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Why is humor such an unpopular form of literature?



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Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:41 am
Stellabeam says...



Like other people have said it's because it's so much harder to write but I absolutley love humor books. Have you read any of Judy Blume's Fuge books? They are the funniest things I have ever read.
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Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:44 pm
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beckiw says...



Maybe it's because it's quite difficult to write purely comedy throughout an entire story. You tend to need to have a mix of genres. So there is comedic writing out there, it's just littered within a mix of genres. It's easier to right straight horror or straight drama...not necessarily better though.
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Fri May 09, 2014 2:43 am
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Sean says...



Gringoamericano wrote:If there's one thing I enjoy, it's laughing. Every week, I either browse through netflix looking for the next comedy I want to watch, or try writing my own comedy piece.
Yet whenever I look around the internet or at the local bookstore for something to laugh at, there's never any comedic pieces of fiction out there.
Out of every book I got that said "Dashingly funny", the only fictional book to make me laugh was "John Dies at the End". Even funny, well accomplished TV or movie writers prefer to write essays rather than pieces of fiction.

Why is it impossible to find a fictional book that is centered around humor?



Interesting question, it must come down to the difficulty of the medium: comedy is completely tied to context, situation, timing and most of all people. What makes you laugh is the build up of so many amusing pieces fitting together that it must be physically expressed. Real life situations are easier to make fun of and out of because you have the context of so many pieces already available to you.

But inventing an entire reality that you are invested enough in the nuances of to piece together everything you need to appreciate the humour is probably very difficult when all you have to express that world is words.
  





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Fri May 09, 2014 2:18 pm
Spotswood says...



I own a book called "The Bullsh*t Artist", which teaches you how to bullsh*t, obviously. It was in the humor section, but it is actually very helpful in terms of social interractions.

Also, sarcastic books are funny. I love the "Catcher in the Rye". Holden is a riot, his cynicism and snarkiness. I mean, I can't see how someone can actually hate him as much as people say they do.

They say that sarcasm is the lowest form of humour, but that is false. Those who say that are just too stupid to understand sarcasm and are just trying to make themselves feel better.
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Fri May 09, 2014 5:07 pm
TakeThatYouFiend says...



Ha!
Terry Pratchet
P.G.Wodehouse
That guy who wrote Just William
Loads of Doctor Who novels
I do agree there isn't enough humour but there is some still.
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Sat May 17, 2014 9:47 pm
GoldFlame says...



The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. You've probably read it, but I'll insert a quote, anyway:

Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws. The Hingefreel people of Arkintoofle Minor did try to build spaceships that were powered by bad news, but they didn't work particularly well and were so extremely unwelcome whenever they arrived anywhere that there wasn't really any point in being there.


Kick Me by Paul Feig is hilarious, as well. It's like a wittier, funnier, more sophisticated version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
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