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A review by mrswhite
The McSweeney's Joke Book of Book Jokes by McSweeney's
4.0
As John Hodgman writes in the book's introduction, "(T)hese are all original pieces of humorous writing that are joined together merely by their appreciation of the intrinsic and unique hilariousness of books...We all know that books are funny. First, they are made of paste and cloth, which is funny, as is the fact that people still read and buy them. Also, books connote a sort of intellectual stuffiness, which is always easy and appealing to make fun of. It's humanizing."
He's being silly, but it's also the truth. Making fun of Jean-Paul Sartre's morose intellect, Ernest Hemingway's bloated male ego and Emily Dickinson's poetic melancholy is fun - especially if you're someone like me whose education has forced her to read No Exit more times than she cares to recall.
Fortunately, not all the jokes revolve around James Joyce (although several do), so an English major is not necessarily a prerequisite. In fact, my favorite pieces are ones like "Thirteen Writing Prompts" and "A Serial Killer Explains the Distinctions Between Literary Terms," where the joke comes more from literary devices rather than specific books or authors.
Of course, the actual book jokes are fun too, with "Jean-Paul Sartre, 911 Operator;" "Rough Drafts Of Jenna Bush's Young-Adult Novel;" "Bedtime Stories By Thom Yorke;" and "Phrases On The Marquee At The Local Strip Club To Cater To A More Literate Crowd" being among my favorites.
In short, if you're a fan of McSweeney's and at all literary-minded, it's very much worth your time.
He's being silly, but it's also the truth. Making fun of Jean-Paul Sartre's morose intellect, Ernest Hemingway's bloated male ego and Emily Dickinson's poetic melancholy is fun - especially if you're someone like me whose education has forced her to read No Exit more times than she cares to recall.
Fortunately, not all the jokes revolve around James Joyce (although several do), so an English major is not necessarily a prerequisite. In fact, my favorite pieces are ones like "Thirteen Writing Prompts" and "A Serial Killer Explains the Distinctions Between Literary Terms," where the joke comes more from literary devices rather than specific books or authors.
Of course, the actual book jokes are fun too, with "Jean-Paul Sartre, 911 Operator;" "Rough Drafts Of Jenna Bush's Young-Adult Novel;" "Bedtime Stories By Thom Yorke;" and "Phrases On The Marquee At The Local Strip Club To Cater To A More Literate Crowd" being among my favorites.
In short, if you're a fan of McSweeney's and at all literary-minded, it's very much worth your time.