Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life, is a memoir written by the famed comedian Steve Martin.
Martin says he wrote this book to explain why he got into stand-up comedy and why he left it behind in 1981. Sensational when he first arrived on the national stage, he continued through the seventies to gain the largest following for a comedian for concerts in history.
From his early days to his career at Disney, to the bottom run café houses and clubs all the way to his final weeks at the famous Bird Cage, Steve Martin narrates the effect on his relationship that came from his struggle and his fame.
Originally he began selling tour books for the park at Disney, and for ten years after he worked at Knott's Berry Farm in their theatre, performing musical numbers alongside his stand-up sketches at least twelve times a week. Inspiring and illuminating are the tales that come out of these years. Martin details all the self-discipline and humbling he underwent to keep his work original. Though he got to the stage often, this frequency made him lonesome and created a disconnection between him and his family.
The hippie days and their segue into the Vietnam Way are detailed, as well as the background of the Smothers Brothers from the 1960's evolving to a national taste for the Saturday Night Live Series in the 1970's.
Multitalented Steve Martin is an author, comedian, writer of screenplays, musician, producer, and playwright. He has won many awards and was listed 6th on the 100 best comedians by Comedy Central.
"Steve Martin did a wonderful job describing his rise to fame, it was just what I was looking for from him. I always had this curiosity of were he came from, especially after seeing father of the bride. Didn't realize he started off working at disney land. knew he had some connection with the mouse but not that he started with passing out fliers as a child. His errors and final success in stand up was wonderfully done. showing that even he looked back and wondered 'wow i really tryed that' gave the book a nice personal touch. Ok well gonna have to check out some SNL and maybe watch "the Jerk" now."
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Al (4 out of 5 stars)