Can literature be funny?
This question surprises me. Is that even an issue? All my literary favourites are hilarious, I think. If they're not, they're the exceptions. I hate to bandy around the same few names every time, but the big guns -- Evelyn Waugh, Kurt Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, David Markson, David Lodge, David Foster Wallace, David-anything, really, PG Wodehouse (heavily dependant on which definition of literary you use); less well known ones -- Toby Litt, Nicola Barker, Andrew Crumey, Matthew Kneale, Mark Watson... I could go on.
That's a lot of names. Every single one of them is some combination of literary and funny. (Notice, I have ignored the second question: what is your favourite humourous literary novel. TOO DAMN HARD.)
Also, some admin: this post marks my return to the land of blogging after a too-busy fortnight. It's my New Year's Resolution to be more punctual, and as such, I have only just made my second New Year's Resolution. That is, to blog more regularly, rather than two weeks of posting every day, and then a fortnight without thinking.
My framework will be every Monday and every Friday, for now. If that isn't enough to contain my unabashed tide of wordiness, et cetera, then Wednesdays might get a regular go to. Lucky Wednesdays, if so.
Twice a week is a fantastic goal, I think. I try for once a week and I'm happy if I do more.
ReplyDeleteHere's my post: www.readerbuzz.blogspot.com
I didn't realize this was an issue for people either. Of course literature can be funny. I love the examples you came up with. You have some good ones I haven't seen from other people
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your blogging resolution!
yes lierature's funny, just go back to the start of the modern novel - Don quixote and it's a rip roaring laugh full of scatological humour, thens there's Voltaire's Candide, etc. funny, funny, funny.
ReplyDeleteonce a week is enough for me, apart from bloghops. best of luck.