Humor at its best is a somewhat fluid and transitory element,
but most books about it are illustrated with hardened old jokes
from the comic papers, or classic witticisms jerked out of their
context. Max Eastman, in this work, avoids this catastrophe by
quoting mainly from contemporary American humor. This is not an
anthology in that selections have been made with a view to making a
point rather than covering the field.
The purpose of Eastman's fabled work is to make the reader
laugh. Since his early school days, it has seemed to him that
textbooks are wrongly written in that they are conducted in a way
which ignores the natural operation of the mind. As a result, the
opinion is universal, and under the circumstances a fact, that in
order to learn anything you have to study. Since this introduction
to humor is itself near to writing a textbook, Eastman uses the
very text he constructs to illustrate the manner in which textbooks
should be written.
Examination and classification of the kinds of humorous
experience upon the basis of a theory is a science. As such, this
work offers a fair chance to illustrate a method of instruction.
However, the distinction between a good joke and a bad one will not
prevent the reader from making bad jokes nor enable one to make
good ones. There is an artistic and playful element that simply
cannot be taught. Enjoyment of Laughter presents a total view of
the science of laughter and draws upon some of the great American
humorists to do so.
General
Imprint: |
AldineTransaction
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
February 2009 |
First published: |
October 2008 |
Authors: |
Max Eastman
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152 x 23mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
414 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4128-0844-6 |
Categories: |
Books >
Sport & Leisure >
Humour >
General
|
LSN: |
1-4128-0844-8 |
Barcode: |
9781412808446 |
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