Customer Reviews

Mirth of a Nation: The Best Contemporary Humor

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I have a simple test for any book that purports to be funny: Will it make me laugh out loud? Something that simply causes the corners of my mouth to turn up in a smile won't do the job. This collection of humorous essays, however--- brightly contemporary,impressively varied, occasionally political--- met the test handsomely. This is an anthology, and not every piece succeeds; Christopher Buckley's brittle faux-sophistication, for example, left this reader with a hollow feeling; he's too determined to impress; he seems to try too hard. For the most part, however, the pieces in this collection are dependably funny. Ian Frazier's collection of rules for children--- expressed in the high rhetoric of the King James Bible--- not only made me laugh out loud; I woke up my wife and read the piece aloud to her, with tears of mirth running down my cheeks; she laughed out loud, too. This collection is not only well worth the price; it will cheer you up for days, and bring you back to read the short pieces again and again.

I got this for a friend's birthday, and had a hard time parting with it. When I get a copy for myself, I'm getting two, so I can give another one away. Nearly everything in here is dead-on funny. I had to call my sister and read some of it aloud, because I couldn't just keep on laughing to myself all afternoon, but she couldn't make out much of what I was saying through the laughter. The collection of McCourt memoir parodies still makes me laugh a week later -- Shlomo McCourt, Frances Mayle McCourt... The news quizzes, eh, not so funny. Otherwise, loved it.

With about 140 pieces from dozens of contributors, this humor anthology is a mixed bag. For me, some of the essays and parodies fell flat. Yet enough were truly hysterical to sustain me and keep me turning those pages. Among my favorites: Jon Stewart's "Pen Pals" and "The Last Supper, or The Dead Waiter"; Garry Trudeau's "I Am a Tip-Top Starlet" and "To Our Valued Customers"; Al Franken's "Index";Zev Borow's "A Graceland for Adolf"; Mark O'Donnell's "TV Guide, Soon"; Bill Scheft's "The All-Purpose Concession Speech"; and P. J. O'Rourke's "Memoir Essay."

Many humor anthologies are very hit and miss, and they also tend to be very much a "boys only" club. Mirth of a Nation is of the best I've ever seen, both in terms of quality and in including an good representation of women humorists. Michael J. Rosen has done an excellent job in compiling humorists such as Fran Lebowitz, Dave Barry, Mark O'Donnell, Jon Stewart, David Sedaris, Colleen Werthman, Patricia Marx and Henry Alford, just to name a few. This anthology would make a wonderful gift for just about anyone in any age group (it is pretty much "clean humor"). Treat yourself with it at any time, but especially if you are going to be on a plane,train, or subway. I hope they have many sequels!

Humor books are usually miscellaneous hodge-podges of "something for everybody." This one is not. It's a sustained compilation of great writing. Writing by very talented people who are variously smart-alec, smart-assed. and just plain smart. That's the one thing that's similiar about all the pieces: they're just very well done. After that, there's a huge range, from Sedaris's hilariously scatching review of kiddie theatrical productions to Garry Trudeau's re-re-retranslating of a Madonna interview back and forth from Russian. There are as many expected players--Ian Frazier, Fran Lebowitz, Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke with terrific pieces--as there are surprises and newer names. Favorites? Howard Mohr (who worked with Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion for years), John Updike doing a parody about J. Edgar Hoover cross-dressing. David Ives, the brilliant playwright, giving a culinary history through philosophers. Even the index, by Al Franken, shows that Mirth of a Nation is serious about being funny, from cover to cover. I have the second volume, More Mirth of a Nation, and, believe it or not, it's even better. Thirds, anyone? I gather from their website it will be out in 2004. Can't wait.

This book is a hilarious compendium of short humor writing by the funniest authors around today. Perfect subway, bedtime, or bathroom reading.

I am a big fan of audiobooks as I travel by car a great deal. I was looking forward to several hours of humor and wit, and regrettably this audio collection was a disappointment. While the stories as written may be funny, the reader's delivery for the most part was not. Roberts reads aloud well and I enjoyed his selections, but the women chosen as readers were not as successful. I found myself skipping past stories rather than listening to another grating interpretation.

Michael J.Rosen is Director of the Thurber House; the restored boyhood home of James Thurber in Columbus, Ohio, which Garrison Keillor has dubbed the capitol/capital of American humor. This volume is the first of a planned series of biennial collections of the best funny essays by U.S. writers. From the misleading front matter to the spurious index this collection is a hoot! Sure, there are some duds (to my taste), but humor is an iffy business. A twisted metaphor which leaves me choking for breath could easily make you doubt both my and the writer's sanity - or vice versa. Even the guidelines for submissions are a delight. To whit: "TABS: Tabs should be between one quarter of an inch and one third of an inch deep. One third of an inch is preferred. If for whatever reason your tabs are not between one quarter and one third of an inch deep, please write to The Thurber House for a copy of Form 56G, on which you can explain your deviance from the tab-depth norm, ... In the unlikely event that your alternative tabbing is approved, you will then be asked to adjust your manuscript so that it is then not double spaced, but single spaced, and printed on paper that is less white." Their send-up of the often arcane submission regs of many publications goes on for four pages. (Maybe you have to be a submitter-to-periodicals to be amused.) This first collection includes several well known wits (Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Fran Lebowitz, Roy Blount, Jr., John Updike) and a host of lesser-knowns. A piece about ferrets as pets, and ferret websites, by Daniel Radosh left me gasping. (I was so convulsed that Pomonella not only climbed off my chest, but carried her feline dignity out of the room.) An interview with Lebowitz about money and wealth represents the very summit of humor - a social commentary both fiercely barbed and charmingly jocular. Tell your librarian! Good stuff!

Despite being a fan of any number of the contributors, I found this collection incredibly frustrating. So much of it fell flat for me-- Death of an Interior Designer, How to Be Difficult, Emily Dickinson, Memo to Staff, all three fables, and more. The Dave Barry was standard, but the only stand-out was Josh Kornbluth's Red Diaper Baby. I'm awfully glad I just got this from the library and didn't put any money into it.

This book is non-stop funny. I believe that Mirth of a Nation is going to become a major pillar in the realm of humor writing. The pieces are well chosen--there is truly something here for everyone. The big names come through with hilarious material, as well as many I've never heard of (but hope to hear more from!) I can't wait for volume 2!