Great American Humor: 16 Stories [Unabridged] (Audio Cassette)

~ Roy Blount Jr. (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Roy Blount Jr.'s introduction, "What's So Humorous" and "Who's the Funniest American Writer?" sets the stage for the shape of this anthology. From the nostalgic wit of Mark Twain to the sardonic narratives of Dorothy Parker, classic humor never goes out of style. This collection includes some of America's best-known humorous short stories, spanning over 100 years of wise cracks, slapstick and satire. Contributors include Mark Twain, Roy Blount, Dorothy Parker, John Irving, O. Henry, Jean Kerr, Anita Loos, Ring Lardner, Franklin Pierce Adams and Ernest Lawrence Thayer. Readers include John Irving, Roy Blount, Jr., Marsh McCandless, Marni Webb and others plus Roy Blount's introduction, "What's So Humorous?" and "Who's the Funniest American Writer?" 4 cassettes.

About the Author

Roy Blount's introduction is from his book, Not Exactly What I Had in Mind. He is often heard on National Public Radio and on Garrison Keillor's radio program.

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Audio Partners; Unabridged edition (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572700416
• ISBN-13: 978-1572700413
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,706,579 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars More History than Hilarity, October 8, 2007

By	Colinda "L.S.W." (Historic Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This collection is interesting as a review of American Humor from Mark Twain through John Irving. Irving's story is the highlight of the set: "The Pension Grillparzer" from 1976. It's from "The World According to Garp" and it's an intriguing story of a family who goes along as the father visits hotels to rate them.

If you are a student of American culture, you may want to listen to this audiobook in order to become familiar with the well-known authors who are sampled here. Some of them were wildly popular at one time. Sadly, many of the readings lack comic timing, and some of the pieces were more sardonic than funny, so expect some smiles but few belly laughs.

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money. Buy something funny instead., July 7, 1999

By A Customer

If I could give less than 1 star, I would. I was terribly disappointed with these tapes. John Irvings reading was the only good thing on it (one tape,) the rest were horribly un-funny. What were they thinking when they put this together?