I Laffed Till I Cried: Thirty-Six Years of Marriage to Jerry Lewis (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This shapeless script, presumably a history of Patti's marriage to Jerry Lewis, provides too few details of the story promised and too much about her accomplishments, remarkable though they are. Patient readers can find the mistreated child, Esther Calonica, becoming a pretty singer, Patti, who in 1945 interrupted her career to wed Jerry Lewis, defying her Italian-Catholic parents and his Jewish kin. As Jerry's fame and fortunes grew, Patti devoted herself to home and to their six sons, while enjoying the companionship of Hollywood greats. There are no revelations about Dean Martin's split from Jerry, who never divulged the "actual straw that broke the back of the team." In explaining the Lewis divorce in 1981, Patti cites Jerry's numerous infidelities and drug use that drained the family finances. She explains that he was jealous and verbally abusive, and that the chidren were fearful of his mood swings. Afterward, Patti was guided by her religious beliefs to forgive, to establish support groups for other divorced women and even to promote Jerry's telethon benefits for child victims of muscular dystrophy. However, the self-praise and tributes by friends and sons that fill these pages dilute the reader's empathy for a strong woman. Although collaborator Coleman is billed as a "professional" author, apparently she did not provide the editorial guidance urgently needed here. Photos. Author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 167 pages
• Publisher: Wrs Pub (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567960359
• ISBN-13: 978-1567960358
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #859,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars bittersweet memories, August 3, 2008

By	Miss Lee "book lover" (Boyertown, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Patti Lewis tells the tale of a marriage and family that no one else could tell. Along with her husband Jerry Lewis, she experienced showbiz sucess, wealth, fame, love, devotion, SIX sons and eventually drug abuse, adultery, abandonment...heartache. All this from the same man who brought laughter to so many and gave so much to his telethon. Two diverse sides to the same man. Patti writes without bitterness or blame which is admirable to say the least. Her sons are each given space to voice their own thoughts on their dad. It's an honest, sometimes happy, sometimes heartbreaking tale of a real family.