This fortnight’s question comes from Gilion of Rose City Reader:
Can literature be funny? What is your favourite humourous literary book?
But, of course it can be funny! It can be subtle funny, satirically funny, witty funny, slapstick funny, all sorts of funny there is! I enjoy humour in any work (who doesn’t?) as long as it isn’t out of place, of course. As I read this question, though, it was Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest that popped into my head. It isn’t a novel, I know, but it’s one of my favourite pieces of drama. Goodness knows how many times I’ve read it! The humour, in this play, attacks the social norms of Wilde’s day and the character satire is hilarious! Another piece of drama that comes to mind is Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man. It too is a satire and a commentary on society, but it’s a delicious read.
Oh yes! And there’s this novel I read so recently by Elizabeth Von Arnim called Princess Priscilla’s Fortnight. I couldn’t help gaffawing loudly through most of the book. I don’t know if you could term it a classic (I do), but the humour is so sublte and the satire so gently yet effective.
So, what your favourite pieces of humourous literary work?
