Уди: Биография

by David Evanier, Дейвид Еваниър, Надя Баева (Translator)

Американският режисьор, актьор, сценарист, драматург и музикант Уди Алън е роден на 1 декември 1935 г. в Ню Йорк. Родителите му са потомци на еврейски имигранти от Русия и Австрия. В ранните си години пише скечове и сценарии за други комедийни актьори. Впоследствие режисира сам сценариите си и играе главната роля във филмите си, като заедно с това свири на кларнет в създадена от него група. През последните шейсет години е режисирал близо 50 филма, като на почти всички е написал и сценариите, и е участвал в около 40. Удостоен е с 3 Оскара за най-добра режисура и 1 за най-добър сценарий, 1 Златен глобус за най-добър сценарий, 9 награди на BAFTA (Британската академия за филмово и телевизионно изкуство) – за най-добра режисура (2), най-добър филм (1), най-добър сценарий (2), най-добър оригинален сценарий (4). Някои от филмите му имат по няколко награди: „Ани Хол” – 4, „Хана и нейните сестри” – 3, „Пурпурната роза на Кайро” – 3. През 2014 г. му е присъдена почетната премия „Златен глобус на името на Сесил Демил” за изключителния му принос към световното киноизкуство.

В „Уди. Биография” Дейвид Еваниър, американски журналист и писател, автор на 9 романа и биографии, подробно се спира на основните филми, пиеси и книги на Алън, както и на някои факти от личния му живот. Засягайки темите, които големият режисьор и актьор прокарва в изкуството си: морал, сексуалност, юдаизъм, вечната борба между разума и сърцето, смешното в драмата и тъжното в комедията, Еваниър посвещава тази биография (една от многото и първата през последните десет години) на забележителния творец и на човека, навлизащ в деветото си десетилетие.

Когато до родителите ми достигна слухът, че са ме отвлекли, те веднага взеха мерки – дадоха стаята ми под наем.
Вярвам във всевиждащото око, което ни следи отгоре. За съжаление, това е правителството.
Когато слушам продължително Вагнер, ме обзема желание да нахлуя в Полша.
Ако си бисексуален, това чисто теоретически удвоява шансовете ти за приятно изкарване на съботната вечер.
Ако можеше Бог да ми даде ясен знак! Например, голям депозит на мое име в швейцарска банка.
Уди Алън
изпрати мнение

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Film

456 pages, Paperback

First published November 3, 2015

About the author

David Evanier is a critically acclaimed and award-winning author of both nonfiction and fiction. He was formerly senior editor at The Paris Review, editor at Stage Door, and assistant editor of The New Leader. He is a recipient of the Aga Khan Fiction Prize and the McGinnis-Ritchie Short Fiction Award. He has written for The New York Times (including Paper Cuts, its music blog), The New York Times Sunday Magazine, The Village Voice, the New Republic, The Nation, and many other journals. He has received residence fellowship from the MacDowell Colony, Ado, and the Wurlitzer Foundation. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. "

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a goodreads first reads winner of "Woody:The Biography" I tend to prefer reading memoirs or autobiographies over biographies since the latter is usually comprised of gathering data, and interviews. I had an advanced uncorrected proof copy. I did find a couple of errors, but hey not my job to correct.{ although it was Lynn Redgrave, not Vanessa,who was in Everything you wanted to know about Sex but afraid to ask} There have been many biographies on Woody Allen. This most recent one can be good in parts. David Evanier writes some about Woody growing up in New York, his judgmental mother.A lot of the book discusses Woody's movies. Especially the more successful ones such as Annie Hall,Manhattan, Broadway Danny Rose. and quite a few other movies. It also discusses his wives and girlfriends. His first wife he married very young, then Louise Lasser , His girlfriend Diane Keaton and then Mia Farrow, The author does write of the break up with Mia Farrow when he left to be with Mia's adopted daughter, Soon Yi, and the scandal caused afterwards. The allegations that went with it.
The book writes about Woody Allen's love of Jazz especially New Orleans Jazz. He plays the clarinet with a band. This book is kind of "all over the place" though. I found it kind of drags in parts.For one thing this book is "all over the place" which was frustrating. I am a fan of Woody Allen's work. I love of lot of his movies. such as Annie Hall, Radio days, The Purple Rose of Cairo. to mention a few. Woody Allen himself gave very few interviews with the author. Instead the author interviews friends such as Dick Cavette, and other people who knows Allen. I did read the ARC version of this book so it may be a bit different in the finished version.

[Klaudia_p · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uwielbiam Woody'ego Allena i to się nigdy nie zmieni! Evanier wykonał świetną pracę, robiąc research dotarł do ludzi, z którymi Allen współpracował przeszło dekady temu. Udało mu się odpowiednio zbalansować życie prywatne i zawodowe Allena, odsłaniając przy tym osobowość Woody'ego (zwykle Allena uosabia się z jego ekranowymi wcieleniami). Nie przypominam sobie, żebym ostatnio odłożyła książkę, bojąc się, że za szybko skończę. Miła odmiana. Biografia Allena autorstwa Davida Evaniera to jedna z lepszych książek, jakie w tym roku przeczytałam.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 4th (I think) Allen bio, and thus far, none has hit the mark-- they tend to be hagiographic or sensationalistic. This one leans toward the former, and is marred by repetition, too many quotes from the author's cousin, and a surprising number of factual errors. Still, the fact that I plowed through this in 2 days says something, and it's general assessment/contextualization of Allen's cinematic achievement is fairly compelling. The sections of the "scandal"/allegations will hopefully help close the book on this subject, although haters gonna hate. I'm still waiting for the definitive, academic, well-written biography.

[Eleonora Rangelova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Първата ми среща с Уди Алън беше когато излезе книгата "Ако импресионистите бяха зъболекари" по комунистическо време. Бях запленена от чувството му за хумор, прочетох я 7-8 пъти и дори на купоните в нас понякога спирахме музиката и започваше литературно четене на откъси от книгата. На днешно време в подобен стил има повече книги, разкази, коментари, стендъп изпълнения на комици..., но по онова време появяването на книгата за нас бе събитие.
Бях настроена за класическа биография, но се оказа че авторът е решил да наблегне повече на детайлите по отношение на филмите на Уди Алън и се почувствах бомбардирана от имена на герои, артисти, оператори, дизайнери на костюми, продуценти и др., а все пак става дума за над 40 филма и леко ти идва в повече. Подробно се описват сюжети, диалози на героите... Това е книга за маниаци на тема творчеството на Уди Алън, а аз всъщност съм гледала не повече от 7-8 негови филми.
Има, разбира се и много информация за начина му на живот, която ми беше доста интересна, засегнати са подробно и проблемите и скандалите в личния му живот.

[Irena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Едва ли някой би казал, че биографиите са завадяващо четиво, но но книгата на Девид Еваниър за Уди Алън е изключително интересна. В нея не гъмжи от житейски факти за детството, къде е учил и какво образование е завършил Уди, заприятели, за роднини, за сватби и разводи...
Разказът е за творчеството на Уди Алън, за неговата изключителна трудоспособност, за работната му етика, допринесла за сериозната му плодовитост като режисьор и сценарист. Гледала съм с удоволствие повечето негови филми, които са излизали у нас на екран или са били представяни по телевизиите. Много интересни неща около създаването им има разказани в подробности от участници и преки наблюдатели на правенето на тези филми.
Забележително е, че през цялото време Уди Алън работи независим от Холивуд, защото държи на свободата си в творчеството. Има своите провали, но успешните му филми са единствени по рода си и са известни на публиката в цял свят. Никога не присъства на награждавне с Оскари, защото е убеден, че в изкуството не може да се дават оценки като тези.
Уди следва пътя си така, както го разбира, заплаща за някои решения висока цена, но никога не отстъпва от разбирането си за честна позиция. Не му пука за "общественото мнение", защото счита, че да вземаш решения въз основа на външния свят, а не на това, което ти идва отвътре, означава да се обречеш на един неавтентичен, не твой живот.
Вече над 80 годишен, той не спира да работи, въпреки, че е убеден, че е пропилял безвъзвратно шансовете си.

[Brian Hutzell · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a quote from Phillip Lopate on page 210 in this book: "[T]his would have been a good movie with one more draft." I feel the same way about this book. The writing is engaging, but there are too many instances where the author repeats himself, gets facts wrong, or relies too heavily on lengthy quotes from interviews and critics. On page 268, he even makes the ridiculous claim that Charlie Chaplin admired Broadway Danny Rose, a film that came out seven years after Chaplin's death! My overall impression is that this was a rush job.

[Селина Йонкова · Rating 2 out of 5]

едно спокойно и доброжелателно представяне на феномена уди алън, режисьор, сценарист, изпълнител, музикант, писател- неспокоен, тревожен, превръщаш комплексите и страховете си в творби. опит за обяснение на творчеството и неговото развитието му- нова е тази книга припомняща силните и слабите страни на алън.

[David Sheward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received as a Christmas present, finally got around to reading it. I think this is the fourth Woody Allen biography I've read (after Marion Meade, Eric Lax and John Baxter). This is definitely the most pro-Woody one so far. Published in 2015, Evanier's book praises Allen at every turn. Evanier makes a point of not following a chronological sequence, he goes back and forwards in Allen's life. The result is somewhat confusing. At one point he devotes an entire chapter to a transcription of an interview with Dick Cavett. Aside form Cavett, many of the interviews are with people who know Allen a little bit. Much of the book critically examines Woody's films, books and plays in a detailed, considered manner, but the last few chapters turn into a tabloid expose of the Soon-Yi/Dylan/Mia scandal. Allen's later films are given scant attention.

Evanier's main theme is that Allen bounces back after every setback. The book was written before his biggest challenge when the #MeToo movement gave renewed vigor to the Farrow family's campaign to cancel Allen altogether. Despite Amazon canceling his contract, actors in his film denouncing him and contributing their salaries to charity, and his autobiography been nixed, Allen kept going. His book found another publisher and he continues to make films at 87. Reports of his retiring from moviemaking were evidently incorrect. His 50th film--Coup de Chance, entirely in French with a French cast--has found a distributor and will presumably be available in the US. The rest of the world is not rejecting him. I guess we won't get a definitive Allen bio until the subject passes away and the final movie is made.

[Andy Moss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, I like Woody Allen, but the author really loves Woody Allen. Not so much a straight bio, but rather an appreciation. Allen doesn't want to be involved, pointing out the authors sources are people who he knew very tangentially, or are so old they won't remember much, which seems a fair point, but doesn't stop commentary from people who played in his band once, but barely spoke to him, or old timers who just say how great he was, and repeat.

[Peter Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book about a fascinating comic/film director, which doesn’t shy away from some of the controversial parts of Woody’s life.You need to be fairly familiar with Woody’s movies to follow all of the text or to have access to his film catalogue to refresh your memory.A good detailed book about a very creative character vilified,in my opinion unfairly, by activists with an axe to grind on very flimsy evidence.

[Ken Ronkowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an admirer of Woody Allen's film and writing. That's not really politically correct these days, but I am an admirer and I still watch every film that he releases and I read about him.

I picked up this book because a friend told me that it covers Woody in a different way. The author is clearly a fan. Evanier focuses on what he considers to be the best movies, but also considers the plays, prose, his early standup days, and Allen's personal life.

The movies alone are a big topic after 60 years of making them and almost 50 of them, Evanier concentrates on about half that he considers the best. A .500 batting average is great.
As others have pointed out, there is a tremendous amount of repetition in the book. This is surprising considering that the author had been "senior editor at The Paris Review, editor at Stage Door, and assistant editor of The New Leader. He also relies on passages from other publications, quotes from articles, interviews and even a liberal amount of dialogue from Woody's films.

I think Eric Lax's earlier biography (2000) is considered the "best" of the books on Woody, but it's not up to date.

That said, I did learn some new things about Woody considering this was written after other biographies I have read on Allen. The book does not ignore the controversy of his relationships with Mia Farrow and her children and his marriage to Soon Yi.

[GK Stritch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passionate and compassionately written bio about GENIUS filmmaker (shouted like Maria Elena, Barcelona).

[Craig Muir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takes you inside

Takes us inside the life and loves of a very private public person whose written and cinematic output never fails to amaze. A man for all seasons.

[David Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some interesting pieces to this, and I mostly enjoyed it, but felt like the writing was thrown together in a manner that felt awkward at times.

[Prisoner 071053 · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author doesn't understand Woody Allen at all and only uses him as a club to beat White people because he (the author) is a racist. Fuck this piece of shit.

[Khairul Hezry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Must be a fan of Woody Allen to appreciate it. Fortunately, I am.

[Greg Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance subsumed me on the sixth floor of a Chicago loop tower when Karen and I watched “Midnight Murder Mystery” and drank hot chai tea on her couch. We weren't movie people, but every three days we would get a movie like “Crimes and Misdomeaners”, “Annie Hall”, “Manhattan” or “MatchPoint”. Maybe it was the sleek urbane glow of New York City n the opening credits of “Manhattan”, or the heart-stirring closing to “Annie Hall”... Allen tapped into this soft area of relationship with their anxieties, disappointments, extreme emotions and their banal qualities.

Maybe it's not surprising his work is more an investigation than a celebration. The consummate craftsman, he is turning out a film a year. Often met with insouciance, since so many elements are repeated or the plot lines bleed over between films, it's hard to find anyone who loves all his films. For those happy few, like myself who keep up on his work, every few years, there's a film that just melts your inner fortress.

Evanier's biography is well designed. Not too much time spend on boyhood fantasy or overpraising fans. He dives deep into areas of controversy like his marriage to Mia Farrow's daughter Soon Yi, or Allen's dismissal of Hollywood. We get some of the important context to understand why Allen is so revered as a comic. His surreal humor, the Jewishness of his humor, and his stellar wit. Allen's person was “Anti-thesis of the traditional male hero: small, unhandsome-the seemingly archetype schlemiel with a squeaky, whining high voice.” (p,58), and yet in reality he was very confident, bold and self-contained.

One of the best chapter's is with Dick Cavett. Exploring friendship and how close he could get to Woody, it was both enduring and profound. Meaningful moments weren't spent at parties, but rather long walks, board games, and going out with the wives. There's a sense of old Hollywood, and an appreciation for a different time.

Woody's humor is so singular, strange and lyrical, and his brilliance his put up against his own self doubts throughout the book. How strange it is to have such a career and to immediately dismiss it as a waste. It's sad that someone who makes brilliant films and comedy books could see himself as largely unimpressive. But maybe it's not surprising how a man who defines himself with a low level depression, phobias and relationship issues, continues to make art as an experience to overcome it.

[Arthur Goldgaber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a few of the reviews here about this book and I agree with many of the comments. There are many factual mistakes in it and things are repeated many times. Even with those problems, the book is well written and probably could have used a bit more editing and tightening. I read Eric Lax's biography a few years ago and I remember that he delved very deeply into many of Woody's movies. Evanier skips around a bit and does not give details on movies that he considers subpar. Lax also provides more details on Woody's influences such as Bergman, Fellini and Vittorio De Sica. I think It was in Broadway Danny Rose that he stole whole scenes from Bicycle Thief. Evanier emphasizes how he was very loyal to his first managers Rollins and Jaffee and he has interesting stories about how he befriended a few people early in his career. He took a teenager under his wing and read essays he had written.

It's interesting that very early in the book Evanier includes a letter that Woody wrote to him after he requested to interview for the biography. Woody said that he would provide some assistance, but he thought that there had already been many biographies written about him. I have not read all the biographies, but Evanier provides interesting stories about Woody as a very mischievous youngster. Some of these stories are very funny.

Evanier provides a very long review of all that transpired between him and Mia and the child molestation charges. That was a very difficult time in his life and he lost quite a bit of support here in the United States in those years. The charges were very ugly. I think he is now more popular outside the U.S., especially Europe, than in the U.S. Evanier could have provided more details on how Woody has bounced back in recent years with some strong movies and how he recharged his batteries.

This was a good read, but Woody Allen experts are probably not going to learn much that I new in this book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting biography of Woody Allen, but has many factual errors and strange conclusions by the book's author, who interviewed Allen himself, as well as many of his acquaintances and co-workers over the years. For example, he claimed that Charlie Chaplin was a real fan of Woody's movie "Broadway Danny Rose", although the movie was released 6 years after Chaplin's death. I disagreed personally with many of the author's opinions about various films of Woody's; several that I would place in the top ten of his films, the author thought were "unwatchable"; conversely, he rates several movies as "among his greatest" which I think were his weakest films. That kind of made me suspicious of all his opinions. However, I did enjoy learning more about Woody's day-to-day life and his attitudes on a variety of subjects. I also learned a lot more about Mia Farrow's questionable behavior following the bombshell that Woody was involved with Soon-Yi, to whom he has been happily married for over 20 years now. (contrary to many published accounts, Woody was never a stepfather or surrogate father to Soon-Yi and only started spending time with her originally because Mia suggested he make an effort to get to know Soon-Yi, who he'd spent the least time around of any of MIa's large brood. He started taking her to Knicks basketball games and their relationship evolved. Mainly, though, my favorite part of the book was the anecdotes surrounding the making of some of his films, and I only wish there would have been some stories about all of the films instead of just a few.
**#106 of 120 books pledged to read/review during 2016**

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

With his 80th birthday coming right up, it's an ideal time to put out a biography of Woody Allen. There have been others but this is the first I read and I'm glad I held out. The structure avoids the typical early years slog of neighbor's cat's names and junior high school GPA's. The author doesn't pore over all 40 odd of Allen's movies, which keeps things moving. What feels like half the book is devoted to debunking the atrocity of the false child abuse allegations leveled against him. Anyone who wants to say, "Well, we'll never know what happened" should read this book to debunk that. Not only does NOTHING in Allen's past suggest he'd do it but two key witnesses prove he was never even alone with Dylan Farrow. It's sad a biography has to spill the most ink on such a scandal but at least it shatters all doubt of Allen's innocence. Otherwise, this is a thoughtful and loving tribute to a true genius.

[J Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Evanier's biography of Woody Allen is a well-written and thorough work. While clearly written from a positive perspective it is still a balanced assessment of both his work and his life and how they meet.

In discussing the juncture of his life and his work Evanier makes clear that while Allen uses a lot of his life in his films and in the characters he plays the character is not a strict translation of who Woody is. Unfortunately many viewers make the mistake of thinking the two are essentially interchangeable as far as attitude and beliefs. This often leads to a harsher than necessary assessment of his personal life.

This is a nice biography that is well-researched while remaining accessible to any reader interested in Allen. Definitely recommended for any reader.

Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.

[Nicolas Name · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pros: content of the book is great. Feel as if you somewhat get a feel for what's going on Woody's head. The author approached the book honestly, presented his biases in terms of actually being a fan of the Woody's work (a definitive plus, as most biographers do not mention the draw that they feel, and hide behind the "objective" viewpoint.)

Cons: a bit disorganized. Chapter headings do not follow a clear narrative structure, and certain praises and evaluations of certain elements could have been avoided.

Overall: fascinating work. Compelling, couldn't put it down. Woody's one of the greatest thinkers of the last 50 years, and this book attempts to shed a view on his thought process, from the people surrounding him. Read if you're curious and have already seen his films and are familiar with the work.

[Jochen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is okay to read and very informative, but the author inserts himself far to much into the book and offers opinions about Allen's life and movies that many will disagree with. This includes his assertion that Allen's movies include no real masterpiece and his dismissal of such movies as Stardust Memories and the comedies Small Time Crooks and Manhattan Murder Mystery as flawed efforts. The author is entitled to his opinion, but if you disagree with those assessments then you will question the author's judgement and his understanding of his subject. Questioning a biographer's judgement rather takes the interest and fun out of a biography.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Evanier's biography of Woody Allen is a well-written and thorough work. Evanier makes it clear that while Allen uses a lot of his life in his films and in the characters he plays, the character is not a strict translation of who Woody is. He writes about Allen's personal live as well as his career. However, and it might just be me, I could not read that much in one sitting. I am an avid reader, who usually can't put a book down. With this book, Ihad to read a little at a time to absorb it.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better Woody Allen biographies I have read. Almost as good as Eric Lax's work. It has a depth to it and doesn't insist on doing a blow by blow account of every film in chronological order, instead concentrating on the themes of the movies and what WA has been trying to say in his long career. Particularly good on the early years, his life as a child and development as writer in television. It loses itself towards the end, but that might be WA's private nature and an unwillingness to retread old ground as he enters his 80th decade.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woody Allen has had a fascinating life and David Evanier does a good job at describing it. I like how he makes the connection between the ‘real’ Woody Allen and the characters in his movies. The book provides an in-depth study of Allen’s life. I would have given the book five stars, would it not have been for the last couple of chapters. David Evanier embellishments do not add to the story, but distract. Rather you like Wood Allen’s movies or not, the book does a good job at explaining the ‘why’. I liked the book, just not the ending.

[The Jewish Book Council]

Review by Bill Brennan for the Jewish Book Council.

[Jim Cullison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out this compelling and frequently insightful biography of an outstanding American artist. You'll devour it in a few days.

[Kevin McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mia Farrow is most certainly a terrible, terrible person.

[Howard Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book. It was well-researched. I learned a lot about one of my favorite filmmakers. Very well done.