My Life With Groucho: A Son's Eye View

by Arthur Marx

Book Overview

The author shares his memories of his father and provides an overview of Groucho's career, his family life, and the turmoil of his final years. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0330311328
• ISBN13: 9780330311328
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: PAN BOOKS
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Marx Insider

I have read many books about the Marx Brothers and Groucho in particular but this one written by Groucho's son, Arthur, is one of the best. A lot of writers have taken on the Marx Family but few can write about it with the insider's point of view that Arthur Marx does. A few of the anecdotes are ones that you may have heard before, possibly from Groucho himself, but there is enough fresh material here to make for an enjoyable read. I was very interested in what Groucho was like away from the stage and off camera. The author describes in great detail what he was like just being a husband and father. For me, these were some of the best stories in the book Growing up the child of any celebrity has to have difficulties and I would have guessed that being the son of one of the most famous of them all- the one, the only, Groucho- would be no exception. But Arthur Marx writes of such a warm and loving relationship with his father that you cannot help but be charmed by this man called Groucho. At times, Groucho sounds like most any father- at times loving and kind, and at others, distant and uncommunicative. But over all, I got the sense that Groucho did love his children and tried whenever possible to be the best father to them that he could. I remember the news stories about Groucho in his later years and the infamous fights over his estate that the author had with Erin Fleming so it was good to get information about the resolution to those court battles. Of course this story is being told from the point of view of Groucho's son so the issue of who was right versus who was wrong must be decided by the reader but it was still interesting to get an update about what finally happened. If you are a fan of the Marx Brothers or just like Groucho, I would highly recommend this book. You are not likely to get any closer to the subject matter than Arthur Marx can take you.

Third Time Around is the Final Charm

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.

A Brilliant Groucho Biography, By His Son

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. It was a heart warming book which shows another side to the character that we have grown to love, from his relationship with his wife, his insomia and his worries about losing his money, as he did in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. I would suggest this book to any fan of Groucho or the Marx Brothers, it truly is a good, entertaining, interesting buy!

A Brilliant Groucho Biography, By His Son

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!

Superb insights into day-to-day life in Groucho's home

Arthur Marx has written a wonderful narrative of his life as the son of Groucho Marx. In this book, you will find out about Groucho's likes and dislikes... what drove his wives to divorce, and a great deal of "the real Groucho" from someone very close to him. What was most interesting to me was the sad ending to this comedic genius' life and how his estate was ultimately resolved. A wonderful insight into Groucho's personal life.