I loved Woody Allen's essays in college. They were absurd, and a definite precursor to works like Steve Martin's "Cruel Shoes" and Ian Frazier's work.

However, "Mere Anarchy" felt like a retread, and given those first three books were written in the early 70's, I can't help but feel Woody should've evolved a bit more.

Of course, his last great movie came out well over 15 years ago (Husbands and Wives), so maybe the comedy gold has just tarnished over the years.

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Having previously only read Side Effects which I enjoyed, Woody Allen's mere anarchy was a light dose of whimsical absurdity which suited the diverse stories mostly pertaining to the downfall of many an odd victim of a mad world. The language Woody employs throughout is lively and at times surreal. Less a set of observation pieces about humanity and our idiosyncratic systems; mere anarchy is a Commedia dell'arte of swindling, greed, subservience and the culture we have stacked up around ourselves, unable perhaps to see over for all the nonsense that glues it together.

It is a light read. If you are seeking for a quick deliverance from the every day routine of sensibility than I recommend Woody's mere anarchy; there are some unexpected puns and clever word play that will provide enough chuckles through-out. ( )

I’ve been laughing at Woody Allen for a very long time. Some of these stories first appeared in magazines in 2000, and many of them seem much older and out-of-date than that. I read and laughed at this book for the first time not long after it came out in 2007. It had been 25 years since he had released a collection at that time. I don’t believe that the controversy over Woody’s personal life has changed how funny I find his work, but I do find some of the old stylings tired and dated. There were very few of these pieces that seem original or fresh. After decades of laughing at his material, it feels like he’s just returning to the same old well … too many times.
Remember when people would always ask if the newest Woody Allen movie was one of his “funny” ones? I was such a fan then that I found them all interesting. The way his mind worked was always interesting. I had many conversations/arguments about movies like Interiors, which I found deliciously depressing.
So it is down to the possibilities that: 1) maybe I’ve moved on in my life and tastes, or 2) this 84 year old man isn’t as new and fresh as I found him decades ago. I laughed many times reading this collection, but I also groaned at other times—when he seemed like a tired 1950s and 1960s comedian performing in some comedy dive filled with cigarette smoke and drunks. Humor can be very fickle at times. ( )

quelques fous-rires. ( )

A hilarious and vocabulary-stretching collection of short stories and vignettes. ( )