My Mother Was Nuts

A Memoir

By: Penny Marshall

Narrated by: Penny Marshall

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Most people know Penny Marshall as the director of Big and A League of Their Own. What they don’t know is her trailblazing career was a happy accident. In this funny and intimate memoir, Penny takes us from the stage of The Jackie Gleason Show in 1955 to Hollywood’s star-studded sets, offering up some hilarious detours along the way.

My Mother Was Nuts is an intimate backstage pass to Penny’s personal life, her breakout role on The Odd Couple, her exploits with Cindy Williams and John Belushi, and her travels across Europe with Art Garfunkel on the back of a motorcycle. We see Penny get married. And divorced. And married again (the second time to Rob Reiner). We meet a young Carrie Fisher, whose close friendship with Penny has spanned decades. And we see Penny at work with Tom Hanks, Mark Wahlberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert De Niro, and Whitney Houston.

Throughout it all, from her childhood spent tap dancing in the Bronx, to her rise as the star of Laverne & Shirley, Penny lived by simple rules: “try hard, help your friends, don’t get too crazy, and have fun.” With humor and heart, My Mother Was Nuts reveals there’s no one else quite like Penny Marshall.

©2012 Penny Marshall (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“There's as much practical, hard-won advice here as there is Hollywood gossip, and Marshall's boundless energy and no-nonsense attitude make for a fun read.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Hollywood aficionados will get a kick out of Marshall’s anecdotes about her circle of friends, including Albert Brooks, John Belushi, and Carrie Fisher, all told in a funny, down-to-earth manner.” (Booklist)

“Penny Marshall is a fascinating woman who has lived a life few of us could survive. Did you know she gave me two of the best jobs I’ve ever had? Of course not, because when she talks she is barely comprehensible. Read her memoir and you’ll come to love her as much as I do.” (Tom Hanks)

Great book but just a little too much language for me!

This is my second memoir this year and I really enjoyed it.

My only complaint is the language, especially in the second half of the book which seems to have had more than the first half. I took off one star for that.

I loved hearing about the life and career of one of my favorite actresses and directors. I did have some trouble with her heavy accent in the beginning but I quickly adjusted to it.

Fantastic!!!!

So much I did not know about her!!! Laughed all the way through the book!

Loved it. Penny was hysterically funny.

I felt like I lost my best friend when I finished it. I am from Brooklyn so her accent was like coming home.

Meh

Starts off interesting, about her life
Then becomes a lot of about the making of specific movies which was more boring

Awesome book

Hearing Penny read this book was delightful. I hung off every word. So real and unfiltered.

Poignant , irreverent and touching

I enjoyed listening to Penny reminisce about growing up in the Bronx. Her stories are heartwarming and she obviously loves her family and friends .

Very entertaining, but I'm not very picky

I really enjoyed listening to Penny Marshall's autobiography in her own narration. I know some found her New York-accented voice a bit grating, but I didn't mind it. Much better than listening to a Southern accent and I'm from Florida. I liked almost everything about her life story. More stories about her time as director/producer would have been better content than mentioning Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, or basketball at all. Those were boring and I skip them every time I re-listen to the audio book. She could write/collaborate on a book (and narrate it) about the dos and don'ts of acting and directing and it would be extremely entertaining. I recommend this audiobook to her fans as well as all aspiring actresses/actors and directors.

I was sad when it ended!

Where does My Mother Was Nuts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

As far as comedy based, it was the first and it motivated me to buy more because it was so good.

What other book might you compare My Mother Was Nuts to and why?

Billy Cystals's Stll Foolin' 'Em. Marshal's too was laugh out loud funny but also had some very touching moments as well.. She has a similar positive way of viewing difficult life experiences.

What about Penny Marshall’s performance did you like?

Her authentic, natural voice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes, when her and her brother funded a dance program/studio at a university bearing her mother's name.

All the things I didn't know

As a fellow New Yorker, I could relate to alot of Penny's references as well as her speech.
I loved the story from beginning to end. Sometimes sad. Most of the time very funny. Great job Penny! Thank you for writing this book.

My Mother.... by Penny Marshall

Loved it and hated it had to end! It made me wish I could of been her friend and/ or gone on some of her trips with her.