Humor in Irish Literature: A Reference Guide

(Hardback)

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Ireland has generated an inordinately large number of storytellers, and Irish short stories bear a striking resemblance to Irish jokes. The tradition of telling jokes and stories in pubs resulted in the core of Irish written literature, and many Irish short stories have the same narrative structure as the jokes on which they are based. This reference is a comprehensive guide to humour in Irish literature from the 16th century to the present day. An introductory essay discusses the essential nature of Irish humour, and how Irish humour developed out of pain and tragedy that resulted in a diaspora. The chapters that follow are devoted to particular centuries. Each chapter includes entries for individual authors, with entries arranged chronologically to show the development over time. Each entry discusses the nature of humour in the author's work and includes a bibliography. A detailed index allows alphabetical access to information on authors and subjects.

Reviews

I was very impressed by Don Nilsen's book. I freely admit that I learned a great deal from it....The book is a labor of love, a monumental achievement, that should well grace the shelves of all those with a serious interest in humor in Irish literature. The standard of production is very high....Don Nilsen's Humor in Irish Literature has provided us with the most solid evidence yet of the vast amount of humor in Irish literature.-International Journal of Humor Research
Nilsen, noted humor scholar and author of works on American and British humor and on humor in general, offers a wonderful critical bibliography on the use of humor in Irish literature. No other source is available on this topic....Recommended for general and undergraduate collections.-Choice
"Nilsen, noted humor scholar and author of works on American and British humor and on humor in general, offers a wonderful critical bibliography on the use of humor in Irish literature. No other source is available on this topic....Recommended for general and undergraduate collections."-Choice
"I was very impressed by Don Nilsen's book. I freely admit that I learned a great deal from it....The book is a labor of love, a monumental achievement, that should well grace the shelves of all those with a serious interest in humor in Irish literature. The standard of production is very high....Don Nilsen's Humor in Irish Literature has provided us with the most solid evidence yet of the vast amount of humor in Irish literature."-International Journal of Humor Research

Author Bio

DON L. F. NILSEN is Professor of English at Arizona State University and Executive Secretary of the International Society of Humor Studies. His previous publications include Humor Scholarship: A Research Bibliography (Greenwood Press, 1993).