Life is divided into the horrible and the miserable - Woody Allen

Bad things happen to everyone, and this handy book provides just the right words of irreverent inspiration to help you laugh at all its nasty surprises. Inspired by the author's profoundly pessimistic late grandmother Ethel, 'Pessimisms' offers witty and thoughtful observations on family, faith, men, love, life and health from politics, literature, the press, film and music and the likes of George Burns, Cher, Joan Crawford, Picasso and Goethe.