| This book covers the early years of the Marx Brothers, with superb portraits of their rather eccentric parents, and a humorous picture of growing up poor but hopeful in New York at the turn of the century, followed by perhaps the best first-hand description of a Vaudeville life ever written. The characters and events are sometimes so much larger than life that readers may question how much exaggeration Groucho is indulging in, but there's something so engaging about his narrative style that makes it hard not to go along with it.
It takes readers from the early days of doing anything to make ends meet (including Chico and Harpo playing piano in brothels) up to the great Hollywood days. In the end, this whole book just flies of the page and leaves you with the feeling of having been in the company it like being in the presence of one of the great raconteurs and wits of the last century. | ||
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Plot & Themes job/profession: Job/profession/poverty story Yes Story of entertainer? - Movie Comedy Actor Period of greatest activity? - 1900+ Subject of Biography Gender - Male Profession/status: Ethnicity - Jew Nationality - American Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 () United States Yes The US: - Northeast City? Yes City: - New York - dirty, grimy (like New York) - Century: - 1900-1920's Writing Style Book makes you feel? - very happy - like laughing Pictures/Illustrations? - More 6-10 B&W How much dialogue in bio? - little dialog How much of bio focuses on most famous period of life? - 51%-75% of book |
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