books tagged “humor”

For deft plotting, riotous inventiveness, unforgettable characters, and language that brilliantly captures the lively rhythms of American speech, no American writer comes close to Mark Twain. This sparkling anthology covers the entire span of Twain s inimitable yarn-spinning, from his early broad comedy to the biting satire of his later years.

Every one of his sixty stories is here: ranging from the frontier humor of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, to the bitter vision of humankind in The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg, to the delightful hilarity of Is He Living or Is He Dead? Surging with Twain s ebullient wit and penetrating insight into the follies of human nature, this volume is a vibrant summation of the career of in the words of H. L. Mencken the father of our national literature. [via]

The Provincial Lady has a nice house, a nice husband (usually asleep behind The Times) and nice children. In fact, maintaining Niceness is the Provincial Ladys goal in life  her raison d'être. She never raises her voice, rarely ventures outside Devon (why would she?), only occasionally allows herself to become vexed by the ongoing servant problem, and would be truly appalled by the confessional mode that has gripped the late 20th century. The Provincial Lady, after all, is part of what made Britain great. [via]

While preserving the basic narrative of the Iliad, this bare-bones abridgment highlights the epic's high poetic moments and essential mythological content, and will prove especially useful in surveys of world literature, and in Western civilization surveys. [via]

A must for any fan, this annotated collection of more than 800 strips, from the late '60s to 1995, includes comments from Trudeau and many of his satirical targets. From its beginnings in the Yale University student paper, Doonesbury quickly spread through newspapers in the U.S. and across the world, and the strip is currently featured in more than 1400 publications. Its strength has always been its nimble response to the ever-changing landscape of American culture, and even though many of the events in this volume have passed into history, or even obscurity, the humor is as fresh as ever.

For almost three decades, Trudeau has offered a refreshingly satirical take on everything from Watergate to Zippergate while following the ups and downs of a cast of characters that have become as well-loved as any in literature. The comments from newspapers, politicians and other that surround the strips reproduced in Flashbacks serve a dual purpose. They provide a context for readers who may not have been born when Nixon was president, and they amply demonstrate the enormous impact of Doonesbury on the American political landscape. It's funny too! --Simon Leake [via]

With The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Maarten Troost established himself as one of the most engaging and original travel writers around. Getting Stoned with Savages again reveals his wry wit and infectious joy of discovery in a side-splittingly funny account of life in the farthest reaches of the world. After two grueling years on the island of Tarawa, battling feral dogs, machete-wielding neighbors, and a lack of beer on a daily basis, Maarten Troost was in no hurry to return to the South Pacific. But as time went on, he realized he felt remarkably out of place among the trappings of twenty-first-century America. When he found himself holding down a jobone that might possibly lead to a careerhe knew it was time for him and his wife, Sylvia, to repack their bags and set off for parts unknown.

Getting Stoned with Savages tells the hilarious story of Troosts time on Vanuatua rugged cluster of islands where the natives gorge themselves on kava and are still known to eat the man. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles against typhoons, earthquakes, and giant centipedes and soon finds himself swept up in the laid-back, clothing-optional lifestyle of the islanders. When Sylvia gets pregnant, they decamp for slightly-more-civilized Fiji, a fallen paradise where the local chiefs can be found watching rugby in the house next door. And as they contend with new parenthood in a country rife with prostitutes and government coups, their son begins to take quite naturally to island livingin complete contrast to his dad. [via]

Young fans of the unflappable Sam-I-am will be pleased as punch to discover the plethora of flaps to lift in this 10-page board book version of the Dr. Seuss classic. Sam-I-am does his very best to convince a more finicky Seuss character to try this rather unusual delicacy.

Would you? Could you? In a car?
Eat them! Eat them! Here they are.
You may like them. You will see.
You may like them in a tree!

I would not,
could not, in a tree.
Not in a car!
You let me be.

(Study Score). A children's classic, now available in this version for Soprano, Boy Soprano and Full Orchestra. Duration ca. 18 minutes. Also available for Chamber Ensemble (Score #50482454) and Vocal Score (50482453). [via]

Though no one in Arthur Bobowicz's family cares much for turkey, when the butcher loses the family's Thanksgiving turkey order, Arthur frantically searches Hoboken for another fowl to take home to dinner. Unfortunately, it looks like every bird in town is spoken for -- until Arthur happens to find a mad inventor who offers to sell Arthur one of his "superchickens" at a bargain price of six cents per pound (and NO REFUNDS).

When Arthur returns home with Henrietta, his mother refuses to cook a sixfoot, 266-pound chicken, which is fine because Arthur has started to grow fond of her. But then Henrietta accidentally wanders off alone, and dreadful rumors of a dangerous monster running amok through the city spread like wildfire, causing panicky townspeople to cower in their homes. With Henrietta on the loose, the city of Hoboken will never be the same.

Since 1977, Daniel Pinkwater's hilarious tale of a boy and his chicken has tickled the funny bones of thousands of readers. Now paired with Jill Pinkwater's droll illustrations, the stage is set for the next generation of fans. [via]

Includes a brief biography of the author, thematic and structural analysis of the work, critical views, and an index of themes and ideas. [via]

Plot synopsis of this classic is made meaningful with analysis and quotes by noted literary critics, summaries of the work's main themes and characters, a sketch of the author's life and times, a bibliography, suggested test questions, and ideas for essays and term papers. [via]

Roald Dahl's classic children's novel is now a motion picture from The Walt Disney Company, and this version of James and the Giant Peach grew out of the making of the movie. Lane Smith, conceptual artist for the film, has given James and company a new and arresting look, much in the style of his many highly regarded books, such as Math Curse and The Stinky Cheeseman. Karey Kirkpatrick, the film's screenwriter, created a text that is true to the spirit of Dahl's original, and deftly pulls young readers into the remarkable story. All in all, it's a peach of a book sure to be the pick of every child's bookshelf! [via]

Brilliant new collection of comic fantasy masterpieces This dazzling new collection of off-the-wall fantasies features stories from the minds of the funniest writers in the field, including Esther Friesner, Neil Gaiman, Tom Holt, Paul di Filippo. Adam Roberts and Molly Brown. Here are 35 stories guaranteed to reassure us that the next-door world will be just as mad as this one. It includes a mix of brand-new stories and rare finds or forgotten gems, with a wide range of tales to suit every taste in humour. From the missionary plunged into the bizarre initiation rituals of a lost tribe to the bloke who thought magic would help his love life, from a wizard allergic to magic who sneezes his way into chaos to a man who finds his shoes have taken over control of his life, The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy unfalteringly turns fantasy and horror fiction on its head and makes magic into mayhem. A welcome new shot of comic genius in the sphere of fantasy fiction. [via]

It's an age-old question that has stumped the great minds of history: What is the meaning of life? In his hilarious and uplifting style, best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive finally provides the answer: Figure out what you love and do it.

Illustrated with playful photographs of animals, BTG's insightful prose again hits his target straight on. He muses about why we're here and our greater purpose in the grand scheme of things. His informal style provides a refreshing counterpoint to what has always been one of life's big debates. For example, when it comes to discovering your passion, BTG writes, "First, no one else will tell you about it--it's just like walking around all day with a sign on your back that says KICK ME".

The Meaning of Life is a witty, thought-provoking book that makes an ideal gift for anyone who's seeking their true purpose-and wants to laugh along the way. [via]

"DELECTABLY ENTERTAINING. . . . An uproariously funny and at the same time hauntingly melancholy portrait of a college community in the Midwest."
--The New York Times
Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, amid cow pastures and waving fields of grain, lies Moo University, a distinguished institution devoted to the art and science of agriculture. Here, among an atmosphere rife with devious plots, mischievous intrigue, lusty liaisons, and academic one-upmanship, Chairman X of the Horticulture Department harbors a secret fantasy to kill the dean; Mrs. Walker, the provost's right hand and campus information queen, knows where all the bodies are buried; Timothy Nonahan, associate professor of English, advocates eavesdropping for his creative writing assignments; and Bob Carlson, a sophomore, feeds and maintains his only friend: a hog named Earl Butz. In this wonderfully written and masterfully plotted novel, Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres, offers us a wickedly funny comedy that is also a darkly poignant slice of life.
"FAST, HILARIOUS, AND HEARTBREAKING . . . Not for a minute does Moo lose its perfect satiric pitch or its pacing. . . . Don't skip a page, don't skip a paragraph. It's going to be on the final."
--People
"SMART, IRREVERENT, AND WICKEDLY TENDER . . . Moo suggests a mix of Tom Wolfe's wit and John Updike's satiny reach . . . Engaging."
--The Boston Globe
"ENTERTAINING . . . Displays a wicked wit and an unerring eye for American foibles . . . Stuffed with memorable characters, sparkling with deliciously acid humor, Moo is a rare bird in today's literary menagerie: a great read that also makes you think."
--Chicago Sun-Times


From the Trade Paperback edition. [via]

A collection of the first four issues of the popular Lenore comic book series. Lenore: Noogies is a romp into the dark, surreal world of a little dead girl. Featuring stories about limbless cannibals, clock monsters, cursed vampire dolls, taxidermied friends and obssesed would be lover and more fuzzy animal mutilations than should be legal. Lenore is one of the funniest, darkest comic books on the marketplace today. [via]

Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. Just when she is about to marry Prince Ronald, a dragon smashes her castle, burns her clothes with his fiery breath, and prince-naps her dear Ronald. Undaunted and presumably unclad, she dons a large paper bag and sets off to find the dragon and her cherished prince. Once she's tracked down the rascally reptile, she flatters him into performing all sorts of dragonly stunts that eventually exhaust him, allowing her to rescue Prince Ronald. But what does Prince Not-So-Charming say when he sees her? "You smell like ashes, your hair is all tangled and you are wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you are dressed like a real princess." (At least he has the courtesy not to mention that the princess's crown resembles a dying sea anemone.) In any case, let's just say that Princess Elizabeth and Prince Ronald do not, under any circumstances, live happily ever after. Canadian author Robert Munsch celebrates feisty females everywhere with this popular favorite, and Michael Martchenko's scratchy, comical, pen-and-ink drawings capture the tongue-in-cheek quality of this read-aloud crowd pleaser. (Ages 4 to 8) --Karin Snelson [via]

These elegant volumes are bound in simulated leather with titles stamped in gold and gilt-edged pages.

These two volumes offer original, unaltered versions of Twain's work in chronological order. [via]

What kind of book has Jonathan Ames written this time? Well, think of Cervantes' Don Quixote, except that Wake Up, Sir! is not as good. But that's all right -- no book is as good as Don Quixote. You might also think of A Confederacy of Dunces, but there again Ames's book falls short. I think, though, we might be pushing this humility business too far.

So how else might we describe this brilliant, comedic, and literary novel? How about brilliant and comedic and literary, which we just used. One could also apply such adjectives as: exuberant, zany, and sexy. God forbid we should give you four adjectives in a row, but you know how it is: The Rule of Three Adjectives!

In fairness, I should say that the last adjective mentioned is somewhat misleading. But there is one rather long sex scene in the book, worthy of placement in Krafft-Ebing's Psychopathia Sexualis, so it's not entirely misleading.

I imagine that it's about time we gave you a plot summary, without giving too much away, which is never an easy task:

Alan Blair is a young, loony writer with numerous problems of the mental, emotional, sexual, spiritual, and physical variety. He's very good at problems. He's also quite skilled at getting into trouble. But luckily for Alan, he has a personal valet, a wondrously helpful fellow named Jeeves, who does his best to sort things out for his young master.

Our tale begins in Montclair, New Jersey, where Alan gets into a scrape with his uncle Irwin, a gun-toting member of the NRA. So Alan and Jeeves flee New Jersey and take refuge at a Hasidic enclave in Sharon Springs, New York. Unfortunately, more trouble ensues -- involving a woman! -- so Alan and Jeeves again take flight, this time landing at a famous artist colony in Saratoga Springs, New York. There Alan encounters a gorgeous femme fatale who is in possession of the most spectacular nose in the history of noses. Such a nose can only lead to a wild disaster for someone like Alan, and Jeeves tries to help him, but...

Happy reading! [via]

Drawings. [via]

You Are Worthless is the self-help book from hell. This bracing blast of negativity takes aim at the impossibly cheerful "inspirational self-help" books flooding the market and hits the bullseye, with chapters such as "Your Good-for-Nothing Friends," "Your Miserable Job," and "Life: What's the Use?"

This hilarious parody collects hundreds of tidbits of painful reality such as "You're no good, you're not great-looking, and you're going to die someday and it's probably going to hurt." Who among us isn't sick to death of the gushy, new-agey inspirational books that blindly assert that everyone is worthy? We all know the truth, and this book is as refreshing as a slap to the face.

Just some of the depressingly humorous nuggets of truth include:* You don't really have any outstanding qualities. It's safe to say you're pretty much just like everybody else.* The only reason your pet likes you is because you feed it.* As you get older, you are going to have less and less control over your bladder.* If you take a big risk and follow your dream, chances are you're going to fall flat on your face.

You Are Worthless also features a section called "Hopeless Role Models from History," including Helen Keller ("I've had it"), and Abraham Lincoln ("Theonly thing I'm good at is losing"). [via]