Review: Apropos of Nothing

Apropos of Nothing by Woody Allen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Decided to give this a go after reading What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo: And Other Essays on Sex and the Mess of Life which gives a more nuanced take on the charges levelled against Woody Allen, however that was probably a mistake.

Enjoyed the opening section focusing on his youth and first steps into show business, but the almost constant name-dropping soon begins and it becomes something of a chore. There's little to glean here on his vast array of films - most warrant a few lines and talk of how beautiful or sexy the lead actress was (Allen definitely comes across as something of a creep). The CONSTANT self-depreciation is wearisome too, although that may be expected from Woody Allen.

The extended section combating the allegations from Mia Farrow is a real tirade and pretty much ruins the book, particularly on the self-narrated audiobook where Allen's anger is palpable. Even assuming the allegations are false against Allen and I can understand his wish to state his side of the story, he really doesn't come out well and is almost completely lacking in self-awareness. There were significant issues in their somewhat bizarre relationship and both parties appear as very damaged people using their children to maneuver a toxic breakup.

Hard to recommend, it passes the time and there's the odd decent one-liner but it left me with an even sourer view of the man sadly.

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