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Apropos of Nothing: Allen, Woody: 9781951627348: Books - Amazon.ca

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Apropos of Nothing Hardcover – March 23 2020

by Woody Allen (Author)

4.5 6,874 ratings

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The Long-Awaited, Enormously Entertaining Memoir by One of the Great Artists of Our Time—Now a New York Times, USA Today,
Los Angeles Times, and Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller.

In this candid and often hilarious memoir, the celebrated director, comedian, writer, and actor offers a comprehensive, personal look at his tumultuous life. Beginning with his Brooklyn childhood and his stint as a writer for the Sid Caesar variety show in the early days of television, working alongside comedy greats, Allen tells of his difficult early days doing standup before he achieved recognition and success. With his unique storytelling pizzazz, he recounts his departure into moviemaking, with such slapstick comedies as Take the Money and Run, and revisits his entire, sixty-year-long, and enormously productive career as a writer and director, from his classics Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Annie and Her Sisters to his most recent films, including Midnight in Paris. Along the way, he discusses his marriages, his romances and famous friendships, his jazz playing, and his books and plays. We learn about his demons, his mistakes, his successes, and those he loved, worked with, and learned from in equal measure.

This is a hugely entertaining, deeply honest, rich and brilliant self-portrait of a celebrated artist who is ranked among the greatest filmmakers of our time.

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Print length

400 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Arcade
Publication date

March 23 2020
Dimensions

15.24 x 3.81 x 22.86 cm
ISBN-10

1951627342
ISBN-13

978-1951627348
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Woody Allen
257
Hardcover
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Popular Highlights in this book

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Rather than live on in the hearts and mind of the public, I prefer to live on in my apartment.
Highlighted by 590 Kindle readers
My theory, after years of being in the movies, is that the problem is almost always the script. It’s much harder to write than direct, and a mediocre director can make a good movie from a fine script but a great director cannot make a lousy script into a good movie.
Highlighted by 425 Kindle readers
After all, we are an accident of physics. And an awkward accident at that. Not the product of intelligent design but, if anything, the work of a crass bungler.
Highlighted by 404 Kindle readers
All I’m saying is the fun is in the actual labor. The rest is drivel or piffle—take your choice. I think I prefer piffle.
Highlighted by 379 Kindle readers
Sartre said, “Hell is other people.” I would just like to change that to, “Hell is other people’s taste.”
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Product description

Review

“A lively tale of growing up lower-middle-class in Brooklyn; a gossipy account of scrambling up the comedy ladder from tabloid gag writer to Oscar winner . . . this memoir is for the most part a pleasure to read and entertaining company . . . you’d have to be a real sourpuss not to laugh at the fusillade of one-liners, two-liners, three-liners and so on.” —Peter Biskind, Los Angeles Times

“He has an authentic and easygoing voice on the page.” —New York Times
“An absolute delight, hilarious and endearing and glistening with stardust.” —National Review

“Master, from youth, at self-deprecating humor, and born with New York City cojones, Allen says what others just think, controversy be damned.” –New York Journal of Books

“It was a laugh a minute…” –Newark Star-Ledger

“His wit is on full display.” –The Federalist

“A brisk, vivid, and extremely funny account..” –Commentary Magazine

“Allen’s style is gossipy and spry.” –The Guardian

“Brilliant.” –Deadline

“it’s a fantastic book, so funny. . . . You feel like you’re in the room with him and yeah, it’s just a great book and it’s hard to walk away after reading that book thinking that this guy did anything wrong.”—Larry David

"If you love Woody Allen, you’ll love the book."—Sam Wasson, Air Mail

About the Author

Woody Allen is a writer, director, and actor. He has been a stand-up comedian and a published author. He lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his wife of twenty-two years, Soon-Yi, and their two daughters, Manzie and Bechet. He is an avid jazz enthusiast and devoted sports fan. In his own words, he regrets that he has never made a great film, though he says he is still trying.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

So here I am, single, about to cast Play It Again, Sam the play with Tony Roberts as my costar. All we need is to find the right girl to play Linda, the female lead. The director is Joe Hardy, a fine director who knows what he’s doing. He and I sat in the back of the theater auditioning one talented actress after another. There’s a lot of talent out there and not enough good roles. Sandy Meisnter was a famous, highly respected acting teacher in New York who ran the Neighborhood Playhouse, where so many terrific actors emerged. Somewhere, he collared David Merrick and raved about a girl in his class that he found to be sensational. Her name was Diane Keaton. Real name Diane Hall, but there already was an actress with that name and the union does not permit one to use a name already in use.

So after this buildup, we’re all sitting in the theater waiting for Keaton to audition. In walks a lanky young girl. Let me put it this way: If Huckleberry Finn had been a very beautiful woman, that’s who was up there onstage. Keaton, who apologizes for waking up in the morning, a rube from Orange County, denizen of swap meets and tuna melts; an emigrant to Manhattan who came here and works as a coat-check girl, who had worked the candy concession in a movie house in Orange County and was fired for eating all the candy herself, tried making the few obligatory hello lines to us all. This was a yokel who spoke of her Grammy Hall, the boarder George who got a free turkey from his union every Christmas, and answered compliments with “Honest injun?” But what can I tell you, she was great. Great in every way. One talks about a personality that lights up a room, she lit up a boulevard. Adorable, funny, totally original in style, real, fresh. When she left we knew we had to go through the other scheduled actresses, but in our minds she had the part.

Rehearsals under Joe Hardy went smoothly. Tony Roberts was like a kid in a candy store, since the show had a half-dozen pretty girls who’d appear in the lead character’s fantasies. Tony sprang into action the first day, complicating his already baroque social life. I was getting friendlier and friendlier with Tony, but Keaton and I were each pursuing our own social agendas, chatting politely but sparsely. A guy called for her every day, which I naturally thought was her boyfriend but later found out was her manager. I was dating whoever would say yes to my desperate pleas to let me feed them. One time, a week before going to Washington, DC, for our opening I had a date with a very beautiful brunette. I took her to dinner and we had a nice time, and we made another date two nights down the line.

In the intervening night I was rehearsing with Keaton, and Joe Hardy suggested we run lines to memorize them more fluently. She of course knew hers like Eve Harrington but I, despite having written them, needed more time to get them down pat. We broke for dinner, and she and I hopped across the street to a joint next to McGirr’s Billiards, where I sometimes shot pool. At that impromptu dinner she was so charming, so lovely, so pretty, so scintillating, that I sat there thinking, Why the hell am I going out with that other woman tomorrow night? Keaton is magical. Of course she ate like Primo Carnera. I never saw a person outside of a logging camp tuck it away like that.

Anyway, to cut to the chase, by the time Play It Again, Sam opened in DC, we were lovers. We remained lovers in Boston and back in New York. I had just purchased a penthouse on Fifth Avenue and she lived in a hovel all the way east, a single room made homey and pretty without spending a nickel on it. She clearly had an artist’s eye. You can tell by the way she dresses, which is trendsetting if you happen to think a dead monkey’s paw pinned to the lapel of your sweater is chic. Let’s just say Keaton always suited up with a certain eccentric imagination, as if her personal shopper was Buñuel. But it was not just a fashion flair. She takes great photos, can act, sings beautifully, dances, writes well. We’ve remained close friends since we met. When I finished recutting Take the Money with Ralph Rosenblum, I screened it for her and she said it was good and funny and not to be so worried, and she’s been my North Star, go-to person ever since. Because in addition to tasteful and bright, she’s totally inner directed. You can intone Shakespeare’s praises all day, but if she finds something of his a bore, she doesn’t care how revered his poetry is or what the professors or the public says. She’s her own person. I have always shown her my work, and she’s one of the only people whose opinion I really care about.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arcade (March 23 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1951627342
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1951627348
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 590 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 3.81 x 22.86 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #53,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #28 in Individual Directors
- #53 in Film Direction & Production (Books)
- #75 in Film History & Criticism (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 6,874 ratings

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Woody Allen

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Woody Allen’s prolific career as a comedian, writer, and filmmaker has now spanned more than six decades and multiple award winning films. Mr. Allen’s first screenplay was for What’s New Pussycat?, which was released in 1965. He has written and directed more than 45 feature films, including Annie Hall, Manhattan and more recently, Midnight in Paris, Blue Jasmine & Rainy Day in New York. Woody Allen is the author of Getting Even, Without Feathers, and Side Effects, among numerous other books.

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“The artist's job is not to succumb to despair...

Reviewed in Canada on May 13, 2020

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...but to find an antidote for the emptiness of existence.”

It is unfortunate that an autobiography of someone as gifted as Woody Allen, has garnered most of its attention due to false allegations peddled by a vindictive ex-girlfriend. Alas, C’est la vie. Presented with all the facts on the case (for which you don’t have to read the book by the way; they have been available in the public domain for more than 2 decades now), only someone with the intellectual capacity lesser than that of a housefly would consider Mr Allen to be guilty.

With that said, the book is a treat to read not just for fans of Woody, but for anyone interested in films in general. Woody has been a writer, stand up performer and movie director for around 6 decades now, so there’s plenty of experiences to fill the pages with. He is obviously hilarious throughout the book and it was a treat to read about one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of American movies.

4 people found this helpful

Very funny memories from a comic genius who got scalped.

Reviewed in Canada on August 16, 2020

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Glad to see someone had the balls to publish this. Very entertaining. Allen’s incredible flair for comic writing in tandem with recollections of his youth and experiences continues to shine through. (Read the ‘typewriter ribbon replacement’ as a perfect example of why the man is a comedy genius.) Huge section devoted to ‘the woman who shall not be named’. It may seem excessive to some readers but I found Allen to be fairly ‘constrained’ in his feelings about the entire debacle. It’s mind boggling how the public has swallowed the myth of Allen being a ‘criminal’, trying to erase this gentle man and comic genius from history. Allen was a huge influence in my own life as a comic writer and I would recommend this book not only for getting to the scary truth of the ‘accusations’ but for the rich and incredible history of the man: growing up in the most interesting decades of the last century, his thoughts on creativity, writing, film making, marriage, relationships, varied encounters with other celebrities and creative legends of his time, thoughts on life and death, all laced with his typical wit and self deprecation.

5 people found this helpful

Reviewed in Canada on April 1, 2020

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A rollicking good read l devoured in three days. It is not only good for what ails you; it is a fine antidote to the boredom of virus days.

6 people found this helpful

Great Autobiography

Reviewed in Canada on May 9, 2020

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Arrived in perfect condition on my doorstep. Woody Allen's autobiography is a pleasure to read. Well written and funny. It is also a convincing account of his innocence in the case against his adopted daughter Dylan. He presents the case openly and shows the sad unfortunate state of mind of Mia Farrow and her vindictive manipulative ways with her brood of children. Woody Allen has been railroaded by this whole situation and the #metoo movement does not apply to him. He is NOT Harvey Weinstein. The victim in this whole situation was poor Dylan who was abused mentally by her adoptive mother and not physically by Woody Allen. This is a fine book and a most enjoyable read of a great artist's life and career. Perfect reading during self isolation.

One person found this helpful

Woody Allen's memoir just reiterates what I felt was true all along...not a bad guy!

Reviewed in Canada on November 13, 2020

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I really love Woody Allens humour and his standup as well as his movies...a very big fan. I love his candidness regarding his own life and the street talk of his home town of Brooklyn. You can tell he has come along way in his personal growth from the child prodigy joke writer of the day to director, writer of present day...and though i never once, for a second believed the false narrative spouted by an angry, hurt ex girlfriend , it was shocking how the present #me too and the cancel culture have combined to try and take down this vintage genious...it was nice to hear it doesn't touch him, that his position of power is in the knowledge of his innocence...that his concerns are for his 5 children and that he stays true to himself, as always...I highly recommend this read...funny funny!

Glen A Phillips

Reviewed in Canada on August 19, 2020

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Well, I have always admired Woody Allen as a comedian, book writer and a film maker. He is intelligent, funny and wildly bizarre. This was a tough read with all the bitterness between him and Mia. They are both extremely different people and how they survived all those years together I will never know. Woody is eccentric and Mia is a very strange duck also. I side with Woody and do not believe that he ever molested any of his children. It is sad that they became so bitter towards each other and the fight never ended.
The book was slow in parts mainly when discussing all his films - interesting but boring at times. He mainly wanted to get his side of the story out and that he did with a very believable ending. There was humour that I enjoyed but he mainly threw it in to lighten the story up. Very sad.

3 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

An oasis of truth

Reviewed in Canada on January 10, 2022

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Very entertaining book by Allen as he reflects on his life. Young people may need an annotated edition, as he does not use dates. In one part, Allen gives the date of an event only by referring to when a Star Wars film came out. (Answer: The Empire Strikes Back, 1980) In this world of insanity and lies, it is very refreshing to have a clear and sober voice of truth.

Interesting and surprising.

Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2021

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I bought this book because I was curious about what Woody Allen had to say. His early family life is good fun to read about. His telling of his relationship with Mia is shocking....three of her adopted children committed suicide. How can this be. What is it about Mia that people don't look at what she has gotten up to in her life. I assume everything he has written is true as there has been no public outcry about the book. I found the second half hard to read. Shocking.

One person found this helpful

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Carolina Prado

Wonderful read

Reviewed in Brazil on November 6, 2022

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Reading Woody Allen is always a pleasure! His sense of humor, even about tough subjects, is something I appreciate a lot, since it helps us to stay sane in a very weird and cruel world.
His writing, as always, is brilliant and turns this book into a page turner. Loved everything he shared about making his movies and the artists he’s worked with!
I did find it a pity that he felt he needed to expose himself so much due to the wrongful (and periodical) accusations of something he was already proven innocent of. But I understand the need to finally tell his side of the story, without being interrupted.
This is a must read for so many people, especially life long fans of his work (writing, directing and playing wonderful music as well!).

Roman

Un recueil d'essais drôles et perspicaces de Woody Allen

Reviewed in France on May 8, 2024

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J'ai récemment lu le livre "À propos de rien" de Woody Allen et j'ai été ravi par son humour mordant et ses réflexions perspicaces sur la vie, l'amour, la mort et tout ce qui se trouve entre les deux.

Ce livre est un recueil d'essais courts et variés, couvrant une large gamme de sujets. Allen aborde des thèmes tels que la religion, la philosophie, la politique, les relations humaines et bien sûr, le cinéma.

Son style d'écriture est unique et reconnaissable. Il utilise l'ironie, l'autodérision et l'humour noir pour explorer des sujets souvent sérieux avec une légèreté désarmante.

Même si certains de ses propos peuvent être provocateurs, il est indéniable que Woody Allen est un observateur perspicace de la condition humaine. Ses réflexions sur la vie sont souvent drôles, mais elles sont également profondes et invitent à la réflexion.

J'ai particulièrement apprécié les essais sur ses expériences en tant que cinéaste. Il offre un aperçu fascinant de son processus créatif et partage ses pensées sur ses films les plus célèbres.

Si vous êtes à la recherche d'un livre qui vous fera rire et réfléchir, je vous recommande vivement "À propos de rien". C'est un recueil d'essais divertissant et intelligent qui vous donnera un nouveau regard sur le monde.

Points positifs:

Drôle et intelligent
Réflexions perspicaces sur la vie
Style d'écriture unique et reconnaissable
Aperçu fascinant du processus créatif de Woody Allen
Points négatifs:

Certains propos peuvent être provocateurs
Peut ne pas convenir à tous les goûts

Note: 5 étoiles sur 5

Recommandation: Je recommande ce livre aux fans de Woody Allen et à tous ceux qui recherchent un livre divertissant et intelligent.

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Mooney

Excelente libro

Reviewed in Spain on June 5, 2023

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El libro es excelente; un relato muy bien escrito de la vida del autor y de su idea del cine y de sus propias películas. Escalofriente lo que cuenta del horror y monstruosidades de Mia Farrow. Actriz, sí, pero actriz en la vida y capaz de construir una farsa diabólica que muchos todavía creen y lo pero de destrozar la vida de unos niños que simplemente coleccionaba y explotaba para su propio ego y de alguna manera económicamente para promocionarse y obtener beneficios.

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Jennifer Hernández

Super conforme

Reviewed in Mexico on March 1, 2021

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El libro me llegó a tiempo, pero dañado de la portada. Solicité la devolución y al día siguiente ya tenía en la puerta de mi casa el libro de repuesto. Completamente conforme.

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J. Pagett

Finally, I can now watch Woody's films again!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 22, 2021

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I have always been a big Woody Allen fan, for as long as I have watched his films, but like they say, no smoke without fire, I thought. This was an immensely entertaining read, an honest, gently amusing, well structured autobiography, where the early part of Woody's life is recounted with an honesty, and detail that I was not expecting. After all, as he has said on many occasions, what business is it of yours? And with some justification. The book's first half set the tone, and I was able to relax when the tough stuff came up, because it's all about plausibility. Although I read about the claims in detail elsewhere, there was always a lingering doubt, as that is how many in the press overwhelmingly presented it. It boils down to, simply, I feel comfortable that what he is saying is genuine and heartfelt. His love for Soon-Yi, and her acceptance of him for the last 25 years speaks more than this book could. I can finally watch any and every Woody Allen film in complete confidence that he is the man I always took him for, an honest speaking, funny, liberal and life affirming character, in spite of himself. The only bit I don't get is why he is so popular and successful with women. It's got to be the glasses.

2 people found this helpful

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