David Evanier, cousin of the person whose blog this is, has written a long, perceptive review of Woody Allen's autobiography. And what David has written is also a review of some of the other reviews that have appeared, some of which made me wonder if the reviewer had read the book with any kind of open mind…or at all.
I found Mr. Allen's book very entertaining in a laugh-out-loud kinda way. In a way, it's two books — one, the story of an oft-brilliant filmmaker and one of the great comedians of the previous century. The story of his life…his early career as a comedy writer…his later career becoming a maker of movies…that's all fascinating. And funny.
Then there's this book in the middle someplace about a bizarre relationship with Mia Farrow, his romance with and subsequent marriage to her then-18-year-old adopted daughter (not his) and the accusation of molestation of a seven-year-old daughter. You can make of them what you want but my view of the latter, for whatever it's worth, lines up with (a) the investigation by the Yale-New Haven Hospital, (b) the one by the New York State Department of Social Services, (c) the testimony of the then-18-year-old and another sibling and (d) Allen's denials.
If you want to pursue the matter past David's review, he helps you out with links to varying opinions on the whole matter. Not many people who profess to believe in hearing both sides of a story do that. Heck, not many people these days who profess to believe in hearing both sides of a story really do.