Customer Reviews

Shirley & Marty: An Unlikely Love Story

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4 star:		(1)
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This is a wonderful glimpse into the lasting love affair between two people. Critics have said that they would never last. It is almost 30 years and they are still going strong. If you are a fan of Ms. Jones, this is the book for you. It is their words, and their story. A must have for any fan.

The amazing story of two people who make each other happy although they are totally opposite. America's sweetheart and the often misunderstood, agoraphoic comedian who won her heart. Told from both sides of the relationship - frenzy and flowers. The writing style is engaging and you'll see people you know - you'll feel like part of the family.

There's no doubt that some of the stories involving Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels are unique and interesting--but this autobiography is so poorly structured that you have to plod through the stylistic weaknesses in order to glean the good stuff.

Let's start with the book's title: What is it? The cover says "Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels." Inside it says "Shirley & Marty: An Unlikely Love Story." Then on the copyright page it again says the title is "Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels." That should be the easy part. Amazon says it's "Shirley and Marty" but that's not what the copyright page says.

Then the way the book is formated is that co-author Mickey Herskowitz becomes the third-person narrator, interspersed with lengthy quotes from Marty and Shirley. Marty's are denoted by a bunch of dashes before the quote; Shirley's are set apart by a bunch of arrows. They never tell you this at the start of the book--you have to figure it out by yourself. So the start of the book refers to the duo objectively as "them," then suddenly you get Marty or Shirley saying "I." What's even more weird is that sometimes within the Herskowitz narrative he quotes one of them--only to have them have their own separate quoted section a few paragraphs later.

Namely, the structure makes no sense--it either should have been a biography written in Herskowitz's voice or an autobiography in the voice of the two subjects. It ends up being a confusing mixture.

The first four chapters deal with the start of their "love story," though the love seems very one-sided. Much mention is made of Shirley's first husband Jack Cassidy--so much that it seems this could also be a biography of David Cassidy's actor-father, who is pretty much slammed via demeaning praise (he wasted his great talent, etc.). Marty comes across as a complete nutcase, one who is irrationally devoted to a woman he barely knows. But Shirley is just as odd--she finds him both repulsive and attractive at the same time. Why is she drawn to needy men?

Chapters 5 & 6 get into the subjects' childhood--and it's pretty boring. There is so little to these chapters that they could have been left out. Again there's a structure change when we get to Marty's upbringing--suddenly there are subheadings with different "episodes" such as "I. The Gym Class." Why do this here and nowhere else in the book?

The rest of the book weaves in stories of the three Cassidy boys that live at home and a little about David, but nowhere near as much as fans would like.

At 300 pages it could cut about a hundred and be much more entertaining. The stories get repetitive, lengthy and unnecessary. Marty in particular takes 10 paragraphs to tell a story where two or three would suffice. And he keeps needing to tell us his fear of being in public, which results in him lying on the floor of his home in a fetal position (though it's difficult to swallow that he spent months not going out or even bathing--he had to eat and he certainly had enough money to later buy Shirley expensive gifts). It appears he begs for sympathy but the reader gets so tired of his annoying neediness that after awhile you no longer care.

Then there are times when we only hear one person's version of major events between them--leaving the reader to wonder what the other person thinks. It's as if Herskowitz interviewed the two separately, then pieced together stories based on whose he thought was more interesting (which was usually Marty's). But there doesn't seem to be much objective checking into what they are saying is true--after the first few times you hear Marty admit to lying or exaggerating, it makes you question virtually everything he says. Shirley, on the other hand, is almost comatose in her responses to Ingels' mental problems, exhausted but accepting with no real explanation given.

Yes there are some fun stories here--but it's not quite the "love story" you expect. There also isn't anywhere near as much inside Hollywood information as should have been included--not many behind-the-scenes stories of their movies or TV shows. In the end you wonder why this ill man was so persistent in embarrassing himself to win her over, and why this quiet rebel woman was so willing to eventually give in when it's obvious she isn't comfortable with him.

This is a great love biography of the reknowned entertainer Shirley Jones and Marty Engels.They rule!!

Shirley Jones is an American institution - from her Ocsar for Elmer Gantry to being the Partridge Family Mom. This book takes you behind the scenes of her life - from her start in the business through her unlikely marriage to Marty Ingels. There are heartwarming stories and uncomfortable incidents that come together to tell the story of their time together and how they formed a family from disparate parts. Ingalls, known mostly as a B-level comic is obviously intelligent and committed to Jones, to whom he is married to this day. I was surprised I liked the book as much as I did and have recommended it often.

I have read this book cover to cover several times and take something different from it each time. This book is an incredible and fascinating combination of humor and tragedy -- and even humor IN tragedy, showing all of us that even those who may appear to have perfect lives of the television or silver screen face real-life problems when the cameras are shut off. What makes this book fantastic is seeing the real people behind the personas and the ability to benefit from the important lessons learned in this unique relationship.