by Woody Allen
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Product Description
Comprising the classic bestsellers Getting Even, Without Feathers, and Side Effects, this definitive collection of comic writings is from a man who needs no Introduction. Really–this book has no Introduction.
The Insanity Defense reveals many sides of Woody Allen as he holds forth on the most human of urges (“Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only for food: frequently there must be a beverage”); reflects on death (“I don’t believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear”); and notes the effect on history wrought by trick chewing gum, the dribble glass, and other novelties. There is also an inspiring story of the futile race to beat Dr. Heimlich to the punch: “The food went down the wrong pipe, and choking occurred. Grasping the mouse firmly by the tail, I snapped it like a small whip, and the morsel of cheese came loose. If we can transfer the procedure to humans, we may have something. Too early to tell.”
All Woody Allen fans will cherish this uproarious treasury–and those who don’t enjoy The Insanity Defense are just plain crazy.
“If you don’t care if you break into helpless whoops of laughter on buses, trains, or wherever you happen to be reading it.”
–Chicago Tribune, on Without Feathers
“Brilliant flights of fancy whose comic detail and inspired silliness are at once dramatic and controlled.”
–The New York Times, on Side Effects
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Average Customer Review:
3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
 Not at all what it purports to be, 2008-04-04
Two compilations of this material had already been released in 1989 and 1992, respectively: a paperback edition plainly titled "Without Feathers, Getting Even and Side Effects" and the hardbound "Complete Prose of Woody Allen." Unlike this volume, these books compiled the entirety of "Getting Even," "Without Feathers" and "Side Effects." Not only are several essays from these three titles omitted from the contents of this so-called "complete" collection, but so are those of the recently released "Mere Anarchy." For the sake of completion, both the original editions and the earlier compilations of this material are all very cheaply available if bought used on Amazon, and all of them feature far more attractive and tasteful cover designs than this putrid-looking thing. Christ almighty, whoever designed the wretched cover for this rip-off should be flogged and forced to sign a legally-binding agreement to never again dabble in graphic design, lest he or she create another ugly desecration.
The wholly deserved rating that I've awarded to this book has nothing to do with its mostly brilliant content. It should be noted that some of Allen's best writing can be found in his less recognized works. Two examples of these are "If the Impressionists Had Been Dentists" (what the author accurately describes as "a fantasy exploring the transposition of temperament") and "The Gossage-Vardebedian Papers," an exercise in totally dishonest, passive-aggressive one-upmanship in the context of a long-distance chess game. Even when invoking non sequiturs, Allen's humor is nuanced, often bordering on erudite; it deserves a better presentation than this book affords.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Absolutely Worth Whatever They Charge, 2008-02-08
I won't go into detail on this, but I defy anyone to read this and not laugh out loud. Do not bring to funerals or divorce proceedings. The topics and styles are so broad as to be nearly exhaustive. There is no stone unturned, but combined with Allen's hilarious, sometimes absurd, style I flew through these books. I've owned each of these individually, but having loaned them out many times I decided it was time to own a complete collection which I could keep for myself. And I still laugh every time I read it.
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
 Don't buy this book, obtain the originals instead, 2007-09-18
I had already read Woody Allen's three previous books of essays ("Getting Even", "Without Feathers", and "Side Effects") and found them hilarious. But there is a serious problem in the subtitle of this book "The Complete Prose", even if the implication is meant to be that it is complete IF TAKEN TOGETHER WITH Woody's other 2007 publication, "Mere Anarchy". Despite its subtitle, "Insanity Defense" is NOT A COMPLETE COMPILATION OF THE FIRST THREE BOOKS, including only 46 of the 51 essays. The missing five (which are also not in "Mere Anarchy") are worthwhile and funny. Don't get me wrong--the 46 essays that are included are very good, but it does rankle me that they misleadingly claimed completeness. I recommend skipping "Insanity Defense" and obtaining the three original volumes via used-book sources, to go along with "Mere Anarchy".
4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
 No Defense for the Instany Defense... Guilty of being hilarious, 2007-08-13
Three great books all in one fun filled volume of sheer funny. Including:
Getting Even is the comedic genious at his ludicrous best. The reparte between the two chess playing opponents, via e-mail, is worth the price of the book alone. Very funny.
Side Effects was released in 1980. It is a very funny collection of Allen's work, much of which first appeared in the New Yorker and other publication. The books is pretty even, and rather funny. The high point here is The Kugelmass Episode which features a professor named Sidney Kugelmass who is, via a magician, tranpsorted into the novel Madame Bovary.
Without Feathers is a witty humorous book with 15 or so short essays/stories on a variety of topics. The humor here is very funny and not dated at all. You most pay close attention as the one-liners fly off the pages. Simply hilarious stuff. Hard to believe this was released in 1975.
A 5 star book, well worth the price... enjoy!
1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Woody Redux, 2007-07-25
I had read much of this material in other venues. There was no intro or any other information so I don't know if they were presented sequentially, but it really seemed like it. The early going was often silly and inane, while the later stuff was really clever and funny.
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