Rating: 
Summary: Harpo Speaks Too Much About Woolcott
Review: It's only because Harpo is so likeable as a person that I give three stars. Since Groucho never went in depth about the Marx Brothers in any of his books, I was hoping Harpo would provide more insight. Unfortunately, Harpo was very hung up about his social status, and his friendships with the Hollywood elite. Way too many pages are given to his relationship with Aleck Woolcott, and the endless stories of pinochle, croquet, pinchie winchie, etc. The book does provide some interesting history, and what life was like during the vaudeville years. Again, this man probably has to be one of the nicest people who ever lived. He had a great life, and was a wonderful family man. Overall, I recommend the book if you are interested in his personality. If you want to know how the Marx Brothers got along or any other in-depth detail on them, you will be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Harpo's Peaks !
Review: ....you'll laugh , you'll cry , you'll throw a Gookie ! Harpo turns out to be everything we'd hoped him to be and more . Though he enjoyed being a beloved mascot to the celebrity intellectuals of 30's NYC , his fame has outlasted them all. The great surprise is finding out he had a hilarious 'verbal' sense of humor , too! My rating: 4 honks and 2 legs up.
Rating: 
Summary: I wanted more about Harpo, less on other people!
Review: I am a huge Marx Brothers fan. This book has now made me appreciate the harp playing section, I had previously searched past. However, I felt that too much time was spent on the antics of Alexander Woolcott. Living in England, I did not know who this man was and I did not appreciate him taking up so much space in a book about one of my comedy heroes. Apart from that criticism, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I feel the need for some independant information on Harpo`s life. We need a proper biography to accompany this marvellous book.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, fascinating and detailed, all in historical context.
Review: Harpo Speaks! is a wonderfully detailed and humorous description of his life as a struggling boy actor in the 1900's, his burgeoning career of the 1910's, and greater success and acclaim thereafter. Unlike his "kid brother with the moustache", Harpo was not at all averse to providing detailed autobiographical information, or at furnishing a clear chronological context with respect to the rest of the world. Groucho's autobiography was funny and wonderful but left me wanting a clearer and more cohesive chronology. Harpo's writing doesn't have anywhere near the immediate humorous punch that characterized Groucho's, yet most of the situations described are quite funny enough in their own right to carry the day regardless of the writing style. If you love all things Marx, read Groucho's autobio first and then read Harpo Speaks! to fill in the details.
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Best
Review: I first read this book over 20 years ago, and have re-read it 3 or 4 times. If I tried to explain all the reasons I love this book, it would take up too much space. "Harpo Speaks" is interesting from the first page to the last. Its funny, and Harpo's deep down decency and goodness comes through the whole book. I felt sorry for him sometimes, but he never felt sorry for himself. He saw the humor in almost everything. He never lost his child-like sense of wonder or mischief. I dare anyone to read this book and come away without deep admiration for the "silent" Marx brother.
Rating:
Summary: Humor, history, romance, rent-kicking, parenting & humor!
Review: I've owned this book for over thirty years, and I am so happy that I finally read it!!! Not since Frank Capra's "Name Above the Title" has there been such historical resonance to a show business autobiography. Give it to a friend who's sick, but get their doctors permission first. Laughter may be the best medicine, but I nearly burst my stitches on this one. It is funny, heartwarming, and educational. We all can learn a lot from this clown about the art of parenting, the craft of comedy and the joy of friendship. Special mention should be made to his brilliant technique of storytelling to explain to his kids that they were adopted, although my personal favorites are the trip to Russia and his courtship to his loving wife. Buy this book for your spouse, a friend in need, or anyone that you love. That includes you!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read
Review: I lost a lot of sleep the week I was reading this. I would decide to read a chapter before turning out the light. Three hours, and several chapters later I would force myself to put it down so I would at least get a little sleep before work. The writing is wonderful. It is a collaboration with Roland Barber, but the voice feels like Harpo throughout. The stories of his early days on the road with his brothers- their mother the dynamo keeping them at it- are fascinating to read. He had amazing, interesting friends, the Round Table folks, George Burns. His later family life is terrific to read about. It is a deep book, and a beautiful book. Funny, and touching without being smarmy. A great, great book.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read about one of the lesser known Marxes
Review: Harpo's life story is fascinating and entertaining, and this book also gives those of us not around in the early 20th century a look at Vaudeville and other hallmarks of that era. The Marx Brothers' films are entertaining, but equipped with a knowledge of their history contained in this book, films like Horsefeathers and Animal Crackers take on a whole new dimension. Harpo dropped out of school in the second grade, but through a life of adventure, and through his associations with Alexander Woollcott, Dorothy Parker and other literary figures, Harpo became highly educated. He was a quietly blazing star.
Rating:
Summary: Five stars aren't enough! The book deserves a galaxy of them
Review: Simply the most heartwarming book you'll ever read. Before I read it, I thought Harpo Marx was the funniest man on film. I still think so, but now I know he was much more: he was one of the most gallant, courageous, unpretentious & delightful men who ever lived. This books tells how: he suffered childhood poverty & learned from it the joy of simple pleasures; he suffered anti-Semitism & learned from it generosity of spirit; he suffered a lack of commanding physical & vocal presence & learned from it the gift of bringing laughter to millions through the art of mime. This book shows you what it was like to be really poor - poor enough to quit school without finishing the second grade; poor enough to start work at the age of 11 for the pay of 1 dried prune an hour; poor enough to have the entire stock of sports accessories for the whole family consist of a solitary secondhand ice skate. But the one thing you WON'T learn from this book is how to be sorry for yourself. Harpo never managed that in his life. He has only love & admiration for the parents who battled to raise him & his brothers in such adversity. The one great thing he learned from his father, he says, was 'the futility of anger'. It's a lesson he put to good use in his life. Certainly there isn't an angry word in this book. Harpo's friends in adult life were brilliant but often eccentric, even bizarre, yet his large tolerance looks past their sometimes demanding exterior & finds the warmth & humanity beneath. His tales of Hollywood celebrities are hilarious but never malicious. The only person Harpo has a truly bad word for is Hitler: in everyone else, he manages to find some hidden virtue that renders them forgivable. Harpo is the best friend we always wanted but could never quite find. If I could only take three books with me to a desert island, HARPO SPEAKS! would be two of them.
Rating:
Summary: Quite possibly the best autobiography ever
Review: Harpo Marx one of the comedic geniuses of the 20th century spins his tale throughout this book. SOme might say it is long I say it is not long anough as there is not one wasted word. A masterpiece
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