Groucho, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo: A History of the Marx Brothers and a Satire on the Rest of the World Paperback – 1 April 1983

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One of the earliest and best books about the Marx Bros. films in particular as opposed to a more standard biography. A big favourite among long term and die hard Marx fans and a great starting place for a beginner also .

Just because a book is about comedy doesn't mean it is shoddily written or shallow in some way. Joe Adamson's book has taught me much of what I know about writing – how to write in an arresting fashion, well, and humorously. Almost every paragraph has a laugh-out-loud line. He quotes great writers (such as Hesse and Joyce) to show how artfulness can be applied to comedy.The big mistake that most people make is that the Marx Brothers were the same as the Three Stooges. They were, in fact, highly intelligent (despite their lack of formal education) and employed writers who were singularly well-educated, intelligent, and sublimely witty. For instance, one hilarious line is from writer S.J. Perelman who claimed that a certain career advancement lifted him from "local to world-wide obscurity."I have read this book countless times and have memorised vast portions of it. Near the beginning of the book, Adamson states, in regard to the problems of trying to write any history, that it may be affected by the fanciful imagination of those who weren't there, and the faulty memories of those who were. He continues, "The truth, if it ever existed, has gone through its customary transformation into something more easily digested by the human mind." That is profound! And as the films of the Marx Brothers get less funny through time, his chronicle gets funnier as he explains why.If you are interested in film history, history, comedy, or just want to read a book which is fantastically funny and well-written, I cannot recommend this book enough. Joe Adamson is one of the GREAT under-appreciated authors of all time.

Great copy of a very well written book. I need a new one because my original copy from decades ago was literally falling apart. The seller shipped quickly and arrived in excellent condition and now I have a great new copy for my library. Thanks very much.

This book provides a brief introduction to the Brothers' early years and their career in Vaudeville, but it mainly concerns their movies and how they came to be made. It is often written like one of the Marx Brothers' scripts and is laugh-out-loud funny throughout. Can't recommend it highly enough, especially at this cheap price. A must for any fan.