Chris K. reviewed on + 14 more book reviews
Whether you are intimately familiar with the stand up career of this "Wild And Crazy Guy" or just know him as the dad in the "Cheaper By The Dozen" series, you will be utterly engaged by this fully arced narrative memoir of the origin, rise and eventual retirement of a comic legend.
Starting in Martin's early years as a child in 50s and early 60's Orange County, California, Martin recounts his youth, first working as a clerk in a Disneyland Magic Shop, to becoming an amateur performer at a rival amusement park ,Knotts Berry Farm.
During the mid 60s, the 20 something Martin joins his fellow boomers in the hippie movement, doing his early routines right in the heart of flower power, San Francisco. Martin's odyssey eventually leads him back to LA were besides doing stand up, he also works as a TV writer, meeting quite a few notable celebrities along the way.
When the book finally gets to his "big break" and the better known years, the intimacy and honesty that Martin bravely shares in these pages makes you reevaluate everything you thought about those classic comedy bits prior to reading this work. Even the section that deals with his early 80's departure from the world of stand up, adds a dimension of insight that make his decision inevitable and understandable.
In reading this memoir, I walked away with not just a better understanding of the comics struggle but some profound life lessons as well. Born Standing Up is an enriching and informative read.
Starting in Martin's early years as a child in 50s and early 60's Orange County, California, Martin recounts his youth, first working as a clerk in a Disneyland Magic Shop, to becoming an amateur performer at a rival amusement park ,Knotts Berry Farm.
During the mid 60s, the 20 something Martin joins his fellow boomers in the hippie movement, doing his early routines right in the heart of flower power, San Francisco. Martin's odyssey eventually leads him back to LA were besides doing stand up, he also works as a TV writer, meeting quite a few notable celebrities along the way.
When the book finally gets to his "big break" and the better known years, the intimacy and honesty that Martin bravely shares in these pages makes you reevaluate everything you thought about those classic comedy bits prior to reading this work. Even the section that deals with his early 80's departure from the world of stand up, adds a dimension of insight that make his decision inevitable and understandable.
In reading this memoir, I walked away with not just a better understanding of the comics struggle but some profound life lessons as well. Born Standing Up is an enriching and informative read.
