{"product_id":"groucho-marx-the-comedy-of-existence-9780300174458","title":"Groucho Marx: The Comedy of Existence","description":"\u003cb\u003eFrom the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a trenchant examination of Groucho Marx and the cultural and psychological roots of his comic genius\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"An astute psychological profile of the man whose biting, nihilistic comedy broke so many barriers.\"--John McMurtrie, \u003ci\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A luminous delight . . . A true page-turner and a lot of fun.\"--Shon Arieh-Lerer, \u003ci\u003eSlate\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Born Julius Marx in 1890, the brilliant comic actor who would later be known as Groucho was the most verbal of the famed comedy team, the Marx Brothers, his broad slapstick portrayals elevated by ingenious wordplay and double entendre. In his spirited biography of this beloved American iconoclast, Lee Siegel views the life of Groucho through the lens of his work on stage, screen, and television. The author uncovers the roots of the performer's outrageous intellectual acuity and hilarious insolence toward convention and authority in Groucho's early upbringing and Marx family dynamics. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The first critical biography of Groucho Marx to approach his work analytically, this fascinating study draws unique connections between Groucho's comedy and his life, concentrating primarily on the brothers' classic films as a means of understanding and appreciating Julius the man. Unlike previous uncritical and mostly reverential biographies, Siegel's \"bio-commentary\" makes a distinctive contribution to the field of Groucho studies by attempting to tell the story of his life in terms of his work, and vice versa. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e About Jewish Lives: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e More praise for Jewish Lives: \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Excellent\" -New York Times \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Exemplary\" -Wall Street Journal \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Distinguished\" -New Yorker \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Superb\" -The Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Yale University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/12\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780300174458\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 176\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 6.10w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/01\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 11\/02\/2015\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/24\/2016 pg. 26\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Lee Siegel","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43049408626869,"sku":"9780300174458","price":22.1,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_98877e78-619b-4710-ad03-40cb82c2d5cb.jpg?v=1689689278","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/groucho-marx-the-comedy-of-existence-9780300174458","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}