The Tragic Clowns- An Analysis of the Short Lives of John Belushi, Lenny Bruce, and Chris Farley [Perfect Paperback]

Joe Guse (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 5, 2007

A former Chicago comedian and current psychotherapist provides a psychological profile of John Belushi, Lenny Bruce, and Chris Farley, and attempts to examine the pathos that exists in the inner worlds of comedians.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Fascinating read!! This book goes well beyond the standard biography and provides in-depth psychological profiles of these three prominent comedians. --Psychological Review

Interesting connections in this book. Although each of these men died from drug overdoses, each had childhood patterns that drastically affected their adult lives. A fascinating way to write a biography. --Lulu Publications

As a lifelong resident of Chicago I saw John Belushi, Chris Farley, and even the author Joe Guse perform around the city, and therefore found this book particularly interesting. There has certainly been some debate regarding Belushi's story between the Bob Woodward version and the family's version and this book provides another potential explanation that looks at childhood patterns. From what I know about Farley this book also seems to provide some accurate possible insights into his behavior that looks at factors such as his how his religious beliefs contributed to his guilt and shame. Great book and well worth reading if your interested in psychology and comedy and how the two are intermingled. --Comedy Central

About the Author

Joe Guse is a former comedian and author who has previously published a book on his experiences working with Alzheimer's Disease. Currently pursuing a career in clinical psychology, Joe lives and works in downtown Chicago.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Aardvark (February 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1427616132
• ISBN-13: 978-1427616135
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,180,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Joe Guse is a former comedian from the Pacific Northwest, who performed around Chicago for several years before deciding to go into psychology as a career. Joe made this seemingly odd transition after working as an entertainer in nursing homes, where he found that there was a very strong relationship between laughter, resilience and healing. This relationship between laughter and mental health has been the crux of Joes work as a psychotherapist, and he has since written 14 books on various topics detailing his experiences integrating laughter into his work. Joe works in private practice in Chicago, and also does seminars around the country helping people explore the relationship between humor and mental health in their own lives. Joe holds 2 Master's degrees in Human Development and Counseling Psychology, and a doctorate in Clinical psychology. He is a licensed clinical professional counselor in the state of Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!, March 3, 2007

By 

Dr. Henry Lyon - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tragic Clowns- An Analysis of the Short Lives of John Belushi, Lenny Bruce, and Chris Farley (Perfect Paperback)

Very well crafted work here. The author provides a great deal of compelling evidence to suggest how early Lifestyle patterns influence faulty thinking later on in life. Beyond the technical aspects of this technique, this book takes great pain to identify the struggles each of these men underwent to set things right in their lives, while still falling victim to their deeply habituated behavior. I never fully considered how common these compensatory behaviors are in comedians, and this book definitely holds a light up to this phenomenon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, March 22, 2007

By 

Kenneth Ismail - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tragic Clowns- An Analysis of the Short Lives of John Belushi, Lenny Bruce, and Chris Farley (Perfect Paperback)

Excellent book that considers several factors including gender guiding lines, family atmosphere, culture, as well as the nature of addiction in providing an analysis of these three sad lives.

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read, January 29, 2012

By 

Bryan Robinson - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tragic Clowns: An Analysis of the Short Lives of John Belushi, Lenny Bruce, and Chris Farley. (Paperback)

As a former comedian I've always wondered about why so many of these guys tend to die so young. This book sheds some light on the subject, and digs a little deeper than a standard biography. Gets a little technical in spots, but still, a different kind of look that I appreciated..