The Books of Woody Allen (Best Book Recommendations)

The Books of Woody Allen

recommended by Peter Steinberg, avid reader

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who mistakenly, but understandably, think Allen's best film is "Annie Hall"... and those who very wisely realize that his best film is "Manhattan."

	Mere Anarchy (2007) by Woody Allen Amazon says: It's been 25 years since Woody Allen's last humor collection, and for his fans, that's far too long. Most of these pieces appeared originally in the New Yorker, but there are a handful of originals as well, all of which will please those determined souls who like their humor distinctly old school. 176 page hardcover \|$14.93 \|22 reviews


	The Insanity Defense: The Complete Prose (2007) by Woody Allen Amazon says: 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. 352 page paperback \|$10.85 \|8 reviews


	Three One-Act Plays: Riverside Drive, Old Saybrook, Central Park West (2003) by Woody Allen Amazon says: Three delightful one-act plays set in and around New York, in which sophisticated characters confound one another in ways only Woody Allen could imagine. These plays (successfully produced on the New York stage and in regional theaters on the East Coast) dramatize Allen's continuing preoccupation with people who rationalize their actions, hide what they're doing, and inevitably slip into sexual deception -- all of it revealed in Allen's quintessentially pell-mell dialogue. 224 page paperback \|$11.16 \|1 review


	Woody Allen on Woody Allen (1994) by Woody Allen, Stig Bjorkman Amazon says: Fans of Woody Allen have long waited to hear him tell us in his own words about his life, his tastes, and his films, but until recently he has been reluctant to give lengthy interviews. This book is the conversation we've been waiting for, a dialogue with Stig Bjorkman in which Allen speaks openly about himself and his art. Bjorkman invites the writer/director to talk at length about his lesser-known movies as well as his famous ones. We also learn about Allen's filmmaking technique, his feelings about his stock company of actors, his influences, and why "Stardust Memories" and "The Purple Rose of Cairo" are his two personal favorites. 376 page paperback \|$10.20 \|18 reviews


	Four Films: Annie Hall, Interiors, Manhattan, Stardust Memories (1982) by Woody Allen Flashlight Worthy says: Okay, I made an effort to leave off various print editions of his screenplays and stage plays but I had to include at least ONE screenplay... so why not a compilation of four of them that happens to include what's generally considered his best work -- "Annie Hall" of course -- and my personal favorite -- "Manhattan." 400 page paperback \|$23.00 \|5 reviews


	Side Effects (1980) by Woody Allen Amazon says: Before Woody Allen set his sights on becoming the next Ingmar Bergman, he made a fleeting (but largely successful) attempt at becoming the next S. J. Perelman. These essays appeared in The New Yorker during the late 1970s, as he showed more and more discontent with his funnyman status. Fear not, humor fans--Allen's still funny. He is less manic, however, than in his earlier works and this makes "Side Effects" a more nuanced read. 224 pages \|$6.99 \|22 reviews


	Without Feathers (1975) by Woody Allen Amazon says: The title of Woody Allen's second collection of New Yorker-style sprint humor is a sly comment on Emily Dickinson's famous quote, "Hope is the thing with feathers." "Without Feathers" delivers Allen's hopeless schlub persona--you remember, what he used to be before he was either a lecher or an "auteur," depending on your politics. In addition to being as funny as anything published since, to read "Without Feathers" is to return to a simpler time, when being a fan of his work was common, not controversial. "Without Feathers" is fine, funny prose, from an American master. If you're a fan, seek it out immediately. It's a document from the days when Woody was not important, but merely hysterically funny. 224 pages \|$6.99 \|23 reviews

Note that despite being listed under "Author's Complete Works" this list is likely incomplete -- some of Allen's earlier works are a bit elusive.

And if you know any books we should add to the list above, .