In this memoir, comedian Joan Rivers comes across as thoughtful and introspective, as well as brash, driven and, in what I assume is a standard show-business characteristic, a person whose iron will and confidence cannot be successfully disentangled from deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. This book does not offer any Hollywood fluff. The narrative begins with the suicide of her husband, Edgar Rosenberg, following the complicated crash and burn of Rivers' Fox Network talk show that the couple had co-produced. We then move back to the beginnings of Rivers' career and progress through the decades back to the time of the tragedy, with a satisfying amount of time spent afterwards on Rivers' eventual recovery and return to show biz success. Rivers is often hard on herself and honest about her husband and his problems. The two had a long, successful marriage and partnership before Rosenberg's psychological problems surfaced later in life. There's a lot here about the nature of show business in general and the history of show business from the 60s through the 80s. Her descriptions of the fast and free days of Las Vegas in the 70s are particularly entertaining. There is some tough stuff here, but if one has any interest in the subject matter, this book is worth reading. It made me very sad that Rivers died two years ago during a tragically botched, supposedly routine, plastic surgery procedure. ( )

excellent story of Edgar's suicide - her ups + downs - very insightful

The well-known comedienne and talk-show host opens up about her life, describing her rise to the top, her marriage, the birth of her daughter, the politics of the entertainment industry, and her husband's suicide.

Joan Rivers, a famous comedian, writes about her life in the rise and fall of stardom including tragedies and sorrow.
I assumed it would be funny but her public and private life was far from laughable. After reading the book, I have more respect for her honesty, strength, perseverance and love and commitment to her family. After her beloved husband, Edgar, committed suicide, she rose from those ashes to win the Emmey for best talk show. I really enjoyed her life story although someone should have told her, if she was going to narrate her own book, please please SLOW DOWN. She read it so fast, I could barely keep up. I would have enjoyed it more had she read more slowly to allow the listener to process the emotion of what she was going through. You barely heard that Edgar committed suicide and she was on to the next emotion and event. I liked it though. ( )

This is the story of a woman who had - and then lost - everything. The story of a woman who worked for three decades to finally reach the top. What subsequently happened to Joan Rivers had more to do with being a woman than with being a star. In a business that is notoriously harsh to women, Joan Rivers struggled to carve out a niche for herself that for the past several decades, has marked her as one of the gutsiest comediennes working in the business today.

Ultimately, Joan was forced to choose between her husband and her career. In the titanic confrontation between her husband and the boss of her television network, Joan stood with her husband and was out of a job. Far worse, Edgar, her husband of twenty-two years, took his own life.

In the face of such awful tragedy, where did this controversial star find the inner strength to continue on and survive without the protection of her husband? With her trademark combination of biting humor and fragility, tough-minded ambition and traditional values, Joan Rivers tells a story of tragedy and eventual triumph. Not only has she learned to survive the trials and tribulations of life, but she has ultimately thrived.

I must say that while I don't enjoy Joan Rivers' style of comedy, I certainly enjoyed reading her autobiography. She has gone through so much tragedy; things that would quite possibly torpedo another person's career for good. However, Joan Rivers has somehow risen above and triumphed over such sadness and still has managed to be successful. In my opinion, she is a very strong woman; a woman who is to be admired for her fortitude. I give this book an A+! ( )