My Life With Groucho

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Summary: A Brilliant Groucho Biography, By His Son
Review: A really beautiful book, packed with information that even die hard fans may not know about Julius Henry Marx, better known as Groucho. Groucho was probably the most famous member of the Marx Brothers. He made films such as 'A Night at the Opera' and hosted the hit show, 'You Bet Your Life'. I have read many books on Groucho, and his brothers, but this has to be one of the best. I found it really easy to read and stayed up all night glued to it. It is a touching and humorous insight into Groucho. Arthur Marx, his son, has a superb style of writing, sometimes similar to his father's, and it had me laughing out loud many-a-time. I enjoyed it dearly and gives more details of Groucho's life then 'Groucho and Me', but is just as funny. It also has some great photographs which I had never seen before. I would suggest this book to any fan of Groucho or the Marx Brothers, it truly is a good, entertaining, interesting buy!

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Summary: Eyewitness to a Marxist life.
Review: If you are looking for a well-researched bio into the life of Groucho Marx, look elsewhere. Arthur Marx's accounts of the Marx brothers' history is basically a rehash of the old stories Groucho had told him, many untrue and without additional research Arthur just tells them again. It is with his eyewitness accounts of Groucho's life that Arthur creates an interesting addition to the Marx booklist. From the ride back from Chico's funeral with Groucho and Harpo to his scathing attack on Erin Flemings influence on his father this book makes for an interesting read. Arthur Marx is a solid story teller and the book is an easy enjoyable read. Just don't confuse it for the truth.

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Summary: Third Time Around is the Final Charm
Review: My Life With Groucho is a composite of Arthur's two previous books about his father, Life with Groucho and Son of Groucho. Only this time, with Groucho's death and the court fight for his estate, is there finality to the three volume saga.

Part One of the the book is a virtual reprint from Arthur's first tome, Life With Groucho, written in the mid-Fifties. As this book is now out of print, this section becomes a valuable source of information for collectors of Marxiana who were too young or not even born when this book was published.

Part Two is a summary of Son of Groucho's better parts, meaning those concerning life with Dad after Life With Groucho was published. Detailed in full is the inter-family ruckus that almost prevented the publishing of the first book, and Arthur takes us to the end of his father's life, warts and all, although tempered by the perspective of a loving son.

The last part of the book concerns itself with the ensuing fight for Groucho's estate and the pernicious influence of Erin Fleming on Groucho's life.

Highly recommended for Marx fans and anyone else seeking an insight into what it was like to grow up in a family headed by a Marx Brother.

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Summary: Mixed Marx
Review: This book comprises two works: Part One, which is really "Life with Groucho", written by Arthur Marx during Groucho's lifetime; and Part Two written after Groucho's death.

Part One is a collection of reminiscences and anecdotes about Groucho and family life with Groucho, strung together with some narrative and a bit of basic Marx family history. The stories are often amusing and sometimes illuminating. Groucho comes across as an eccentric yet warm and caring father. Yet withal, this is his son's impressions of his father's character and thus the account cannot really be objective.

Part Two is the story of Groucho's decline in his latter years, concentrating on the influence of Erin Fleming and the legal disputes between Fleming and the Marx family. It's a sad story of a man in physical and mental decline, and of battles over the future of his fortune.

Part One is of course, the better part of the book, Part Two being written with considerable bitterness.

G Rodgers