks); how a pretzel magnate and the graceless dancer of his dreams led to the Marx Brothers' first Broadway hit, I'll Say She Is!; how the stock market crash in 1929 proved a godsend for Groucho (even though he lost nearly a quarter of a million dollars); the adventures of the Marx Brothers in Hollywood, the making of their hilarious films, and Groucho's triumphant television series,You Bet Your Life! Here is the life and lunatic times of the great eccentric genius, Groucho, a.k.a. Julius Henry Marx.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (August 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306806665
• ISBN-13: 978-0306806667
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,844 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ersatz Groucho is just as funny, September 24, 2002

By	Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

GROUCHO AND ME is the autobiography of Groucho Marx -- sort of. The book is certainly written by Groucho, contains his inimitable style and sense of humor, and does tell a few stories about his life. But anyone looking for any sort of detail surrounding Groucho's life would be well advised to try someplace else.

But instead of criticizing the book for what it isn't, I'd rather spend this review talking about what it does well. Groucho is an engaging and hilarious writer. He admits right at the very beginning that most of the stories and anecdotes may not be entirely accurate. To publish a truthful and precise account is something that he says he would not be comfortable doing unless he was dead. Since a live Groucho writes infinitely better than a dead Groucho, we are left with this "pure ersatz Groucho", as he calls it. And to be honest, the lack of detail doesn't particularly hurt the book. Without having to deal with all the messiness that reality brings, Groucho is able to jump into all sorts of hilarious stories and asides. Marx is much more interested in telling a funny story than he is about historical accuracy, and I certainly can't complain, given how amused I was by his hilarious lunacy.

Groucho tells a lot of stories and he tells them well. Telling a linear autobiography is not one of his priorities, as he bounces between decades with as much enthusiasm as Harpo chasing after a particularly beautiful blonde. His stories range from the time that he wrote the book (1959) back to his childhood in New York. The stories are occasionally tender, but most of the time they are just very funny. Groucho tells an anecdote in such a way that not only is the punch line funny, but so are most of the lines leading up to it. His family appears in many of his more memorable stories, not just his famous brothers, but also his young daughter, Melinda. Much of his career is made mention of, from his later success at radio and television to his earlier triumphs in vaudeville.

If you're looking for a fun autobiography, then you could do much worse than reading GROUCHO AND ME. Even if you go into the book expecting a frank and intimate life-story, you'll more than likely be won over by Groucho's hilarious writing style. It's a fun and random journey through a life not totally dissimilar to Groucho's own, and one that more than makes up for in entertainment what it may lack in authenticity.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secret word IS Groucho, March 15, 2000

By	MadDog Dean (London, England) - See all my reviews

Groucho and Me finally gave us a little insight into the thoughts of a true and unique comic talent. Today he is becoming forgotten, but for those of us who remeber or happen upon his work we discover a World of 1st rate comedy. In this book Groucho never seems to be giving much away, but we can read into this his great dependance on comedy as a way of life. For all he ever did was be funny, on the stage, radio, film, TV and in print. He was compleatly clued into humanity and it's absurdity, and it's on clear display here. Rather than bore us with dates and names, he knows the real pleasure in a read comes from the stories, and all his stories have many a good punchline! The dialogue crackles and you hear his voice in every line.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, July 31, 2001

By A Customer

Although I have seen only two of Groucho's films, I consider myself to be a Marx Brothers fan (and will most definitely purchase more movies). I bought this book hoping for an autobiography full of wit and charm. Well, it had plenty of wit and charm and made me laugh out loud many times, but it is not a typical autobiography. As Groucho's editor pointed out when reading the manuscript, "Look, you've written 80,000 words and your readers still don't know a damned thing about you!" If you are planning on buying this book because you want an account of Groucho's life (i.e. accounts of all his films, information about his personal life) then I don't recommend this book. However, if you want to hear Groucho's recollections of his early days with his brothers and various other funny stories about his life then I recommend this book. Its more just a series of sketches, but though they are all humorous, they do give the reader an insight into how Groucho might have been in real life. You won't be disappointed by his satire and jokes. And so even though I thought it was more a standard autobiography, I was not the least bit disappointed. Its a must for Groucho Marx fans.