I DREAM OF WOODY

Woody Allen, of course--who apparently has been popping up in a surprising number of dreams and nightmares. Here, then, N.Y. psychologist Burton presents 80 dreams from 70 dreamers, with comments on how the dreams reflect Woody's ""personality and philosophy,"" the treatment of romance, sex, success, etc., in his films and stories. In general, the dreamers identify with the ""Woody Allen psyche""; they want to be him or be loved by him--though some women react against his ""contempt,"" some men feel hostile and competitive. And ""finally, as funny as he is, Woody Allen is a symbol for the dreamers of a serious search for meaning."" The dreams themselves? A less-than-fascinating smorgasbord, with a few sexual kinks and flights of silliness. The dreamers, however, offer a handful of unintentional laughs: they're a serf-dramatizing, far-from-mainstream crowd (almost half in the creative/performing arts, all urban)--including ""a certified public accountant who says he received communications from extraterrestrial beings. . . ."" So, even though Burton's dream-interpretations are sometimes stunningly superficial, with banal generalizations, Woody fans may want to browse--for a few chuckles and perhaps a few recognitions.