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门萨的娼妓：伍迪·艾伦幽默文集
作为当今世界独树一帜的喜剧电影大师，伍迪艾伦的幽默天赋是与生俱来的。他15岁就开始为报纸写专栏，有一段时间还自编自演「单口相声」（Stand up comedian），此后数十年至今，他挥霍着自己的幽默气质，编笑话和搞笑故事，写散文、小说和剧本（作品曾入选1989年由伊夫林豪主编的《犹太美国短篇小说选》），拍电影更是让他功成名就。
伍迪艾伦式幽默带有明显的纽约知识分子风格，他以荒诞不经、插科打诨的方式与这个世界开玩笑：颠覆传统价值，戏仿经典文本，各种时髦的学院派理论与方法更是被挖苦得入木三分、尖刻不留余地。他似乎总与知识分子作对，然而那些神经质的、自私自恋又敏感多疑的可笑形象背后，分明有着自我的身影――伍迪分身有术，他从不忘记拔光羽毛，幽自己一默。这是他的睿智所在，自以为是的法国人也因此称他为美国电影界惟一的知识分子。
本书结集自伍迪艾伦发表于《纽约客》《新共和》等刊物上的各类文章，曾由兰登书屋以三册单行本出版（《扯平》，1971；《不长羽毛》，1975；《副作用》，1980），长销不衰。喜爱伍迪艾伦电影的读者定会在本书中发现他诡异的文学天赋，从而能更好地理解和欣赏被他轻轻拧松了螺丝的世界究竟是怎样的可笑又可悲。
伍迪艾伦式幽默带有明显的纽约知识分子风格，他以荒诞不经、插科打诨的方式与这个世界开玩笑：颠覆传统价值，戏仿经典文本，各种时髦的学院派理论与方法更是被挖苦得入木三分、尖刻不留余地。他似乎总与知识分子作对，然而那些神经质的、自私自恋又敏感多疑的可笑形象背后，分明有着自我的身影――伍迪分身有术，他从不忘记拔光羽毛，幽自己一默。这是他的睿智所在，自以为是的法国人也因此称他为美国电影界惟一的知识分子。
本书结集自伍迪艾伦发表于《纽约客》《新共和》等刊物上的各类文章，曾由兰登书屋以三册单行本出版（《扯平》，1971；《不长羽毛》，1975；《副作用》，1980），长销不衰。喜爱伍迪艾伦电影的读者定会在本书中发现他诡异的文学天赋，从而能更好地理解和欣赏被他轻轻拧松了螺丝的世界究竟是怎样的可笑又可悲。
480 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2004
7 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Woody Allen
286 books3,137 followersNoted American actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker Woody Allen, originally Allen Stewart Konigsberg explored the neuroses of the urban middle class in comedies of manners, such as
Annie Hall
(1977) and
Deconstructing Harry
(1997).
This director, jazz musician, and playwright thrice won Academy Award. His large body of work mixes satire, wit and humor in the most respected and prolific cerebral style in the modern era. Allen directs also in the majority of his movies. For inspiration, Allen draws heavily on literature, philosophy, psychology, Judaism, European cinema, and city of New York, where he lives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_A...
This director, jazz musician, and playwright thrice won Academy Award. His large body of work mixes satire, wit and humor in the most respected and prolific cerebral style in the modern era. Allen directs also in the majority of his movies. For inspiration, Allen draws heavily on literature, philosophy, psychology, Judaism, European cinema, and city of New York, where he lives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_A...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 20, 2012
UPDATE: Okay, I just had to edit this review and add some amazing quotes. So yeah. Here are some of the best lines, although nearly every page was laugh-out-loud funny so it's hard to choose which are the "best" quotes.
This is from the Whore of Mensa. It is about "intellectual" prostitutes - men pay to discuss great works of literature with women:
"It wasn't just intellectual experiences - they were peddling emotional ones, too. For fifty bucks, I learned, you could 'relate without getting close.' For a hundred, a girl would lend you her Bartok records, have dinner, and then let you watch while she had an anxiety attack. For one-fifty, you could listen to FM radio with twins. For three bills, you got the works: A thin Jewish brunette would pretend to pick you up at the Museum of Modern Art, let you read her master's, get you involved in a screaming quarrel at Elaine's over Freud's conception of women, and then fake a suicide of your choosing - the perfect evening, for some guys. Nice racket. Great town, New York."
This is Woody Allen's interpretation of the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac:
"And so he took Isaac to a certain place and prepared to sacrifice him but at the last minute the Lord stayed Abraham's hand and said, 'How could thou doest such a thing?'
And Abraham said, 'But thou said - '
'Never mind what I said,' the Lord spake. 'Doth thou listen to every crazy idea that comes thy way?' And Abraham grew ashamed. 'Er - not really... no.'
'I jokingly suggest thou sacrifice Isaac and thou immediately runs out to do it.'
And Abraham fell to his knees, 'See, I never know when you're kidding.'
And the Lord thundered, 'No sense of humor. I cant believe it.'
'But doth this not prove I love thee, that I was willing to donate mine only son on thy whim?'
And the Lord said, 'It proves that some men will follow any order no matter how asinine as long as it comes from a resonant, well-modulated voice.'"
A chapter on history:
"The Russian revolution simmered for years and suddenly erupted when the serfs finally realized that the Czar and the Tsar were the same person."
Lastly, this excerpt is from "Hassidic Tales, with a Guide to Their Interpretation by the Noted Scholar." Woody Allen himself is Jewish so throughout the book he often gives his own interpretation of the scriptures:
"A man journeyed to Chelm in order to seek the advice of Rabbi Ben Kaddish, the holiest of all ninth-century rabbis and perhaps the greatest noodge of the medieval era.
'Rabbi, the man asked, 'where can I find peace?'
The Hassid surveyed him and said, 'Quick, look behind you!'
The man turned around, and rabbi Ben Kaddish smashed him in the back of the head with a candlestick. 'Is that peaceful enough for you?' he chuckled, adjusting his yarmulke."
WELLLL actually I'm getting carried away here and here's another quote from Hassidic Tales:
"Rabbi Raditz of Poland was a very short rabbi with a long beard, who was said to have inspired many pogroms with his sense of humor. One of his disciples asked, 'Who did God like better - Moses or Abraham?'
'Abraham,' the Zaddik said.
'But Moses led the Israelites to the Promised Land,' said the disciple.
'All right, so Moses,' the Zaddik answered.
'I understand, Rabbi. It was a stupid question.'
'Not only that, but you're stupid, your wife's a meeskeit, and if you don't get off my foot you're excommunicated.'"
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
AWESOME!!!! Woody Allen you are my idol. Ughhh every page made me laugh out loud. Everyone around me kept giving me weird looks because I was cracking up so much. But I don't care because Woody Allen is amazing! The best stories were "Hassidic Tales" and "The Whore of Mensa." ("For a hundred dollars, you could listen to FM radio with twins.")
The whole book is a collection of little stories, plays, and essays. Woody's preoccupation with death predominated throughout the book. It's such intelligent humor. It reminds me of Lemony Snicket, but Woody Allen came first and I think he's even funnier. I'll update later with quotes but now I have to go to class...
This is from the Whore of Mensa. It is about "intellectual" prostitutes - men pay to discuss great works of literature with women:
"It wasn't just intellectual experiences - they were peddling emotional ones, too. For fifty bucks, I learned, you could 'relate without getting close.' For a hundred, a girl would lend you her Bartok records, have dinner, and then let you watch while she had an anxiety attack. For one-fifty, you could listen to FM radio with twins. For three bills, you got the works: A thin Jewish brunette would pretend to pick you up at the Museum of Modern Art, let you read her master's, get you involved in a screaming quarrel at Elaine's over Freud's conception of women, and then fake a suicide of your choosing - the perfect evening, for some guys. Nice racket. Great town, New York."
This is Woody Allen's interpretation of the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac:
"And so he took Isaac to a certain place and prepared to sacrifice him but at the last minute the Lord stayed Abraham's hand and said, 'How could thou doest such a thing?'
And Abraham said, 'But thou said - '
'Never mind what I said,' the Lord spake. 'Doth thou listen to every crazy idea that comes thy way?' And Abraham grew ashamed. 'Er - not really... no.'
'I jokingly suggest thou sacrifice Isaac and thou immediately runs out to do it.'
And Abraham fell to his knees, 'See, I never know when you're kidding.'
And the Lord thundered, 'No sense of humor. I cant believe it.'
'But doth this not prove I love thee, that I was willing to donate mine only son on thy whim?'
And the Lord said, 'It proves that some men will follow any order no matter how asinine as long as it comes from a resonant, well-modulated voice.'"
A chapter on history:
"The Russian revolution simmered for years and suddenly erupted when the serfs finally realized that the Czar and the Tsar were the same person."
Lastly, this excerpt is from "Hassidic Tales, with a Guide to Their Interpretation by the Noted Scholar." Woody Allen himself is Jewish so throughout the book he often gives his own interpretation of the scriptures:
"A man journeyed to Chelm in order to seek the advice of Rabbi Ben Kaddish, the holiest of all ninth-century rabbis and perhaps the greatest noodge of the medieval era.
'Rabbi, the man asked, 'where can I find peace?'
The Hassid surveyed him and said, 'Quick, look behind you!'
The man turned around, and rabbi Ben Kaddish smashed him in the back of the head with a candlestick. 'Is that peaceful enough for you?' he chuckled, adjusting his yarmulke."
WELLLL actually I'm getting carried away here and here's another quote from Hassidic Tales:
"Rabbi Raditz of Poland was a very short rabbi with a long beard, who was said to have inspired many pogroms with his sense of humor. One of his disciples asked, 'Who did God like better - Moses or Abraham?'
'Abraham,' the Zaddik said.
'But Moses led the Israelites to the Promised Land,' said the disciple.
'All right, so Moses,' the Zaddik answered.
'I understand, Rabbi. It was a stupid question.'
'Not only that, but you're stupid, your wife's a meeskeit, and if you don't get off my foot you're excommunicated.'"
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
AWESOME!!!! Woody Allen you are my idol. Ughhh every page made me laugh out loud. Everyone around me kept giving me weird looks because I was cracking up so much. But I don't care because Woody Allen is amazing! The best stories were "Hassidic Tales" and "The Whore of Mensa." ("For a hundred dollars, you could listen to FM radio with twins.")
The whole book is a collection of little stories, plays, and essays. Woody's preoccupation with death predominated throughout the book. It's such intelligent humor. It reminds me of Lemony Snicket, but Woody Allen came first and I think he's even funnier. I'll update later with quotes but now I have to go to class...
October 26, 2021
Some funny stories, with an unusual perspective. But many bad absurb pointless stories too.
September 16, 2023
#103 of 120 books pledged to read during 2023
February 4, 2008
3 beautiful short narration, stories or what so ever you like to call it.
Currently reading
July 26, 2008Either I am stupid or the translation sucks, so far I have not been able to find it a witty and funny book as people would expect form a director like Woody Allan. Anyway, I will still carry on.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews