Side Effects

Woody Allen

ISBN 10: 0394511042 / ISBN 13: 9780394511047

Published by Random House, 1980

About this Item

Stated First Edition. Clean & tight hardcover, erstwhile remainder (red stripe on text tail), slight foxing on text head, o/w unmarked & unread, in Very Good condition. 149pp. "SIDE EFFECTS ranges over such subjects as the nature of relativity, the UFO menace, and the predicament of modern man--as well as, of course, Woody Allen's favorite topics: sex, death and religion. Whether he is musing on philosophy, science, world events, or offering the ultimate in restaurant reviews, in these sixteen selections Woody Allen displays his versatility and virtuosity with the written word--and his special brand of humor." [jacket copy] This third collection contains some of his best stories, including 'The Kugelmass Episode' & 'Retribution.' Intact jacket in Good condition w/slight inner folds & tiny upper-back tear. Sharp corners, square & tight binding, no age toning on pages.

Seller Inventory # RUB1988

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Side Effects
• Publisher: Random House
• Publication Date: 1980
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0394511042
• ISBN 13: 9780394511047
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

A humor classic by one of the funniest writers today, SIDE EFFECTS is a treat for all those who know his work and those just discovering how gifted he is. Included here are such classics as REMEMBERING NEEDLEMAN, THE KUGELMASS EPISODE, a new sory called CONFESSIONS OF A BUGLAR, and more.

Review

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. Side Effects, his third and final collection of humor pieces, shows his efforts. 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 positively goofy Getting Even/Without Feathers days, and this makes Side Effects a more nuanced read. Woody picks and chooses when to flash the laughs, as in an article discussing UFOs:

[I]n 1822 Goethe himself notes a strange celestial phenomenon. "En route home from the Leipzig Anxiety Festival," he wrote, "I was crossing a meadow, when I chanced to look up and saw several fiery red balls suddenly appear in the southern sky. They descended at a great rate of speed and began chasing me. I screamed that I was a genius and consequently could not run very fast, but my words were wasted. I became enraged and shouted imprecations at them, whereupon they flew away frightened. I related this story to Beethoven, not realizing he had already gone deaf, and he smiled and nodded and said, "Right."

Though not as explosively, mind-alteringly funny as his earlier books, Side Effects is still loaded with chuckles; the much-anthologized "Kugelmass Episode" is worth the price of the book. For fans of his films--or for anyone who wants a final glimpse of Woody in his first, best role as court jester, Side Effects is a must-have. --Michael Gerber