[.ca] Dean and Me: A Love Story (ISBN 0739325515)

It was always love.:
I grew up loving the Martin and Lewis movies, so reading Jerry's account of their ten years together brought back a lot of good memories. From their first chance meeting, Jerry was in awe of the charming Dean, and spent years trying to impress him and feel equal to him. After hectic early years playing night clubs, the duo found huge success in Hollywood, but mutual jealousy and the basic differences in their personalities eventually led to a bitter break-up. Years later, distance and maturity made a reconciliation possible. Jerry speaks of his undying admiration for his partner's showbiz talents and unflappable coolness, yet sadly describes Dean as a man incapable of deep, intimate friendship and ultimately quite sad and lonely. This is an entertaining and a touching tribute to the man Jerry always wished was his big brother.

Dean and Me is a Sentimental Journey!:
Having loved the comedy of Martin and Lewis all my life, I bought this book the very day it was released and enjoyed reading it so much that I am already reading it for the second time. (This is NOT like me!) Oh, it is not great literature, to be sure, but, my oh my, it is a wonderful read! And it really is a love story... It is the tale of two regular guys who achieved the great American dream. It is, in fact, American History. It is also the story of a deep and abiding friendship and the realization that the friendship was a treasure far greater than the achievement of the childhood dreams of fame and fortune. That is not all. It is also quite an entertaining book. Jerry Lewis, with James Kaplan's expert assistance, has written it as though he is sitting in your living room speaking directly to you; he includes little sidebars and interesting tidbits about the times, the fashions, the mob, the rat pack, and many other celebrities. One of the most wonderful surprises of this book is that Mr. Lewis does not beat his readers over the head with the silliness we might have expected from him. He has, instead, written this to honor his partner and the partnership and friendship they shared. He engages his readers from the first page and escorts them on a sentimental journey - from Martin and Lewis' humble beginnings and how they got their start in the big time to their infamous break up and some of what came thereafter, up to and including Dean Martin's broken heart over the loss of his son, Dean Paul, in a plane crash, which ultimately led to Dean's own death. Mr. Lewis includes parts of the story of their reconciliation and of their last encounter, only a short time before Dean passed away. While he is clearly not telling this as a comedy, Jerry Lewis is, after all, the consummate classic entertainer, always conscious of what this audience is feeling. This shines through in his generous peppering of the book with stories of their early years and their mischievous antics, and the predicaments into which those antics led them on more than one occasion. He recounts it all in such a way that it consistently evoked remarkably vivid memories of their hilarious routines that had me laughing out loud throughout the entire read! I cannot remember when I have had so much fun reading and then re-reading a memoir, clearly a loving tribute! I rarely, if ever, say this type of thing, but... if you have ever been a fan of this greatest of the great comedy team, do yourself a favor and purchase this book! In my opinion, you will not be spending your hard earned money; you will be investing it. It is my belief that some of the benefits and returns you will be delighted to experience are the wonderful memories, the discussions, the laughs, the conversations, and the out-and-out fun it will inspire within your heart, your home, and your social circle! You may even find yourself looking up an old friend... Thank you Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; you have done it again! --CM