Rating: 
Summary: Well, "Monkey Business" IS my all time fave Marx movie......
Review: And I must say that this book of the same title is right up there too. I thought Simon Louvish did an excellent job of digging up the truth on the Marxian tales that have swirled around for many, many years. His research of the ancestral roots of Minnie and Sam "Frenchy" Marx are impeccable.....and Louvish's way of putting the "ages" of the brothers in their proper timeframe is first rate. I think he captured each brother perfectly. I was impressed at his case for giving Chico a hell of lot more credit in steering the brothers to superstardom. Chico was a go-getter, just like his mother Minnie, and I was happy to see Chico portrayed as something more than just the gambling, womanizing, loose cannon type of a guy we all know about (or thought we knew about). That's not to say Chico wasn't like that, it's just good to hear something else about him for a change (I'd kill to have the mathematical mind that guy had!). Harpo is always just the Harpo we all know (just like in "HARPO SPEAKS!") and love. He definitely marched to a beat of a different drummer (Louvish captures that perfectly), Harpo was his own man to say the least. That's a good thing. Groucho, is displayed (like usual) as cantankerous, moody and insulting (well, this IS Groucho we're talking about!). But Louvish gets into the reasons WHY Groucho was that way (let's just say insecurities MIGHT have played a small part in Groucho's disposition). For me, reading of Zeppo's burden of being so much younger and feeling he was always an afterthought is sad. To be bearing the middle name of his deceased eldest brother, you have to feel some sympathy towards the poor guy. Zep's talents lie elsewhere, as subsequent chapters explain. Louvish's use of prime Marxist dialogue is superb, and he really outdid himself in research at the Libary of Congress, finding several vintage manuscripts just lying there waiting to have their moment in print.......speaking of moments, I was really intrigued by the true story of Margaret Dumont. This woman managed to pull off the ultimate lifelong-practical joke on GROUCHO of all people. Read the book to see what I'm talking about. Everything you'd want to know about the Marxes is here, and there's so much irony in the stories, it's mind boggling. What really got me was the sad way each of their lives ended. None of them (except maybe Gummo) just went along peacefully. Chico died of arteriosclerosis, with practically nothing to show for all the glory years in the movies, Harpo had a heart attack during open-heart surgery (on his 28th wedding anniversary no less), Zeppo died of lung cancer. Groucho's surviving relatives' feud with Erin Fleming (even after Grouch was gone) was a sad closing to an amazing, but sometimes painful life. But it's the laughter that kept the brothers (and brought all of us) together. That's what this book celebrates more than anything. The genius of their comedy, their anarchistic style, they brought THEMSELVES to us, the movie goer. That's why almost 80 years later, we're still interested in them, because there was no one else like them, probably never will be. But it's the legacy of laughter they left behind, the legacy that Louvish writes about so beautifully. First rate book, get this one.
Rating: 
Summary: not worth plodding through
Review: As a new fan of the Marx Brothers, I raced to the library to learn more about their history. I stumbled upon "Monkey Business: The Lives and Legends of the Marx Brothers" and eagerly brought it home to devour. Much to my dismay, I found the book laden with dates (several of which, as the author meticulously points out) are incorrect. Mr. Louvish has deemed himself the debunker of Marx Brothers myths and goes through great pains to do so. He has a nasty habit of tossing out dates and name dropping when he is at a loss for words, and this annoys me to no end. I have found his dull style of writing to be as enticing as poking my eyes out with a blunt object. Do I really need to know how many times the Marx family was visited by the census taker? And is it entirely necessary for Mr. Louvish to discuss every erroneous legend the Marx Brothers ever created? I think that this book is frightfully dull and that it is best used as an instrument for keeping one's coffee table level. Stick to reading autobiographies of the Marx Brothers if you want to be able to finsh reading. But if you are a fan of superfluous writers, then perhaps Mr. Louvish is someone you would enjoy. Either way, I think the author needs to learn the fine art of self editing and verbal spring cleaning. Enough said.
Rating: 
Summary: A disapointment
Review: Considering an autographed picture of Groucho graces my office wall, I eagerly looked forward to a new look at the Brothers. Yet this volume is largely a disappointment. Louvish's stylistic flourishes (attempts at Marxesque puns, constant repetition of phrases throughout the book) distract from what should be a meaty read. The background on Margaret Dumont is interesting, but that's only a small portion of a 400 plus page book. I ended up skimming the last 200 pages in less than an hour. Ultimately this is a rehash of material better found elsewhere (Try Joe Adamson, Hector Arce, Harpo's autobiography, The Groucho Phile or Stefan Kanfer's flawed but fascinating Groucho bio)
Rating:
Summary: Very Enjoyable
Review: I found "Monkey Business" very enjoyable and interesting. I had trouble putting the book down. It reads very quickly and is not dull or academic in the least. The one drawback I found was that the book is not as focused as Louvish's bio of W. C. Fields, but then here he is following five people as opposed to one. Still, this was a very good book. I liked the way Louvish challenged some old stories about the Marx Brothers, and I liked the way he made a case for Chico being the chief "behind the scenes" brother in business matters. His assessment of the films seemed quite fair to me, and I found it interesting that the Marxes (or their writers) originally intended "Duck Soup" to be more political, and that they made it after plans to film "Of Thee I Sing" fell through. Still, this is perhaps not the best "first book to read" on the Marx Brothers. I would nominate Joe Adamson's "Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo" for that.
Rating:
Summary: Top Quality Biography
Review: I found "Monkey Business" very enjoyable and interesting. I had trouble putting the book down. It reads very quickly and is not dull or academic in the least. The one drawback I found was that the book is not as focused as Louvish's bio of W. C. Fields, but then here he is following five people as opposed to one. Still, this was a very good book. I liked the way Louvish challenged some old stories about the Marx Brothers, and I liked the way he made a case for Chico being the chief "behind the scenes" brother in business matters. His assessment of the films seemed quite fair to me, and I found it interesting that the Marxes (or their writers) originally intended "Duck Soup" to be more political, and that they made it after plans to film "Of Thee I Sing" fell through. Still, this is perhaps not the best "first book to read" on the Marx Brothers. I would nominate Joe Adamson's "Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo" for that.
Rating:
Summary: Too pleased with himself...but good info for the Marx fan
Review: Louvish's style is very off putting.Great fact finding is weakened by the Author's need to make himself part of the story. His obvious joy about digging up Margaret Dumont's biographical history takes away from the real accomplishment of the research needed to discover the info in the first place. The books abounds with examples of this cloying style. An example of the annoying writing follows: P.365 "All the fans of the Marx Brothers movies-even if each watched their idols' films 600 times over on the screen-would not equal the number of viewers who would watch You Bet Your Life on one night at its peak, in 1957. I confess I made up that last statistic, but the point stands." If you made up the stat how does it make a point! This is just one example of Louvish's annoying habit of adding cute commentary to a book that needs none. The facts about the Marx's (and to give Louvish credit Zeppo and Gummo do not get the short end of the stick for once) don't need embellishment, they are interesting enough without the "clever" quips. True Marx fans may find the wading through the syrup worthwhile.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Book Yet on the Marx Brothers
Review: Simon Louvish follows up his excellent biography of W. C. Fields with this ground-breaking study of the Marx Brothers. As with the Fields biography, Louvish demythologizes the story of the Marxes and gives us Marx fans a lot more information to digest and enjoy. Fans have tended to accept the early stories of Marx family life as carved in stone; Louvish shows how the real story differs and does it with loving respect rather than the harshness of a debunker. In addition to the Marxes, Louvish also takes a few sidebar trips into the lives of the not so well known supporting players, such as Margaret Dumont, whose life was draped in legend. Well researched and well written. As to the criticism of those who think his writing reflects too much of the Marx style of comedy, I can only reply that no one seemed to mind when Joe Adamson did the same thing in his landmark study on the Marx Brothers films, Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo. I think this style of writing goes with the turf, so to speak, and in any case its annoyance factor is negligible compared to the rewards of his research. Highly recommded for any serious as well as casual Marx fan.
Rating:
Summary: an adrenaline fueled experience!!!
Review: Simon Louvish has done an outstanding job of presenting a fun, readable and informative account of the Marx Bros. New information to me included thoughts on the evidence that all of the brothers falsified their ages throughout their lives as well as secrets of Margaret Dumont revealed at last. There is also (as one would expect) a great deal of the story which has appeared in numerous other books and articles. However, Mr. Louvish presents it all in an entertaining way, making this book enjoyable on all fronts. Monkey Business deserves a place on the bookshelf of any devoted fan of the Marx Brothers as well as those only casually interested in their works and careers.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific addition to my Marx collection!
Review: Simon Louvish's new book has earned an honored place in my collection of Marx Brothers books and memorabilia. I have been a fan of the Marx Brothers for 25 years and have read nearly every book written by or about them. I thought I knew all there was to know and was expecting this to be nothing but a rehash of things I had read before. Instead I find that Mr. Louvish has carefully researched his subject and shares many new insights based on his research while also debunking (or at least challenging) many of the old Marxian legends. In my opinion, this book is not for the beginner in the world of the Marx Brothers. Mr. Louvish assumes that the reader already has knowledge of their films and of the many myths he works to debunk. If you are a new fan and want to learn more, start with "Groucho and Me" or "Harpo Speaks" and come back to this book later. If you are already well acquainted with the Marx Brothers, I think that you will be very pleased with Mr. Louvish's work.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific addition to my Marx collection!
Review: Simon Louvish's new book has earned an honored place in my collection of Marx Brothers books and memorabilia. I have been a fan of the Marx Brothers for 25 years and have read nearly every book written by or about them. I thought I knew all there was to know and was expecting this to be nothing but a rehash of things I had read before. Instead I find that Mr. Louvish has carefully researched his subject and shares many new insights based on his research while also debunking (or at least challenging) many of the old Marxian legends. In my opinion, this book is not for the beginner in the world of the Marx Brothers. Mr. Louvish assumes that the reader already has knowledge of their films and of the many myths he works to debunk. If you are a new fan and want to learn more, start with "Groucho and Me" or "Harpo Speaks" and come back to this book later. If you are already well acquainted with the Marx Brothers, I think that you will be very pleased with Mr. Louvish's work.
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