Título: The Insanity Defense: The Complete Prose
Autor: Woody Allen
Sinopse: Published simultaneously with Mere Anarchy (2007), these 40-plus previously published humorous sketches poke fun at Allen's classic targets: New York intellectuals, death, and Mr. Big—he's God, of course. Projecting personas is Allen's main technique across these stories, many of which contain allusions to the 1970s, when most of them were written. You want Studs Terkel? Allen satirizes his Hard Times in "Fine Times." How about Nazi memoirists? Allen gives you the recollections of Hitler's barber. Latin American revolutionaries were on the march, if somewhat ineffectually, in "Viva Vargas!" And if one's laughs come from satirizing such literary forms as the eulogy, commencement speech, or college course catalog, Allen is your parodist as well. Including mockery of collected works via a faux review of the collected laundry lists of the unjustifiably obscure Metterling, Allen perhaps barbs his own volume, which is the third time many of these pieces have seen publication. Nevertheless, it's a treasury of risibility for the Allen audience. Taylor, Gilbert Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Description: Comprising the classic bestsellers Getting Even, Without Feathers, and Side Effects, this definitive collection of comic writings is from a man who needs no Introduction. Really–this book has no Introduction. The Insanity Defense reveals many sides of Woody Allen as he holds forth on the most human of urges (“Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only for food: frequently there must be a beverage”); reflects on death (“I don’t believe in an afterlife, although I am bringing a change of underwear”); and notes the effect on history wrought by trick chewing gum, the dribble glass, and other novelties. There is also an inspiring story of the futile race to beat Dr. Heimlich to the punch: “The food went down the wrong pipe, and choking occurred. Grasping the mouse firmly by the tail, I snapped it like a small whip, and the morsel of cheese came loose. If we can transfer the procedure to humans, we may have something. Too early to tell.” All Woody Allen fans will cherish this uproarious treasury–and those who don’t enjoy The Insanity Defense are just plain crazy. “If you don’t care if you break into helpless whoops of laughter on buses, trains, or wherever you happen to be reading it.” –Chicago Tribune, on Without Feathers “Brilliant flights of fancy whose comic detail and inspired silliness are at once dramatic and controlled.” –The New York Times, on Side Effects
Contexto da obra
Quando a classificação é mais ampla, o contexto do livro costuma depender ainda mais de autoria, tema e edição. “The Insanity Defense: The Complete Prose”, de Woody Allen, publicado pela editora Random House, em 2007 e com 342 páginas, integra a categoria Livros Variados. Por isso, autoria, edição e tema acabam tendo ainda mais peso na forma de apresentar o livro.
Editora: Random House
Páginas: 342
Ano: 2007
Edição:
Linguagem: inglês
ISBN: 0812978110
ISBN13: 9780812978117
Sobre a editora
Os livros da editora Random House apresentam uma variedade de narrativas que transitam entre o realismo histórico, o suspense contemporâneo e a ficção especulativa. A experiência de leitura costuma envolver personagens complexos em ambientes que vão desde pequenas vilas inglesas até cidades modernas e mundos imaginários, com conflitos que exploram tanto dramas pessoais quanto questões sociais amplas. O catálogo sugere obras que equilibram enredos mais narrativos e envolventes com textos que dialogam com temas atuais, como justiça social e memórias históricas, sempre com um ritmo que pode variar do introspectivo ao tenso. A linguagem, em geral, é acessível, mas não simplificada, convidando leitores que apreciam tanto o desenvolvimento psicológico quanto a construção cuidadosa do cenário.
