John P. Marquand’s Wickford Point is marvelously funny — something between Cold Comfort Farm and The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs. But it’s also sweetly sad.
Archive for the ‘Humor’ Category
Wickford Point Punctures Literary Windbags
Posted in 1939 Bestselling Novels, Humor, tagged literature, New England poets, romance Transcendentalists, satire on June 3, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Father of the Bride Is Dull Old Duffer
Posted in 1949 Bestselling Novels, Humor, tagged Edward Streeter, marriage, weddings on May 13, 2009 | 1 Comment »
By today’s standards, Edward Streeter’s The Father of the Bride is a quaint novel rather than a funny one. When Streeter requests the honor of your reading his novel, send your
regrets.
As Warming as a Nice, Hot Cuppa
Posted in 1959 Bestselling Novels, Humor, tagged Dior, Gioia Fiammenghi, London, Paris, Paul Gallico on February 25, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Paul Gallico’s slim, sentimental novel Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris will warm you as comfortably as a nice, hot cuppa.
Claire Ambler Is Seriously Funny
Posted in 1928 Bestselling Novels, Humor, Juvenile/Youth, Psychological novel, tagged coming-of-age novel on October 8, 2008 | Comments Off
Booth Tarkington makes Claire both a typical adolescent and a district person. Readers can — and will — laugh at Claire’s self-absorption. But they will realize long before she does that it’s not funny. . . . An inability to see other people as people, “not just something . . . to use,” is the root of most human misery.
Eloise Induces Christmas Depression
Posted in 1958 Bestselling Novels, Humor, Juvenile/Youth, Picture book, tagged Christmas, Hilary Knight, juvenile. Plaza Hotel on February 5, 2008 | Comments Off
Eloise at Christmastime is more merchandise than storybook: the literary equivalent of Disney character drinking glasses sold for 99¢ with a McDonald’s cheeseburger. There’s no real story here. It it weren’t for Knight’s drawings, there would be no book.
Around the World with Auntie Mame Is a Bad Trip
Posted in 1958 Bestselling Novels, Humor on January 23, 2008 | Comments Off
Around the World with Auntie Mame is broad farce, sprinkled with sophomoric humor. Dennis’s attempts to reproduce accents becomes irritation very quickly, too. As to characterization, the roles of Mame and Patrick could be played by Miss Piggy and Kermit.
Humor Gives Religious Novel Appeal
Posted in 1947 Bestselling Novels, Humor, Religious, tagged actress, film industry, publicity on September 1, 2007 | Comments Off
The Miracle of the Bells is a standard religious novel to which Russell Janney has added a dollop of humor. The humor increases the novel’s appeal but can’t disguise it’s poor quality.
Press agent William “Spats” Dunnigan had met Olga when she was an innocent waif determined to be a star. He felt sorry for her [...]
Eloise Is a Brat on Any Continent
Posted in 1957 Bestselling Novels, Humor, Juvenile/Youth on August 24, 2007 | Comments Off
Kay Thompson hit the 1956 top ten with—of all things—a picture book about a child who lives at the Plaza Hotel. It’s sequel, Eloise in Paris, opens with the Eloise, enfant terrible, getting a cablegram: she’s going to Paris.
At six, Eloise can’t travel by herself, so Nanny accompanies her. Hilary Knight’s très agreable drawings show [...]
Cold War Comedy Good Post-Flu Reading
Posted in 1957 Bestselling Novels, Humor on August 22, 2007 | Comments Off
Rally Round the Flag, Boys is a tale of the Cold War era written by Max Shulman, the man who gave the world Dobie Gillis. As you might expect, it’s stupid stuff, but funny.
