Reading "50 Funniest American Authors" compilation of short stories I have become more in tune with myself in what I define as "funny".
The humor within the short stories that were written pre-1950, involved quite a bit of depth, elaboration and detail. For something to be funny it has to appeal to the mind and the senses. Sadly, for me, I enjoy the simplicity of humor. What I've noticed with the readings within "50 Funniest American Authors" are as the stories become more and more modern and in tune with today's sense of comedy, I am more understanding.
What I really struggled with was the language of stories written prior to a time when I wasn't alive or society wasn't as progressive as I know it to be, if that makes sense. Going back to all the readings within the book, I was very emotionally involved and even let out a chuckle for the stories of today. Short segments about boyfriends and The Onion were both things I wouldn't necessarily say I relate to, but they relate to the culture I've grown up with and allow my mind to not over compensate the humor with over analysis. Authors such as Mark Twain, O. Henry, Parker and White were extremely difficult for me to laugh it, much less enjoy.
What I've noticed from the works of these "older" authors is that many of these stories are not frankly just in touch with what I find humorous. What I find humorous? Various things. These stories however established that I'm not very in tune with the various subject matters and screwball situations the characters in these author's stories got into.
I will say that I love wit and much of that could be found within the text and many times the language used by these authors, there is much wit embedded within the text but it seems so cluttered with how drawn out these stories are and the excessive detail used, as well. It's complicated and over done in my view and really takes away from the humorous substance because I feel as if I should be doing a rhetorical analysis of these short stories for my AP English class back in high school.
It seems like it's just me that feels this way though. Maybe I'm bitter towards these author's because I just honestly can't appreciate their works, or maybe I just feel that humor is much less substance and a lot more punch line. Like I said before, it's not that I don't want to enjoy these stories, I just in all honesty cannot.
I enjoy a good reading of Shakespeare, but when I know what this book is dedicated to funny authors and I'm looking to find the humor within it... and I can't, that's a bit of an issue for myself. As we read more into "50 Funniest American Authors" I will attempt to read these stories with more of an open mind, but seeing as how this is my second go-round, I'm not sure if that's possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment