Allen is also a prolific writer that has wit, style, and an abundance of intelligence. He expresses this in his first three collections of short stories: Without Feathers, Getting Even, and Side Effects. And in the early 1990’s this was compiled to The Complete Prose of Woody Allen.

While many of these shorts originally appeared in publications such as the New Yorker, Playboy, and The New Republic, the tales are fascinatingly smart and subtle. Foe example, Allen’s tale “The Whore of Mensa” is a tale of those good ole’ boys who think nothing of real life, except in the form of intellectual thought. The story twists reality, presenting the challenge of finding intellectual counterparts, rather than sexual counterparts.

You can see all sides of Woody Allen through his written works, including a more sensitive and somber side in a story such as “Retribution” where Allen’s main character has to struggle with the idea of falling in love with his girlfriend’s mother. If that wasn’t enough, then the character must suffer the effects of having such a close relationship with this older woman on his relationship with her daughter.

Overall, the prose of Woody Allen is not for everyone—many may feel that the high intellectual standards of the writing are unapproachable. But for those that love to discover the truth and hilarity of humans, this is a book you won’t want to put down.