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Humor Me - An Anthology of Funny Contemporary Writing plus Some Great Old Stuff Too, Edited by Ian Frazier Books in Review
by Adrienne Petterson © 2010      About Me

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Humor Me - An Anthology of Funny Contemporary Writing plus Some Great Old Stuff Too
Edited by Ian Frazier
Ecco
ISBN 978-0-06-172894-5
Published May 2010 - Hardcover - 321 pages - $25.99

This is a collection of comic writing "published in the last thirty years in such popular magazines as The New Yorker, McSweeney's, The Atlantic, National Lampoon, and Outside."  Good written humor is a wonderful thing, as there is little to beat a bout of laugh-out-loud chuckling and bellowing.  All this humor has been gathered together by author Ian Frazier, and about enjoying this anthology or not, he says, "If you don't, the problem is with you."  Subjective.  He has included the works of Polly Frost, Frank Gannon, Roy Blount, Jr., Calvin Trillin, John Updike, George Saunders, Steve Martin, Jamaica Kincaid, and for good measure even though not in the last thirty years, Mark Twain.  For interest sake, there's an interesting "About the Contributors" section which gives a brief bit about each author/writer.  Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say the book was as funny as Frazier predicts in his Introduction, but some of the stories did raise a smile here and there.  No guffaws I'm afraid.  Anthologies are great in that you can pick up and start reading anywhere in the book.  Hopefully you'll get more laughs than I did.  The stories I did read include the ones by Henry Alford (very amusing), Roger Angell, Roy Blount, Jr., Andy Borowitz, Rich Cohen, Pruden Crowther, Ian Frazier, Veronica Geng (very humorous), Scott Gutterman, Jack Handley, Dan Kennedy, David Mamet, and Steve Martin (very funny), among a few others.  As a treat, there are a few old comic pieces as well.
Proceeds of this book will go to 826 Seattle — www.826seattle.org.
Conclusion - Not as hilarious as expected but worth a read and a chance to help 826 Seattle.

book cover

Review copy not supplied by publisher - library copy reviewed.

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