Enter Talking

Joan Rivers describes her bitter and bizarre rise to stardom, from her earliest memories that she belonged onstage, through her independent struggle in Manhattan, to the evolution of her one-person show and the winning of public and critical acclaim

Rivers's uninhibited comedy is vastly appreciated by TV and night club audiences. There is little to laugh at, however, in the performer's tediously detailed autobiography. It starts with reports of growing up in an affluent suburb near New York City and Joan Molinsky's embarrassment at her parents for living beyond their means. Then she complains cuttingly about lack of family encouragement as she pursued an acting career. The men in Rivers's life are described unfavorably, as are the showbiz folk who impeded her progress. These recollections accompany bitter memories of false starts, frustrations and heartaches while the entertainer worked in dives and endured rebuffs until she "arrived" at age 31 in 1965. Rivers's breakthrough was her first appearance on The Tonight Show, with Johnny Carson, whom she duly thanks here for empathizing with her humor. Photos not seen by PW. First serial to Cosmopolitan; Literary Guild featured alternate.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Who would expect a book by and about Rivers to be thoughtful, sensitive, and introspective? And yet here we have an autobiography of a brash entertainer that is not simply an excuse for one-liners and name dropping. Rivers, with the aid of Meryman, writes mostly about her early heartbreaking years of trying to make it as a comic artist. She also tells of her long love-hate relationship with her parents and their lack of support and faith in her burgeoning career. Rivers's recent rise to her present position as co-host of the Tonight Show gets scant coverage. More important is the author's explanation of how she tailors her comedy to fit the audience and her cogent analysis of what makes people laugh. Recommended for most public libraries. Literary Guild featured alternate. Samuel Simons, Memorial Hall Lib., Andover, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.