Woody Allen's debut novel, What’s With Baum?, has received mixed reviews, with critics noting its familiar style and avoidance of personal controversy. The 89-year-old film-maker's book centres on Asher Baum, a bespectacled Jewish novelist with two ex-wives, a Connecticut home, and a Manhattan pied-à-terre. The story begins with Baum having cocktails with an attractive young woman at Bemelmans Bar, setting the stage for a narrative that critics describe as uncannily reminiscent of Allen's earlier work.
Allen's characteristic mannerisms, themes, and humour are present throughout the novel, with some reviewers praising its fluency and plausibility compared to his recent films. However, the narrative eventually descends into unresolved farcical silliness. The novel hints at addressing the #MeToo movement and Allen's own controversies, including the 1992 sexual assault allegation by his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow, but ultimately avoids engaging with them directly.
The plot involves Baum giving a misjudged kiss to a Japanese-American journalist, Cindy Tanaka, after an interview. His agent warns him that the incident will lead to a #MeToo takedown, but the journalist never appears again in the story, and the controversy fizzles out. Instead, the novel focuses on Baum's neuroses, his rivalry with his successful brother, and his strained relationship with his wife's son Thane, who becomes a literary sensation while Baum's career flounders.
Despite some witty lines and comic moments, critics argue that Allen's first foray into fiction offers no surprises. The novel's treatment of the #MeToo theme is seen as a missed opportunity, leaving readers questioning whether Allen has anything new to say about the cultural wars that have surrounded him. The book ultimately reaffirms Allen's enduring style, for better or worse.
