Laughter in Hell: The Use of Humor During the Holocaust [Paperback]

Steve Lipman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1993 | ISBN-10: 1568211120 | ISBN-13: 978-1568211121

Lipman shows how humor manifested itself among the Jews of Europe during WWII--in jokes, art, poetry, and cabaret routines--despite political attempts to suppress it. And he observes the surprising nature of this humor, which, far from being bitter 'gallows' humor, was defiant, almost smug. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Jason Aronson, Inc. (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568211120
• ISBN-13: 978-1568211121
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,123,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars nothing but a collection of jokes., February 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Laughter in Hell: The Use of Humor During the Holocaust (Paperback)

This book includes a fine collection of jokes, but nothing else. i expecetd a research, a method or some systematic point of view, but Lipman does nothing but exhibiting many jokes, with some categorization. I must admit, though, that the jokes are fascinating, and some are extraordinarily funny, and for that reason i rated it with 3 stars. Lipman deserves those stars for the hard work he must have put in his project, collecting so many jokes. but then, he should'nt have titled the book so, becuase he hardly discusses the "use of humor during the Holocaust". he should have named it "a collection of jokes told during the Holocaust". therefore, the bottom line should be: hardly essential.

5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic humor that helps us understand how people cope in unimaginable times, May 17, 2011

By 

Not her Real Name (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Laughter in Hell: The Use of Humor During the Holocaust (Paperback)

I found this book enormously useful, both for a research project on authenticity and rage in Holocaust narrative, and for an increased personal understanding of how Survivors used humor as a coping mechanism and strategy for survival.

Survivors used humor to balance a grossly unequal equation, with enslaved and powerless people on one side and an armed, hateful, and corrupt authority on the other.

The cover blurb from the Forward says it best: "In raising the argument that the 'laughter in hell' was a form of resistance, the author has added still another dimension to our knowledge of the Holocaust."

My thanks to Steve Lipman and publisher Jason Aronson, Inc. for publishing this thought-provoking book.

3 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars another book, December 8, 2001

By 

RANDY SANWICK (omaha,ne.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Laughter in Hell: The Use of Humor During the Holocaust (Paperback)

i just wanted to tell you hat there was another book tiled laughter in hell.it was written by stevemarek,and is about what prisonners in a japanees prisom camp did durning the second world war.i have a copy of this book.