Coffee with Groucho

by Simon Louvish

With a foreword by the actor, director, and playwright described as "the greatest living exponent of Groucho Marx's material" by The New York Times, and text by the author of Monkey Business, a biography of the Marx Brothers, this bio brings the wisecracking, cigar-chomping, eyebrow-raising comedian to life on the page. Groucho discusses such issues as the film Duck Soup , the rules of comedy, the directors he worked with, and his talented brothers...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1844835154
• ISBN13: 9781844835157
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Duncan Baird
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.6" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

PseudoGroucho

The idea of this book is good: a conversation with Groucho Marx that covers his life and work. The mini-biography is very well done, and the remarks attributed to Groucho have an authentic ring, especially because many of them were actually said, or written, by him. It's not as funny as I expected it to be, which is why I only gave it four stars. The book is short enough that it can be read in one sitting, so it is a relatively entertaining way to spend a few hours with one of the funniest men of the 20th century.

* * * * *

A great book...Frank Ferrante's beautifully written foreword makes this a collector's item that Marx Brothers fans won't want to miss.

Fun, breezy biography

Do you have an hour to spend just reading for fun? Do you like the Marx brothers and prefer smiling to sighing? Are you ready to laugh out loud at classic quips? If so, this breezy "Coffee with Groucho" should satisfy. As a casual movie fan, I recalled a few funny scenes and learned some backstage stories. I recognized several quotes, and they still made me smile. Part biography, part entertainment history, and part silly, this light book requires disrespect and a flippant attitude. I liked it. You probably will too. This book, however, should not be mistaken for a scholarly analysis of the Marx brothers, vaudeville, politics in Hollywood, or any other such grand project. It's just a simple, fun book filled with clever non-sense.