"I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia"

This quote by Woody Allen is a humorous way of revealing the concept that speed-reading is not constantly the best way to read a book. By saying he read War and Peace in twenty minutes, he is implying that he did not acquire a full understanding of the book, as it is a complex and prolonged book. The reference of Russia is likely a reference to the truth that War and Peace is set in Russia during the Napoleonic Wars. This quote is a humorous way of revealing the idea that speed-reading is not constantly the best way to get a full understanding of a book, and that it is very important to put in the time to read and comprehend a book in order to get the most out of it.