Memoirs of a Mangy Lover [Paperback]

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1989

In Memoirs of a Mangy Lover Groucho turns his manic eyebrows and spirited cigar to the ever-perplexing affairs of the heart while fully addressing the Marxian passion for poker. This wacky eclectic book includes Groucho's improbable tales of true romance; his irreverent observations on talent, luck, and what this country really needs; his battles with pigeons and hotel detectives; an account of a blind date who knew a comedy when she saw it (even if it was Death of a Salesman); the "reason" for Harpo's silence; Groucho's unnatural history of love, which traces its unruly evolution from amoeba to alimony; his view on polygamy (and how to attain it); the stunning parallels between Groucho and Lawrence of Arabia; and, of course, plenty of blondes, brunettes, and redheads. So why buy a duck, when instead you can own the Memoirs of a Many Lover?

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The one and only Groucho turned his razor wit to the subject of love as well as remembrances of his brothers and some general "Marxist" philosophy in this 1963 volume. Groucho's observations are buttressed with illustrations by Leo Hershfield. You can never go wrong with Groucho.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Groucho's tales of romance, hard luck, and successes blends wry humor with his unusual perspectives on life. Any studying film history in general and Groucho in particular will want to consider this lively supplemental reading. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Fireside (June 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0532191641
• ISBN-13: 978-0532191643
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,269,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Memoirs of a Mangy Marx, July 7, 2002

By 

Andrew McCaffrey "The Grumpy Young Man" (Satellite of Love, Maryland) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Memoirs Of A Mangy Lover (Paperback)

It's almost impossible to read MEMOIRS OF A MANGY LOVER without hearing the distinct voice of Groucho Marx echoing in your head. The writing style in evidence here is very close to Groucho's unique manner of speaking that was so prevalent in his movie, radio, and television careers. His train of thought weaves dangerously, one moment he'll be discussing romance in the dark ages, the next he'll be looping back to earlier sentences, picking apart his own grammar or dragging a double entendre from the brink of reason. The narrative moves quickly and easily, but the reader should be careful, as speedy perusal will cause you to miss some of the subtler jokes.

The subject matter is very much a product of its era and its author. Most of the jokes revolve around how terrible it is to be married, how much of a pain one's wife is, and how much men like to sit around playing poker. Not to say that the anecdotes and remembrances aren't hilarious, because some of them are painfully funny, but the subject matter is fairly limiting. Fortunately, Groucho is clever enough to keep the jokes moving so that it doesn't feel like the same story repeated endlessly. The book is just the right length for the amount of material. Any longer and it would have seemed repetitious, any shorter and it would have been insubstantial.

Not surprisingly, my favorite stories of the bunch were the ones that included cameos from the author's famous siblings. Harpo and Chico do put in short appearances here, which would give one the impression that some of the stories that are written about here actually happened. To be honest, most of the anecdotes seem to have been fairly embellished, so to differentiate between what is reality and what is the result of Groucho's mad mind is a game that simply can't be won. If you're looking for an in-depth and accurate biography of Groucho Marx, then there are loads of other books you should be investigating. This tome may not tell you much about Groucho Marx, but it wasn't meant to. It's a cliché to say that a really funny book will cause one to laugh out loud in embarrassingly public places, but clichés like that come about because of hilarious books like MEMOIRS OF A MANGY LOVER.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Groucho, October 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Memoirs Of A Mangy Lover (Paperback)

Fans of the Marx Brothers know that chasing women was a part of their comedy routines. Though Groucho didn't go "honking" after them like Harpo, he got the job done with rich widows (Margaret Dumont). In this book, Groucho tells about his own real life amorous adventures and gives us his priceless look at the history of love.
I'm a relatively new fan of the Marx Bros. and I absolutely fell in love with this book. Its a quick read, but extremely entertaining. Of course, there is plenty of humor throughout the book and I laughed out loud several times. Groucho's view of the opposite sex would be considered politically incorrect today, but it is hilarious (and I'm a woman!). He recounts a few stories about anonymous friends and their exploits, a few of his own exploits, as well as a few stories that aren't related to love but are still funny.
I recommend this collection to anybody that loves witty books (and isn't afraid of a few puns) and has an absurd sense of humor. Its a must for any Groucho fan.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Groucho at his best., March 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Memoirs of a Mangy Lover (Paperback)

Groucho regales us with hilarity in intimate snippets from his life and his career. You don't have to be a Groucho fan to enjoy this collection. You simply just have to be alive.