the icy mountain plays hide & seek in the clouds like a five-year-old playing the game for the first time, ever
Hide & Seek [Kyōka]
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Category Archives: humor
BOOK REVIEW: The Torrents of Spring by Ernest Hemingway
The Torrents of Spring by Ernest HemingwayMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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This novella is atypical of Hemingway’s work in several ways. It’s one of his earlier works of fiction, so it may stand to reason that his style and genre preferences weren’t yet set. The book parodies certain works and authors and satirizes the conceits and affectations seen in some popular writers of the day. Not that Hemingway’s work is otherwise devoid of humor, but it rarely plays the central role that it does herein. The story also has plot points that feel surreal in their absurdity, which is a variation from Hemingway’s usual dramatic realism. The novella also features a number of fourth wall breaks in the form of “Notes to the Reader.”
The book combines two storylines, each featuring a different worker at a pump factory in a Michigan town. Scripps O’Neill is a writer who comes to town after wandering away from his home down a train line after his wife left him. Scripps goes native in the town, getting a job at the pump factory and marrying a local woman, but he’s perpetually restless. Yogi Johnson is already an experienced worker when Scripps arrives, and he’s shaped by his experience in World War I, which other characters continually question amongst themselves. He ends up wandering out of town down the train tracks in a way that echoes Scripps’ arrival.
The book is funny and quirky and oddly engaging. Some of the humor would probably land better for those familiar with the pretentious writers that were the book’s target, but even if one isn’t familiar with the literature of the era, one will come away with an understanding of how Hemingway viewed said writers.
I enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it for readers of American Literature.
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BOOK REVIEW: Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. WodehouseMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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This is the second novel and seventh book by P.G. Wodehouse to feature the comedic duo of Bertram Wooster and his butler Jeeves. Wooster is a young man from a wealthy family who thinks more highly of himself than anyone else does. He’s a schemer, but not a particularly adept one. He serves as both narrator and comedic foil. He’s not a bright man, but thinks himself clever and is jealous that people are always coming to his preternaturally professional and laconic manservant, Jeeves, with their problems.
The plot and the humor are driven by Bertram’s harebrained schemes to save the day while showing everybody that it is he, and not Jeeves, with the insight to solve their problems. In this case, said problems include rectifying two breakups, getting a relative to repay his aunt Dahlia, and keeping a temperamental French chef from quitting, forcing the household of Brinkley Manor (Dahlia’s estate) to be subjected to the horrors of British cuisine.
While lifestyles of the rich and British might not be relatable, the humor travels well. I found the book to be funny, and – while it has a slow build — it ultimately generates a compelling plot. If you like humorous novels, this one is worth reading.
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BOOK REVIEW: Humour: A Very Short Introduction by Noël Carroll
Humour: A Very Short Introduction by Noël CarrollMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
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As both Mark Twain and E.B. White made abundantly clear, humor is like a frog; dissection kills it and few are interested in watching that happen. Which isn’t to say that dissection isn’t useful. But it does mean that readers who are looking for a book that’s a laugh-riot are looking in the wrong place. Most of the example jokes were ancient when the book was first published eight years ago. (They’re good jokes. Bad jokes don’t become old jokes, they die ignominiously.) All that aside, this book provides an intriguing look into such questions as: 1.) why do we find things humorous in the first place? (We take humor for granted, but – think about it – there’s no rationale for things being funny that automatically springs to mind;) 2.) how, if at all, does humor relate to our broader emotional experience; and 3.) when, if ever, is humor unethical?
This concise guide has three parts. In the first part, we learn the various theories of humor, and learn that the author favors Incongruity Theory (i.e. humor is – first and foremost – a recognition of and response to incongruities.) In the second, the author discusses the debate over whether humor is an emotional experience, or something else. Finally, we learn about the value of humor and, in particular, the ethics of humor. There’s a continuum from those who believe that humor – in and of itself – is always ethical to those who think that it’s virtually always unethical (unless one can find a joke without a butt,) with many nuanced variations, in between.
I found this to be an intriguing guide to the philosophy and psychology of humor, and – if that’s what you’re in search of – you should check it out.
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In Medias Res [Free Verse]
Journeys start with a cattle-prod jolt & a kick in the soul -- not at an airport, or a ferry dock, or a taxi stand, or at the curb. By the time you've gotten that far, you're already traveling. By the time you've "decided" to go, you're already traveling. Travel begins earlier, if in the dark, because travel is not a dream, & only dreams start in the middle of nonsense. Real life flows down a continuous and unbroken stream of nonsense, drifting at a rate slow enough for your brain to make a movie of rationalizations, so that your brain can tell you: that you're in control, that you know what's going on, that you know what will happen next, & assorted and sundry bullshit like that.
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Ram Dominion [Common Meter]
I met a ram in Madurai, 'twas tethered to a pole. Though really it almost met me, taking its cyclic stroll. The ram's target was my keister, but its rope was too short. Saved by the narrowest margin; my path I did abort. The moral of this tale is clear. If you're in Madurai, give tethered rams the widest berth, or kiss your ass goodbye.
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Cambridge Limerick
There was an outlandish student of Cambridge who only had space for the tiniest fridge. It all had to go - milk and meat in the snow. Turns out he liked his gin chilled just a smidge.
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Bishkek Limerick
There was a diligent soldier from Bishkek whose boots never saw as much as a speck, but marching to the flagpole he showed scuffs on the sole, and the Sergeant said, "Your uniform 's a wreck!"
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Shakespeare’s Tragedies Condensed to a Quatrain of Bad Poetry: Part, The First
I Macbeth believed the Witches 'cause they said what he wanted to hear. Then he jumped the gun because his ambition outstripped good sense and fear. II Hamlet thought he saw a ghost-dad, but realized he might just be nuts. Still, his uncle was schtupping his mom, about that there's no ands, ifs, or buts. III Oh, Romeo, your timing sucks - be it in breaking up a fight, or being too quick to put vile to lip when a pause would make timing right.
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BOOK REVIEW: I’m a Joke and So Are You by Robin Ince
I’m a Joke and So Are You: Reflections on Humour and Humanity by Robin InceMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
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This book examines the intersection between psychology and standup comedy. It investigates questions such as whether comedians are truly disproportionately depressive personalities as a number of high-profile cases have led the public to believe in recent years. It explores issues such as anxiety and imposter syndrome. But it also looks at less pathological issues of the mind, such as the origin of creative ideas.
The tone is light, and stories and jokes are employed throughout. That said, the book is also dealing with scientific and psychological issues, but it doesn’t get into technical minutiae. Ince discusses how ideas in psychology relate to the acts of a number of comedians he’s worked with, including Ricky Gervais and Tim Minchin, but – ultimately – he’s trying to present information that is useful to the reader. Whether the issue is grieving or parenting, the use of humor and comedy is just a tool to address issues most people face.
I enjoyed this book and found it thought-provoking. You won’t necessarily find it to be a laugh-riot, but you’ll learn a thing or two while being amused.
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Tiger Riding for Beginners 