Book Description
In this raucous collection of true-life stories, actress and comedian Chelsea Handler recounts her time spent in the social trenches with that wild, strange, irresistible, and often gratifying beast: the one-night stand.
You've either done it or know someone who has: the one-night stand, the familiar outcome of a night spent at a bar, sometimes the sole payoff for your friend's irritating wedding, or the only relief from a disastrous vacation. Often embarrassing and uncomfortable, occasionally outlandish, but most times just a necessary and irresistible evil, the one-night stand is a social rite as old as sex itself and as common as a bar stool.
Enter Chelsea Handler. Gorgeous, sharp, and anything but shy, Chelsea loves men and lots of them. My Horizontal Life chronicles her romp through the different bedrooms of a variety of suitors, a no-holds-barred account of what can happen between a man and a sometimes very intoxicated, outgoing woman during one night of passion. From her short fling with a Vegas stripper to her even shorter dalliance with a well-endowed little person, from her uncomfortable tryst with a cruise ship performer to her misguided rebound with a man who likes to play leather dress-up, Chelsea recalls the highs and lows of her one-night stands with hilarious honesty. Encouraged by her motley collection of friends (aka: her partners in crime) but challenged by her family members (who at times find themselves a surprise part of the encounter), Chelsea hits bottom and bounces back, unafraid to share the gritty details. My Horizontal Life is one guilty pleasure you won't be ashamed to talk about in the morning.
Customer Reviews:
TOO FUNNY!!!.......2007-10-01
So I noticed a lot of people bashing this book for Chelsea being a pill-poppin tramp who only loves vodka and sex... and she WAS, but I found this book hilarious!!! I am in my late 20's and found this book to be extremely funny, witty and courageous (because Lord knows I wouldn't write about my past sex life for all my family and friends to read!)
I laughed nearly the entire book - especially about the S&M guy who wanted to be "smacked". HAHA!
Good job Chelsea! You continue to make me laugh and I'll def pick up another one of your books! See you on E!
Hilarious, fast read.......2007-09-20
One of the funniest, laugh out loud books ive ever read. It's become a favorite gift to give to my girlfriends!
The title really IS misleading.......2007-09-06
This book really is about Chelsea's "near misses". Instead of gloriously detailed sex-capades, her writings were more about her trying to weasel out of sex related situations. Reading it, I had a hard time believing that her character was even having sex at all. There was all this fluff concerning wild and crazy conversations/situations that would ultimately lead up to the 'come back to my room?' moment, which would then be quickly followed with her chickening out and having to find a less than tactful means of escape. I was left thinking that her character would be the type to walk around shouting 'I'm a slut! Come on boys!', when in reality all she would do is kiss. Not very promiscuous. The entire book was impersonal and, at times, had struggled to remain witty. It was surprising to find that by the last five or six pages, Chelsea actually began to write in a more biographical style where you began to feel some sort of raw emotion from her, which had been refreshing after two-hundred pages of emptiness. I don't regret having read it, I'm just a little sad with the money wasted purchasing it.
Let's here it for Chelsea Handler!.......2007-08-30
While I am a fan of Chelsea's stand up I found reading it and hearing it in the voice of hers I'm familiar with even more entertaining. Not all the jokes I've heard live on her show have the kind of punch that the material in this laugh out loud book does. It's a great book if you want to have a really good time and also have the freedom to put it down after each chapter/story. You can use this book as your light pick me up reading between deeper, darker, heavier reading.
Just so we're clear this book will teach you nothing about sex. It is in no way "erotic". Chelsea is merely offering up her sex life as comic material that is truly unique!
Fragments Of My Life A Sex Fiction.......2007-08-29
Love Your Book Chelsea Handler!!!
Lets get together for a drink!!!!
Henry Joseph Rychlicki Author of
Fragments Of My Life A Sex Fiction By Henry Joseph Rychlicki
Average customer rating:
- An interesting person, but a tiring read
- Better than you'd expect
- Interesting reading when you have nothing else to read.
- Great Book, Very Interesting Lady!
- Not as good reading as I thought it would be.
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Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse
Phyllis Diller , and
Richard Buskin
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 1585423963 |
Book Description
From housewife to humorist, Phyllis Diller has been making millions laugh for five decades with her groundbreaking comedy. Now the laughter continues with her uproarious autobiography.
Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse recounts the story of how, against all odds, Phyllis Diller became America's first successful and best-loved female stand-up comic. She began her professional career at age thirty-seven, in spite of the fact that she was a housewife, mother of five, and working at a radio station due to her husband's chronic unemployment. Now, fifty years later, after two traumatic marriages; extensive cosmetic surgery; numerous film, television, and stage appearances; and separate careers as an artist and piano soloist with symphony orchestras, Phyllis Diller finally tells her story.
With her trademark laugh, incredible wit, and self-deprecating humor, Phyllis Diller has etched her way into comedic history. And while her wild hair and outrageous clothes may make her look "like a lampshade in a whorehouse," her strength, self-belief, perseverance, and raucous sense of humor are what make her truly unforgettable.
Customer Reviews:
An interesting person, but a tiring read.......2007-09-16
I really wanted to like this book - Phyllis Diller was a fascinating person. But about halfway through the book I realized it was largely a list of famous names. While she occasionally gives a bit of depth, that's generally to savage people, not to tell much about their character or her relationship with them. The exceptions are her husbands, two of whom she tears to shreds and the third whom she adores. Which is actually perhaps the weakest point of the book - everyone is either an angel or a devil, with very little in beween.
It would have been better if it had been half as long, and eliminated the sniping. Or said another way, worth checking out from the library, but definitely not worth even the very modest price to buy your own copy.
Better than you'd expect.......2007-08-23
I grew up knowing that Phyllis Diller was a comedian from the "old school" but this autobiography showed me that she is so much more than that. Reading this book showed me how influential she has been for the female comedians that followed. She was also one of the first prominent "working" mothers. Unfortunately, she was also dreadful in her selection of husbands. Should Phyllis have come to the forefront now, I doubt we would be as impressed by her accomplishments, but she "grew up" in a time when virtually everything she did was uncharted territory. She was a working mother, with a worthless husband, abused, yet her work ethic and need to provide for her family propelled her into many new and different arenas in a time when it had not been done by a woman before. And not only did she do it well, she did it with blind determination and spunk. I am completely impressed and appreciate that she's sharing herself so intimately with her readers. This book is written simply, concisely and with very good humor. I was inspired and uplifted by her trials, tribulations, successes and dedication to making her life work. I expect I'm not the only one to feel inspired. My thanks to Ms. Diller for her frankness, great humor and determination to make all situations work to their best advantage.
Interesting reading when you have nothing else to read........2007-08-06
To be perfectly honest, I only got this one because it was a real bargain. But I enjoyed reading Ms. Phyllis Diller's autobiography. I'm not a Diller fan but this funny lady can be an interesting character and an acceptable story-teller. Some parts get to be a little repetitive, particularly on that of her not-so-great husbands. Still this book makes a good reading. And if you are a Phyllis Diller fan, I'm sure you'll enjoy it even more.
Great Book, Very Interesting Lady!.......2007-07-05
I loved this book. It was interesting to get a glimpse into the early days of a great comedy career. Very entertaining!!
Not as good reading as I thought it would be........2007-06-03
It was good getting the book in good condition and it a short time, but I did not like it.
Average customer rating:
- Great Read
- Excellent
- books
- Couldn't put it down.
- Highly recommended
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Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey through Depression
Chonda Pierce
Manufacturer: Howard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Second Row Piano Side
ASIN: 1582296413 |
Book Description
A Kind Friend to Walk with You...
For many, depression is associated with shame and humiliation -- even a lack of faith. But in this refreshingly honest and oh-so-very-real revelation of one woman's journey through depression, you'll hear the voice of a kind friend. And in her words you'll find hope and renewed confidence that will guide you through your own darkness and into the light.
- If you are currently suffering from depression -- this book will help you realize you're not alone.
- If you have a loved one dealing with depression -- this book will help you understand.
- If you are a mental-health professional -- you now have a new tool to encourage your clients.
Along with the humor, Chonda shares practical insight, biblical teaching, emotional support, and sympathetic concern. Whether you've experienced depression in your own life or in the life of someone you love, this friend has something to offer you: help, hope and, believe it or not, plenty of laughter.
Customer Reviews:
Great Read.......2007-10-04
This book flowed well, and I really appreciated Chonda's candid and honest look at her journey through depression. While the church sometimes implies if you suffer from depression, you must not have enough faith or you are making it up, Chonda is not ashamed to share her story and her faith. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent.......2007-10-02
I recently saw Chondra on stage. I knew with her type of humor, I needed to read her book.Being diagnosed with Clinical Depression myself, I felt we had something in common. I was not disappointed, her book is excellent. She is able to put into words thoughts and feelings just like mine. It seems God put people into her life just like He did me. This is a must read!!!!!
books.......2007-09-21
I love Chonda Pierce. I have been to see her in person. This is a must read book
Couldn't put it down........2007-09-17
This book just really hit home with me. I could relate to so many things. Chonda is such a funny lady and it left me so optimistic. Passed it on to a friend that is traveling down that dark road. She loved it also.
Highly recommended.......2007-07-08
Laughing in the Dark: A Comedian's Journey Through Depression is the true story of comedian, Christian, and depression survivor Chonda Pierce, in her own words. Pierce recovered with help from close friends, therapy, and a Zoloft prescription; she candidly shares her story as affirmation that "depression" is neither shameful nor a sign of faltering faith. Though the author's abiding faith in God is quite evident, Laughing in the Dark is intended for readers of all belief systems. "When your mind has been captivated by the dark for a long time and you finally experience some healing - whether instantaneously through an act of God or gradually through the gift of medicine - you feel liberated... But there's more work to be done. It's like having any other serious, debilitating injury. You're excited when you make it through all the surgeries, but you still have to battle through rehabilitation in order to learn to walk, talk, and feed yourself again." Highly recommended, especially for the personal shelves and reading lists of anyone suffering depression or their friends and families.
Book Description
That stammer. Those basset-hound eyes. That bone-dry wit. There has never been another comedian like Bob Newhart. His comedy albums, movies, and two hit television series have made him a national treasure and placed him firmly in the pantheon of comedy legends. Who else has a drinking game named after him? And now, at last, Newhart puts his brilliant and hysterical world view on paper. Never a punch-line comic, always more of a storyteller, he tells anecdotes from throughout his life and career, including his beginnings as an accountant and the groundbreaking success of his comedy albums and The Bob Newhart Show and Newhart, which gave him fifteen years on primetime television. And he also gives his wry, comedic twist to a multitude of topics, including golf, drinking, and family holidays. Today, Newhart appears on Desperate Housewives, in hit movies such as Elf, and in theaters around the country. Reruns of his shows air constantly on Nick at Nite -- have recently been released with great success for the first time ever on DVD. With this book, Bob Newhart gives his millions of fans a first ever opportunity to sample his unique brand of humor -- including excerpts from some of his classic routines -- on the printed page.
Customer Reviews:
entertaining book.......2007-09-25
A quick read. Very entertaining. I had listened to the CD and wanted to read it. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Very funny read.......2007-09-23
This was a very funny read from Bob Newhart. He tells the story of his
life in short interludes which put together a picture of a man at peace with himself and the world. His humor has always made me laugh, some-
times loudly and this book did the same thing.
I shouldn't Even be Doing This.......2007-09-19
Not a rib splitter. But a good, relaxing read. Lots of fun stories about Newhart and his celebrety friends. If you like Newhart's sense of humor, you will like this book.
Okay read.......2007-07-05
I didn't read the ad carefully when I purchased this product. Even though we thought it was an album of Bob Newhart's comedy routines we enjoyed listening to the book. It was a 3 CD book and we enjoyed alternating this book with the other audiobooks we had purchased.
Disappointed.......2007-06-22
I like Bob Newhart, but this book was not as good as I was hoping for. It was not a quick read.
Book Description
Part memoir, part monologue, with a dash of startling honesty, There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say features biographies of legendary historical figures from which Paula Poundstone can’t help digressing to tell her own story. Mining gold from the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Joan of Arc, and Beethoven, among others, the eccentric and utterly inimitable mind of Paula Poundstone dissects, observes, and comments on the successes and failures of her own life with surprising candor and spot-on comedic timing in this unique laugh-out-loud book.
If you like Paula Poundstone’s ironic and blindingly intelligent humor, you’ll love this wryly observant, funny, and touching book.
Paula Poundstone on . . .
The sources of her self-esteem: “A couple of years ago I was reunited with a guy I knew in the fifth grade. He said, “All the other fifth-grade guys liked the pretty girls, but I liked you.” It’s hard to know if a guy is sincere when he lays it on that thick.
The battle between fatigue and informed citizenship: I play a videotape of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer every night, but sometimes I only get as far as the theme song (da da-da-da da-ah) before I fall asleep. Sometimes as soon as Margaret Warner says whether or not Jim Lehrer is on vacation I drift right off. Somehow just knowing he’s well comforts me.
The occult: I need to know exactly what day I’m gonna die so that I don’t bother putting away leftovers the night before.
TV’s misplaced priorities: Someday in the midst of the State of the Union address they’ll break in with, “We interrupt this program to bring you a little clip from Bewitched.”
Travel: In London I went to the queen’s house. I went as a tourist—she didn’t invite me so she could pick my brain: “What do you think of my face on the pound? Too serious?”
Air-conditioning in Florida: If it were as cold outside in the winter as they make it inside in the summer, they’d put the heat on. It makes no sense.
The scandal: The judge said I was the best probationer he ever had. Talk about proud.
With a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore
Customer Reviews:
There's nothing in this book that I meant to say by Paula Poundstone.......2007-08-06
This is a funny book... I listened to it in my car on five CDs. Paula has been through a lot and yet she has not lost her sense of humor. If you ever get the chance to go see her live, don't miss it. She is one of the quickest and the best at adLib that I have ever seen.
Humor, History and Humility.......2007-07-29
What do Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Beethoven, Charles Dickens,The Wright Brothers and Sitting Bull all have in common? Isn't it obvious? Paula Poundstone of course.
Ms. Poundstone makes both humorous and serious parallels with these historical figures as she goes back and forth between her life and theirs. We not only learn about her own history, we learn about her wry views on life, recovery from her addiction and her number one priority-her three children. As an added bonus we may even be motivated to read more about the people whose names are the titles of the seven chapters.
I especially appreciated her frank discussion of her alcoholism in terms of acceptance,taking responsibility as well as making amends to those whose lives were most affected, her children.
Well done Paula!
A pleasant, rambling read.......2007-07-26
This book feels a lot like listening to a Paula Poundstone comedy routine. She starts off on one topic and you never know where you will end up. I was pleasantly surprised by how personal she was willing to get when talking about her recent substance problems. She did so with much grace and self-deprecating humor. I just love her wit and found myself laughing out loud on several occasions.
There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say.......2007-06-08
Great book. She writes with raw honesty and gentle humour. While reading the book, you feel like you're having a great heart to heart talk, with a good friend.
Nayslove.......2007-05-12
If you are a fan of Paula's, you will LOVE this book! If you aren't and are looking for a good read, you will enjoy the history lesson and fall in love with her. I laughed so hard I had tears rolling. It is both poignant and hysterically funny. She is brilliant as a comic, and now as an author.
Book Description
As the son of the worlds funniest comedian, Arthur Marx had an insiders view of the ever-changing landscape of American entertainment. Arthur Marxs GROUCHO offers never before seen images of his legendary family and the Hollywood scene of the th cent
Customer Reviews:
The Secret Word is "BeeYOOtiful".......2006-03-01
I have to rate this book highly, due to one thing in particular; a load of photos NEW to someone who's been buying all things Marx since the 1970's. Some of the candid, on-set shots; some of the very rare shots of Zeppo; and some shots from scenes that were later cut...these are the stuff of dreams. Crazy dreams, but dreams, nonetheless.
It just misses five stars for two reasons: a nice crop of pictures we've all seen a thousand times and, worse, a number of well-known, yet misquoted, lines.
Did someone proof this? There's not much writing, so it couldn't have taken long...and, after all, Arthur's an author in good standing.
You'd think he could take some of the money he's made off his pop over the past forty years and buy a complete set of Marx CD's. Then he could nab the quotes directly. No excuse for this.
Yet I, for one, still recommend it for the visual treasure it is. A great "coffee table book" - and on a hilarious subject that makes you long to crack it open and take it all in, as opposed to some of those paper paperweights you've typically seen gathering dust in living rooms various and sundry.
ARTHUR MARX'S GROUCHO.......2003-05-13
The best Groucho book to come around in years. I loved it!
A Moving Tome.......2001-09-07
Initially the quality of the photos is striking. Then you look at the subject - a man who brings joy through his art of comedy - and some of the most emotionally moving images of Groucho emerge. And some gorgeous photos of the rest of the brothers also.
What fans of a dead artist always encounter is the lack of anything "new" out there. This fills a gap. I have been a Marx fan since my youth and have found the expenditure on this book, and the wait, worth it. The best picture book on the Marx brothers to date.
If I Held It Any Closer - I Would Be Behind It!!!.......2001-05-10
This book allows you to be in the Marx Family and experience what it must have been like to have a Father who was none other than the "One and Only, GROUCHO!!!"
I have nothing but the utmost respect for Arthur and thank him for sharing his memories and ALL of his fantastic photo's of his Father and Family.
If a picture is worth a million words then this book is worth at least two million ("or three for a dollar").
The Secret Word is: Gorgeous!!!.......2001-05-09
I've owned this book for several weeks now and it continues to have this strange affect on me: every time I pick it up, my mouth opens wide in awe and then twists into a grin that runs from ear to ear!! I just can't stop smiling! This is not your average picture book on the Marx Brothers.
Make no mistake....this book is first and foremost about the pictures and all have been STUNNINGLY reproduced. There is a richness and depth to the photos that you find in, say, coffee table photography books (Ansel Adams comes to mind). Some of the photos have been published before, but the majority of them are being seen here for the first time in book form. But even if you've seen some of the photos before, you've never seen them like this! This truly must've been a labor of love.
Accompanying the photos is a casual running commentary supplied by Arthur Marx which is at once charming, engaging, revealing and entertaining. You can almost imagine yourself thumbing through a Marx family photo album with Arthur stopping here and there to share the memories he associates with each picture.
This book satisfies on so many levels, but don't expect it to be a primer on the life and times of Julius H. Marx. For that find a copy of Hector Arce's GROUCHO (if you can!) but keep a copy of this book nearby because it wonderfully illustrates yet another facet of the man we know as Groucho.
I give this 5 stars (and 4 hard-boiled eggs!)!!!
Book Description
Here are more scathingly funny tales from the wild side! Laurie Notaro survived the debauched ride of her twenties and the bumpy road to matrimony. Now she’s ready to take on the thirtysomething years . . . and almost middle age has never been more hilarious.
Laurie is married, mortgaged, and now—miraculously—employed in the corporate world, discovering that bosses come in all shapes, sizes, and degrees of mental stability. After maxing out her last good credit card at Banana Republic, she’s dressed for success and ready to face the jungle: surviving feral, six-foot-plus Gretchen (“Three Thousand Faces of Eve”) before battling the overbearing, overstuffed (in way-too-small pants) new mom Suzzi, who ruthlessly cancels Laurie’s newspaper column and learns that payback can be a bitch. Laurie also explores the backstabbing world of preschoolers at a Halloween party, the X-rated madness of a family trip to Disneyland, and the pressure from her QVC-addicted mother and the rest of the world to reproduce. But while losing more friends to babies than to booze, she realizes there’s a plus side: at least for a couple of months she gets to be the thinner friend.
I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies) is Laurie Notaro at her deliciously quirky best. Can a woman prone to what her loved ones might term “meltdowns” (she considers them “Opportunities to Enlighten”) put a smile on her face and love everybody? Take a guess.
Customer Reviews:
HAHAHAHAHA AND MORE..................2007-09-19
I haven't laugh this hard in a long time.... I was having so much fun that I gave one to my daughter and she would called me late at night, just laughing and telling me which page to go to and it was a great bonding experience........It is awesome! thank you Laurie!
I love everything she writes - funny, quirky, will lift your spirits! .......2007-05-19
Although I feel compelled to note, right up front, that humor is tricky and what one person finds funny may not appeal to another, I still think this book is one that MOST readers will find laugh out loud funny. I love every book Notaro has written and they've found a permanent place on my bookshelf because they're guaranteed to lift my spirits on even the worst days.
Hers is the kind of humor that I'm tempted to call a combination of humor and self-help because I ALWAYS feel better about my life after reading about her misfortunes (but not guilty, because she is able to laugh at herself and, besides, her books sell well, so I figure any temporary humiliation is offset somewhat by that).
Notaro has a knack for being totally shameless about exposing life's various insults foisted upon her - and making normally dull subjects seem funny (everything from having kidney stones to finding herself traumatized and in a state of near nakedness, quite by accident, at Disneyland (yes, DISNEYLAND).
She is quick to point out her character flaws as well. She can be impatient, clumsy, drawn to the wrong type of boyfriends (until she found her husband) and prone to the most embarrassing experiences. Somehow this makes for a great read. I relate to her and I think a lot of others will.
I should note that this may fall into the type of book known as a "woman's book" and I'm not sure how many men will relate to this one. I hope I'm wrong about that.
Review from a loudmouth girl.......2007-05-16
Laurie Notaro is my hero. She has a great writing style. Her stories are hilarious. I suggest every woman who has ever struggled to fit in and do the right thing to read her books.
Very forced........2007-02-12
I purchased this book on a whim and was thoroughly disappointed (there goes my future spontaneous purchases!). Couldn't even get through it because it's attempts at humor were so flat, they were almost insulting. Thank God for target's return policy; I exchanged the book for Susan Gilman's 'Hypocrite...', which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
The Funny for the 30-something Crowd - Notaro Style.......2007-02-04
Older, but still an Idiot Girl, Notaro's "I Love Everybody" recounts snot bubbles, the trouble with email, and other minutia done in classic Notaro style.
Notaro is one of my absolute favorite authors. She never fails to make me laugh-out-loud. I highly recommend any of her books!
Customer Reviews:
Do You Want to Be Funny?.......2007-05-25
I asked if you WANT to be funny rather than if you think you're funny, because Judy Carter shows that we can ALL be funny if we just dig into our own lives--the good, the sad and the real bad--and find the humor in it. And she shows us how to do just that. Carter's writing style has a way for making you feel she is right there cheering you on. This is not just for those dreaming of standing up in front of a comedy club. It's for anyone who wants to find the humor in their own life AND for those who want to be able to tell their friends a story and have them actually laugh with them not AT them. I LOVE it and learned from it.
great basics.......2007-01-12
This is touted as the Bible of stand-up. There are very good exercises in here as well as funny anecdotes and bits of comedians of the 80's and 90's. It is a bit of a trip down memory lane with the pictures and comedic bits of old but still very helpful. If you have any interest in trying stand-up, I recommend this book. Thinking you are funny and creating funny are two different things and Judy Carter's book helps you learn the difference.
Fastest way to know about Stand Up.......2006-11-05
Great insight about the craft and bussiness of Stand Up. Second best to start and stand up!
A MUST HAVE.............2006-10-19
This is the best for someone looking to start standup. The book had cool questions for you to fill in the blanks and has phone numbers and networking. I read it and it definately makes you more informative and confident in writing your skits. I'm a comedian so I know. :o)
What a disaster!.......2005-06-11
I've read a lot of these stand-up books now, about five of them, and this one is far and away the worst. If you want to know how to sound like a dated, hack comic -- this is your text. I cannot imagine an evening out being "entertained" by a group of comics that all follow the exercises in this book. I would hang myself before the night was over. This book convinces comics to play AWAY from their voice and to simply take banal observations and wrestle them into tired hyperbolic cliche setup-punch format. Nothing in this book put forward as an example of good comedy made me laugh. Actually, more often than not they made me cringe. The book is dated, the lessons will turn your into an unfunny "joke teller." Do yourself a favor and watch some comedians you find funny and then ask yourself if they are doing anything REMOTELY similar to what this book suggests you need to do to be funny. You'll be surprised. I have to say please don't waste your money on this book unless you actually WANT to be a bad, cheesy, stuck-in-the-80s "comedy stylist."
Amazon.com
Actor and comedian Billy Crystal has forged a highly successful career by portraying other people in movies like When Harry Met Sally… and City Slickers. But in 700 Sundays, a memoir based on his one-man Broadway play of the same name, Crystal tells his own story, dissecting an often complex relationship with his father and how that relationship resonated in other aspects of his life. His father, Jack Crystal was an influential jazz concert promoter and operated an influential jazz record label, affording his son an opportunity to tell stories of being taken to his first movie by Billie Holliday and seeing his grandmother suggest that Louis Armstrong simply "try coughing it up." But Jack died when his son was fifteen years old, soon after a forever-unresolved argument between the two, leaving Billy to cope with crushing grief while simultaneously and perhaps ironically trying to launch a career in comedy. This lends 700 Sundays much needed gravity in a volume that is packed with zingy one-liners and whimsical observations that serve to illustrate the comedy career Crystal forged, while also providing some decent laughs. Interestingly, there is very little reference to the better known accomplishments of Crystal's Hollywood career as the author chooses to focus instead on the seemingly mundane but highly entertaining aspects of his Long Island roots. Though 700 Sundays (the name comes from Crystal's estimation of how many Sundays he got to spend with his father) is packaged here in book form, it reads like a piece of theater and, more specifically, like a selection of memories about a father, lovingly and touchingly re-told by his loving son. --John Moe
Book Description
Actor and comedian Billy Crystal has forged a highly successful career by portraying other people in movies like When Harry Met Sally#133;and City Slickers. But in 700 Sundays, a memoir based on his one-man Broadway play of the same name, Crystal tells his own story, dissecting an often complex relationship with his father and how that relationship resonated in other aspects of his life. His father, Jack Crystal was an influential jazz concert promoter and operated an influential jazz record label, affording his son an opportunity to tell stories of being taken to his first movie by Billie Holliday and seeing his grandmother suggest that Louis Armstrong simply "try coughing it up." But Jack died when his son was fifteen years old, soon after a forever-unresolved argument between the two, leavingBilly to cope with crushing grief while simultaneously and perhaps ironically trying to launch a career in comedy. This lends 700 Sundays much needed gravity in a volume that is packed with zingy one-liners and whimsical observations that serve to illustrate the comedy career Crystal forged, while also providing some decent laughs. Interestingly, there is very little reference to the better known accomplishments of Crystal's Hollywood career as the author chooses to focus instead on the seemingly mundane but highly entertaining aspects of his Long Island roots. Though 700 Sundays (the name comes from Crystal's estimation of how many Sundays he got to spend with his father) is packaged here in book form, it reads like a piece of theater and, more specifically, like a selection of memories about a father, lovingly and touchingly re-told by his loving son. --John Moe
Customer Reviews:
As good as it gets.......2007-08-29
Imagine sitting down with the exceptional Billy Crystal for an evening and listening to him talk about his growing-up years in Long Beach, Long Island. This book sparkles with the man's gift for transforming the mundane and the seemingly normal into fodder for wonderfully engaging anecdotes. I loved it, all the more so given that I am of the same generation as Mr. Crystal and spent time in Long Beach myself (my grandparents lived in Long Beach and my mother and uncles were born there). A funnier and more touching memoire would be hard to come by. Highly recommended.
Very Enjoyable.......2007-07-24
This book brought me to the depth of emotions. I laughed (a lot) and cried a bit. Excellent and quick read for baby boomers.
You float with Crystal.......2007-05-18
I often find Crystal's live show much funnier 'cos it is more of his real personality/charisma, so, when I read his book, I felt that I was watching his live show in my own room. Just like I was in a boat with Crystal along his life river. Not only it was funny, but also I felt that I knew much more the way Billy grew up and the reasons why he looked at his life.
I Get It, He's A Jew!!!.......2007-05-01
That's not supposed to be anti-Semitic by the way.... I absolutely hated this book. I bought it thinking it would make me laugh, unfortunately only one part made me laugh (punching a guy in the balls during a basketball game - good stuff) other then that it was a pretty boring book in my opinion. While some of the stories were neat, a lot of it just got plain annoying. There seemed to be too many parts where Crystal tried to throw in some random stand-up material that had nothing to do with anything.
As far as the "I get it, he's a Jew" statement I had above... I've got no problem with Billy Crystal, and I've got no problem that he's Jewish but dear God does he need to mention it on every page!? That was almost as annoying as the random tangents!
Touching, Funny, True.......2007-03-16
The tough thing about reading books by comedians is that they seem to be missing something - the words need to be read aloud, not read silently in one's head. There is an element of that flatness in 700 Sundays, a memoir of Crystal's early years, but there's more than just a transcript of his monologues. Read between the jokes and you'll see the story of a family, from the great Uncle Berns to the sassy Aunt Sylvia, but most of all Crystal's nuclear family - his mom, dad, and the three sons.
From Yankee Stadium to Long Beach, New York, Crystal tells the tales that shaped him as a child and young adult. Early comedy performances for the extended families, hanging out with jazz greats like Billie Holliday, and plenty of brisket and noodle kugel.
Throughout it all is the poignancy of the early death of Crystal's father, and the hole he left behind.
Part Patricia Volk, part Neil Simon, 100 percent Crystal.
Amazon.com
To Marx Brothers fans who have yet to read this book: Put it off as long as you can, because once you are finished, you will wish you could read it again for the first time. Harpo's life was interesting in itself, but it also frequently intersected with the lives of other fascinating people, most notably his own brothers and drama critic Alexander Woolcott. Marx also was part of the legendary Algonquin Round Table; he's got plenty to say about that. Wait'll you hear about what it means to "throw a Gookie." You'll never be able to watch a Marx Brothers movie again without looking for the Gookie!
Book Description
"This is a riotous story which is reasonably mad and as accurate as a Marx brother can make it. Despite only a year and a half of schooling, Harpo, or perhaps his collaborator, is the best writer of the Marx Brother. Highly recommended." -Library Journal "A funny, affectionate and unpretentious autobiography done with a sharply professional assist from Rowland Barber." -New York Times Book Review
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and captivating.......2007-05-24
What a great look into an interesting life of the silent one. I read it twice!!
..... And one duck egg!.......2007-05-16
This book should be standard issue to every human being who wants to know what a well-lived life consists of! What an extraordinary person graces us with the story of his life and a look at the lives of his famous family members! Told with such engaging warmth, Harpo's story continually challanges us to wake up and realize that, like the author, it isn't so much whether you're sleeping in a palace or a harp case...eating caviar or turnip soup...that determines what your life is worth and how fulfilled you are. Nearly indescribable in its charm, this is a books to be read again and again.
Reader Speaks on "Harpo Speaks" Autobiography.......2007-03-31
This gem of a book spotlights the childhood years and adult life of legendary harpist and comedian, Harpo Marx. Having read many of Groucho's books, which are often "tongue in cheek," I find it refreshing to read a sincere, thoughtful account by and about Harpo. A sweeter man, totally in love with life, you will not find in any book. The narrative is engaging and offers a glimpse not only of the great vaudeville comedian turned film entertainer, but also of the history of vaudeville, New York City in the late 1800s/early 1900s, the New York intellectual/art scene, and more. Read the book, and then pop into the DVD player a Marx Brothers movie to view a Harpo performance on harp. Harpo is unforgettable.
Harpo Speaks! And speaks, he does!.......2007-02-07
One of the best books I've ever read, and that is saying something because I have never read a nonfiction book cover to cover in my life, and I laughed my way through this one easily enough. Not only is it entertaining and funny to boot, but it tells the evolution of the trade mark costume of Harpo, sheds light on the real Marx brothers, tells the story of his harp fasination, and reveals the story of the funny face he makes when he puffs out his cheeks, crosses his eyes, and sticks out his tongue a little (it's called a "Gookies"). Harpo wrote one heck of a book when he wrote this, and it reads quickly, at least, it did for me.
If you have any interest in the Marx Brothers at all, this is the book for you!
A sweet spirit speaks.......2007-01-13
I'm not sure what the ingredients are to this man's alchemy--parts humility, gentleness, astute observation unclogged with snooty education, and complete anarchy, the kind that brings down goverments--but I've never had such an intense, wistful desire to have known somebody in my life. This book gets less than five stars merely because the style of "little Arthur Marx's" collaborator (I'm assuming) can get so old-tyme movie magazine/Hedda Hopper/name-dropper that it's painful.
But, barring the ocassional style snaffu, Harpo's sweet nature comes out almost at every turn. And thrillingly, every name he drops is huge. Kaufmann, Parker, Ruth Gordon, Rachmanninoff, Rimsky-Korsikov, Hearst et Davies, the bizarre and brilliant Oscar Levant...on and on and on. The section on Levant alone would have made a delicious book.
"I got the impression when I was little", writes his son, Bill, "That vaudeville was this marvelous, mythical kingdom where fathers and uncles came from". Harpo and his brothers grew up poor, hungry and Jewish in fin de siècle New York's upper East Side. He writes of his mother's dream for her five boys--the stage, a ticket out of the slums and poverty--and what happened when they finally hit it big after years of dives and buggy flophouse beds. Vaudeville itself is one the main characters of the book.
As is the giant personality of Alexander Woollcott, his closest and oldest friend. If I understand this correctly, Woollcott and Marx and the rest of the Algonquins pranked each other for almost twenty years.
Their gags crossed continents and oceans. Their summer together on the Riviera is one of the most loony periods of his life--flashing George Bernard Shaw, crashing millionairess' cotillions, being seduced by stars into...reading them comics. I swear this is much funnier than I'm telling it, and more impressive. France would never be the same.
Neither, oddly, would Russia, which he visited in the early thirties, just when the starvation, murder and purges were gearing up full blast. In his capacity as "professional listener" (and watcher)--and as a guy that never seems to think much of himself--Harpo talks to and quotes everyone: Jewish stagehands ("At least here there are no pogroms") , theatre promoters, Soviet party big-wigs, spies ("Da. I understand. Is joke...") .
After all the lunacy, his settled married life seems to have been very satisfying. He certainly seems to have been the ideal father to his wife Susan's sensible Mom. Okay, who am I trying to kid? He sounds like the PERFECT father, a goofy Atticus Finch, if you will. No wonder Susan, his wife, tracked him down and finagled an invite to the Goldwyn's to meet him, and hung around for months while he waffled. It's so romantic it will make your toes curl with pleasure.
As Arthur Marx ages, this book becomes increasingly poignant. Where does all that youthful silliness and energy go, as one slows down? If the last few pages, set in a Vegas casino with an old friend, don't make you weep with the recognition of the place in our lives where we accept our limits--then you have a heart of stone. Beautiful.
A simply heartrending Afterword by Harpo's son Bill completes the book. "I miss him," he writes. "Harpo I can see on the late show, along with my crazy uncles. It's Dad that I miss." We do too, Bill.
Books:
- Nightwood
- Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon (Oxford World's Classics)
- On The Wealth of Nations (Books That Changed the World)
- Othello (Folger Shakespeare Library)
- Pattern Classification (2nd Edition)
- Perelandra (Space Trilogy, Book 2)
- Quo Vadis
- Return of the Guardian-King (Legends of the Guardian-King)
- Romeo and Juliet (Cliffs Notes)
- Sentimental Education (Penguin Classics)
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