Comedy: A Geographic and Historical Guide [2 volumes]

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Examines comedy and its many forms throughout history Comedy is a fundamental part of the human experience. Collecting the work of today's leading scholars, Maurice Charney presents 40 essays on the many forms that comedy has taken throughout history. Ranging from the comic plays of ancient times to Renaissance and Restoration comedies, from Commedia dell'Arte to stand-up performers, from trickster tales to television sitcoms, these surveys trace the evolution of the comic genre. Chapters on geographically based traditions (American regional humour, Irish comedy, Spanish comedy, etc.) contribute a multicultural understanding, while essays on such topics as irony, satire, and the philosophy of comedy examine the theoretical aspects of comedy. A glossary for important figures and terms adds even more to this wonderfully eclectic collection. Editor Maurice Charney brings his lifetime of scholarship on comedy and drama to these volumes, which collect new essays from today's leading scholars on the subject of comedy in its many forms. A unique work with an exhaustive scope; Contains both narrative chapters and an A-to-Z reference section; The editor is a respected authority on comedy history and theory

Reviews

"This two-volume collection of essays by scholars who are experts on a variety of comedic topics shows that comedy has a long history and a broad geography. The contributors' fascinating accounts range over a variety of divergent eras and areas....[t]he set offers much to admire....[e]arns a place in the general literature on comedy--particularly for its essays on such contemporary comedic forms as stand-up comedy television sitcoms. On the whole, it demonstrates that comedy is far from dead. Recommended. All collections."-Choice
[S]tudents ... will find this book a useful resource... I do not know of any book which covers the literary criticism of comedy in such exhaustive detail as this... University libraries ... catering for courses in English literature, media studies, etc. will find eager readers for it. [S]tudents of the comic tradition in Western culture will find the information they need neatly laid out for them in a clear and accessible fashion.-Reference Reviews
This two-volume collection of essays by scholars who are experts on a variety of comedic topics shows that comedy has a long history and a broad geography. The contributors' fascinating accounts range over a variety of divergent eras and areas....[t]he set offers much to admire....[e]arns a place in the general literature on comedy--particularly for its essays on such contemporary comedic forms as stand-up comedy television sitcoms. On the whole, it demonstrates that comedy is far from dead. Recommended. All collections.-Choice
"Students ... will find this book a useful resource... I do not know of any book which covers the literary criticism of comedy in such exhaustive detail as this... University libraries ... catering for courses in English literature, media studies, etc. will find eager readers for it. Students of the comic tradition in Western culture will find the information they need neatly laid out for them in a clear and accessible fashion."-Reference Reviews
"[S]tudents ... will find this book a useful resource... I do not know of any book which covers the literary criticism of comedy in such exhaustive detail as this... University libraries ... catering for courses in English literature, media studies, etc. will find eager readers for it. [S]tudents of the comic tradition in Western culture will find the information they need neatly laid out for them in a clear and accessible fashion."-Reference Reviews

Author Bio

MAURICE CHARNEY is Professor of English at Rutgers University and the author of several books on the history and theory of comedy