# Mere Anarchy

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{{Short description|2007 anthology of essays by Woody Allen}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox book 
| name          = Mere Anarchy
| title_orig    = 
| translator    = 
| image         = Mere Anarchy by Woody Allen.jpg 
| caption       = Hardcover edition
| author        = [Woody Allen](/source/Woody_Allen)
| illustrator   =
| cover_artist  =
| country       = United Kingdom
| language      = English
| series        = 
| genre         = Fiction
| publisher     = [Ebury Press](/source/Ebury_Press)
| pub_date      = 5 July 2007
| english_pub_date =
| media_type    = Print 
| pages         = 176 pp.
| isbn          = 978-0091920210
| isbn_note     = hardcover edition
| dewey         = 
| congress      = 
| oclc          = 85897685
}}

'''''Mere Anarchy''''' is an anthology of essays by [Woody Allen](/source/Woody_Allen). First published on July 5, 2007, by [Ebury Press](/source/Ebury_Press),<ref name=Guardian>{{cite magazine|first=Adam|last=Mars-Jones|authorlink=Adam Mars-Jones|title=Mere Anarchy by Woody Allen|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/jul/22/film|newspaper=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|publisher=[Guardian Media Group](/source/Guardian_Media_Group)|location=London, England|accessdate=4 April 2016|date=22 July 2007}}</ref><ref name=Times>{{cite news|first=Janet|last=Maslin|authorlink=Janet Maslin|title=Book Review: Woody Allen's "Mere Anarchy"|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/15/arts/15iht-bookmon.1.6153303.html|newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|location=New York City|accessdate=4 April 2016|date=June 17, 2007}}</ref> the book is a collection of 18 tales, 10 of which previously ran in ''[The New Yorker](/source/The_New_Yorker)''. It was Allen's first collection in 25 years.<ref name="PW">{{cite web |title=Fiction Book Review: Mere Anarchy by Woody Allen, Author Random House (NY) $21.95 (160p) ISBN 978-1-4000-6641-4 |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-4000-6641-4 |website=[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly) |accessdate=28 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=MERE ANARCHY by Woody Allen {{!}} Kirkus Reviews |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/woody-allen/mere-anarchy/ |website=[Kirkus Reviews](/source/Kirkus_Reviews) |accessdate=28 May 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Plotinsky |first1=Benjamin A. |title=Mere Anarchy by Woody Allen |url=https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/mere-anarchy-by-woody-allen/ |website=[Commentary](/source/Commentary_(magazine)) |accessdate=28 May 2019 |date=October 2007}}</ref>

==Reception==
In ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'', [Janet Maslin](/source/Janet_Maslin) wrote that Allen's "writing style [...] remains impervious to the changing world around him", that the older essays "outshine" the newer ones but that the newer ones "hold their own", and that the collection is "nostalgically enjoyable" and "timelessly bright".<ref name=Times/> In ''[the Guardian](/source/the_Guardian)'', [Adam Mars-Jones](/source/Adam_Mars-Jones) called the essays "perfunctory" and "lazy riffs and lame parodies [that] do more to annoy than entertain", while faulting Allen's use of a "facetious linguistic register" and "comedy names".<ref name=Guardian/> ''[Publishers Weekly](/source/Publishers_Weekly)'' wrote, "While this collection doesn't quite measure up to Allen's ''[Without Feathers](/source/Without_Feathers)'' (1975), there are pieces here—for instance, the report on [Mickey Mouse](/source/Mickey_Mouse)'s testimony at the [Michael Eisner](/source/Michael_Eisner)/[Michael Ovitz](/source/Michael_Ovitz) trial—that will put a rictus on your kisser."<ref name="PW"/> Tasha Robinson of ''[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)'' wrote, "At its best, ''Mere Anarchy'' is absurd fun, but even Allen's best at this point is only meant for those familiar with, and predisposed to love, his intensely quirky style."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Robinson |first1=Tasha |title=Woody Allen: Mere Anarchy |url=https://www.avclub.com/woody-allen-mere-anarchy-1798202767 |website=[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club) |access-date=28 May 2019 |date=12 July 2007}}</ref>

==Contents==
#To Err Is Human; To Float, Divine
#Tandoori Ransom
#Sam, You Made the Pants Too Fragrant
#This Nib for Hire
#Calisthenics, Poison Ivy, Final Cut
#Nanny Dearest
#How Deadly Your Taste Buds, My Sweet
#Glory Hallelujah, Sold!
#Caution, Falling Moguls
#The Rejection
#Sing, You Sacher Tortes
#On a Bad Day You Can See Forever
#Attention Geniuses: Cash Only
#Strung Out
#Above The Law, Below the Box Springs
#Thus Ate Zarathustra
#Surprise Rocks Disney Trial
#Pinchuck's Law

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.woodyallenpages.com/books/mere-anarchy/ Woody Allen pages]

{{Woody Allen}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2007 short story collections
Category:Comedy books
Category:American essay collections
Category:Short story collections by Woody Allen
Category:Ebury Publishing books

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mere Anarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Anarchy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_Anarchy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.