Comments (21)

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1 to 21 of 21 items
Aug 18, 2023
One of the best memoirs ever? Yes! Martin's prose is minimal, lyrical and surprisingly earnest as he takes us through his beginnings (working at Disneyland!) up through his late 70s stadium-filing comedy tours.
Sep 26, 2022dylankemp rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A pleasant and interesting read. Not funny, not poetic, just kinda cool. Traces him from birth to the end of his standup career, (which spawned "The Jerk", and the movies, books, and Grammy winning banjo records that came later.) He talks…
Sep 09, 2022MisterWhiskers rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This is a pretty good book. Definitely provides a lot of detail and insight into his early life and the initial arch of his career (it leaves off when he quits standup to focus on feature films). Provides more intimate details about his…
Dec 26, 2020LCPL_Cindy rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Steve Martin tells us what was happening in his life before he was “a wild and crazy guy!” I’ve always been a fan of Martin but I admire him even more now that I’ve read that he shunned the heavy drug scene of the 1970s and 80s.
Nov 04, 2020RoyalJellyIII rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
It is true. This is one of the best memoirs I have read in a while. The sweet humble beginnings in Texas and the grand move to CA was creatively brazen. It is fortuitous that with many years of practice juggling, card tricks, clever comic…
Sep 02, 2017Matinee rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This memoir of Steve Martin's formative years and stand-up career is funny, touching and insightful. I love his dry humor, and his voice really comes through in this book. I especially enjoyed hearing how his life intersected with other…
Oct 22, 2016ArapahoeChristineS rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
“In a sense, this book is not an autobiography but a biography, because I am writing about someone I used to know." Steve Martin is no "wild and crazy guy", and this book takes a general look at his beginnings, rise to comedic fame, and…
Jun 26, 2015CRRL_CraigG rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Steve Martin looks back at his comedy career in a way that few artists are able to do. He not only has succeeded in his craft, he also has the luxury of being able to step back from the act and make sense of just what it was all…
Mar 19, 2015midasthemadman rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Very interesting if you are a fan of Steve Martin or if you are a struggling stand-up comedian. I never realized how difficult a life it really is. You have to give the man credit for percevering through all the rejections and hardships.…
Sep 02, 2014
Steve Martin is a wildly successful entertainer who has spent years at the top of his field as a stand-up comedian, actor, author, and musician. In this enchanting memoir, he looks back over his years in stand-up comedy and reflects on the…
Sep 02, 2014
Steve Martin is a wildly successful entertainer who has spent years at the top of his field as a stand-up comedian, actor, author, and musician. In this enchanting memoir, he looks back over his years in stand-up comedy and reflects on the…
willy56
Oct 04, 2013willy56 rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I saw Steve twice in the early 70's when he was touring and backing up the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. He was very funny and I enjoyed his act. This was before his wide appeal kicked off and all the catchphrases were common knowledge. I had…
Reeltime
Feb 01, 2013
This is an extraordinary insight in what it takes to "make it" - an acting extrovert who is mentioned in other memoirs as "amazingly shy" - Michael Caine. You don't need to love SMs whacky humor to gain a lot from this (but it helps). As…
RONROSARIO
Jul 18, 2012RONROSARIO rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Think you know everything about Steve Martin? Pfft. It's true what they say, "Comedians take from the darker, sadder parts of their lives." Steve Martin is no different. A man, a comedian, and one who has lived through his own share of ups…
May 26, 2012smichal rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
am a fan of many Steve Martin movies and shows like The Jerk, the Czech brothers, Planes Trains & Automobiles, etc. so I was expecting this autobiography to be funny. Mostly it is an account (99% work related) of his rise to fame... like…
colincolin
Dec 30, 2011
10
Jul 19, 2011wiltonsugiyama rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
It shed a lot of light on Steve Martin the person, a remarkable human being. Understated and a small masterpiece. Very well written.
Mar 29, 2011JUGEY rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Loved him before I read this but and tripled loved him after. Great book....brilliant guy!
Feb 20, 2011harkij rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I was kinda expecting Steve Martin's memior to be extrodinarily hilarious, but it wasn't. The humor was often ironic and subtle. Nonetheless, the book was entertaining and interesting.
Jan 22, 2011jc041573177 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Steve is a fine writer, and tells his story here of how he worked his way into show business, became the biggest stand up act ever, and finally left stand up comedy never to return.
Jun 30, 2008RonNasty64 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
What a great book. Martin brings us in his time machine and we all re-live his life as a stand up comedian. Comparing himself to the Weinermobile, you understand why he gave up that gig. Still, with snipits of his stand-up routines left…