Without Feathers [Import] [Paperback]

Woody Allen (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Sphere Books; Reprint edition (1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0722111193
• ISBN-13: 978-0722111192
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,260,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not Great like "Getting Even", June 24, 2002

By 

Thor Vader "Herr Director" (Beverly Hills, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Feathers (Mass Market Paperback)

Without Feathers is good vintage Woody Allen writing. Interestingly, the breadth of essays contained in this book are a lot like his movies... there are great ones, there are good ones, and there are bad ones. I would say that this classifies the 18 different essays contained within this book to a tee with most of them landing in the "good" category. I've read all of his books, and I would say the most classic Woody Allen essay's are in Getting Even. I would recommend that anyone interested in reading a Allen book go there first, and then come to this one if they like it (plus it is in chronological order that way).

Perhaps the best thing about this book was not the essays but rather the two plays that were contained within. The play Death is hilarious, and ultimately was made into one of Woody Allen's films. This play gives an insight into how he writes primarily dialogue and very little description. Additionally, the play God was also very funny. The purchase is worth it to see the contrast between how Allen writes essays versus how he writes screenplays. The essays were good (not all that laugh out loud funny), but the plays were excellent.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny, July 7, 2003

By 

LZ-1 (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Feathers (Mass Market Paperback)

"Without Feathers" was Woody Allen's second collection of humorous pieces, and probably his best. These originally appeared in the early 1970's, in magazines like "The New Yorker" and "The New Republic."

Some are short stories, like "No Kaddish for Weinstein" and "The Whore of Mensa." There are two plays, "Death" (the inspiration for Allen's "Shadows and Fog"), and the much better "God", a masterpiece of absurdity.

There are parodies of Encyclopedia Brown ("Match Wits with Inspector Ford") and Henrik Ibsen (the hysterical "Lovborg's Women Considered"), irreverent essays on English literature and civil disobedience, reviews of some very bizarre ballets, and more.

"Without Feathers" is fantastic and, as a bonus, much less expensive than many inferior humor books.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Typical Allen genius......, March 6, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Feathers (Mass Market Paperback)

Woody is at it again. This book is great comedy in Allen's usual, older style. After reading it, I FORCED friends to read it so I would have someone to discuss it with. I often read while riding the metro, and often had spectators by the end of a ride, while reading this book. They were wondering why I was laughing out loud. I am buying Allen's other books immediately...