Despite having a dozen wonderful films to his name, I’d contend that Woody Allen’s funniest moments have occurred on the printed page. ‘The Gossage-Vardebedian Papers’ or ‘Yes, But Can The Steam Engine Do This?’, both from his first – and best – short-story collection ‘Getting Even’, are easily the equals of ‘Love And Death’ or ‘Sleeper’.
Judged on those terms, Allen’s first humour collection for 25 years initially disappoints. Too many stories are populated by unscrupulous agents and creative aspirants whose delusions dwarf their meagre talents. Over the course of the 18 tales, however, Allen steadies his aim. ‘The Rejection’ is a wonderfully funny satire on skewed Fifth Avenue mores. Parodying Dostoevsky – again – it’s the tale of a family who fail to get their toddler into Manhattan’s top nursery, with calamitous consequences: ‘Having no substantial background in such matters as decorating cupcakes or the sandbox, the child was totally unprepared for the cruelties life held.’ Elsewhere, Mickey Mouse dishes the dirt at the Disney trial, where we learn that Goofy is addicted to Percodan and Donald Duck has been cheating on Daisy with Petunia Pig.
The language throughout is so meticulously crafted that a swift re-reading reveals hugely rewarding comic side streets buried within even the less successful tales. ‘Mere Anarchy’ provides proof that, while Allen the film-maker now resembles the dead shark evoked in ‘Annie Hall’, Woody the humourist is still travelling forward.
