Michael M. (dodgersfan7800) reviewed One Fine Stooge: Larry Fine's Frizzy Life In Pictures on + 7 more book reviews
One Fine Stooge tells the life story of Larry Fine, the hapless "stooge in the middle." As I was reading the foreword by the author, I began to realize that this book would contain some things that I had always been curious about, but previous volumes had just glanced over certain details.
The book starts with a quick telling of Larry's childhood. In this part of the book, there really isn't anything that hasn't been covered in previous books. But as it goes into Larry's showbiz career, I learned a lot. In this book you learn some interesting details about Larry's life before he joined Ted Healy and the stooges. You will have a glimpse into his personal life that hasn't been written before, such as how he really felt about his costars, his private life with his wife (won't spoil it, but you may be surprised), his outlook on life in general, and detailed accounts of what his life was like during the last six years of his life.
Honestly, although it is the saddest part of the book, the last section regarding Larry in the retirement community is the most fascinating. You get a sense of someone who is depressed, yet trying to remain himself.
My only complaint with the book is that during the foreword, the author explains some details regarding the publication of Larry's book, Stroke of Luck, and the controversy surrounding it. The author makes you believe that there will be more on that inside, but never comes back to it. Disappointing, but I wouldn't have noticed had the author not made such a big deal about it in the foreword.
The book starts with a quick telling of Larry's childhood. In this part of the book, there really isn't anything that hasn't been covered in previous books. But as it goes into Larry's showbiz career, I learned a lot. In this book you learn some interesting details about Larry's life before he joined Ted Healy and the stooges. You will have a glimpse into his personal life that hasn't been written before, such as how he really felt about his costars, his private life with his wife (won't spoil it, but you may be surprised), his outlook on life in general, and detailed accounts of what his life was like during the last six years of his life.
Honestly, although it is the saddest part of the book, the last section regarding Larry in the retirement community is the most fascinating. You get a sense of someone who is depressed, yet trying to remain himself.
My only complaint with the book is that during the foreword, the author explains some details regarding the publication of Larry's book, Stroke of Luck, and the controversy surrounding it. The author makes you believe that there will be more on that inside, but never comes back to it. Disappointing, but I wouldn't have noticed had the author not made such a big deal about it in the foreword.
