| PRODUCT DETAILS | | Mirth of a Nation: Audio Companion, Fellow Traveler and Friend for Life--Laff Tracks From America's Most Trusted Humor Anthology |  | |
Mirth of a Nation: Audio Companion, Fellow Traveler and Friend for Life--Laff Tracks From America's Most Trusted Humor Anthology
Perfect for commuter train rides, rush-hour gridlock, Pilates work-outs, or any time when levity might add to the very quality of life. With inimitable contributions by Merrill Markoe, Dave Barry, Garry Trudeau and Bruce McCall, you have a triumphant salute to one of America's greatest assets: its sense of humor. A salvo of hilarity from that loose canon of American humor that Mirth of a Nation editor Michael J. Rosen has culled from some 1200 pages of brilliantly original works by our best contemporary humorists. This action-packed compilation of highlights (FYI, we have no intention of mentioning "the funnybone" and how these CDs are sure to tickle it) includes Bobbie Ann Mason's stint at the La Bamba hotline, David Rakoff's insights on families, Andy Borowitz's memoir of Emily Dickinson (basically, she was a drunken jerk), and Michael Feldman's helpful (re)locating of the Midwest. Performed by Tony Roberts, Susie Essman, with guest performances by Stephen Collins, Michael Feldman, Cynthia Kaplan, Martha Plimpton, David Rakoff, M. Sweeney Lawless, Sandra Tsing Loh, and Mark O'Donnell.
Manufacturer: HarperAudio
Price Range: $1.94 - $29.95
 Mirth of a Nation: Audio Companion, Fellow Traveler and Friend for Life--Laff Tracks From America's Most Trusted Humor Anthology
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| User Reviews |  | Coffee-through-the-nose funny
rating: 5
Michael J.Rosen is Director of the Thurber House; the restored boyhood home of James Thurber in Columbus, Ohio, which Garrison Keillor has dubbed the capitol/capital of American humor. This volume is the first of a planned series of biennial collections of the best funny essays by U.S. writers. From the misleading front matter to the spurious index this collection is a hoot! Sure, there are some duds (to my taste), but humor is an iffy business. A twisted metaphor which leaves me choking for breath could easily make you doubt both my and the writer's sanity - or vice versa. Even the guidelines for submissions are a delight. To whit: "TABS: Tabs should be between one quarter of an inch and one third of an inch deep. One third of an inch is preferred. If for whatever reason your tabs are not between one quarter and one third of an inch deep, please write to The Thurber House for a copy of Form 56G, on which you can explain your deviance from the tab-depth norm, ... In the unlikely event that your alternative tabbing is approved, you will then be asked to adjust your manuscript so that it is then not double spaced, but single spaced, and printed on paper that is less white." Their send-up of the often arcane submission regs of many publications goes on for four pages. (Maybe you have to be a submitter-to-periodicals to be amused.) This first collection includes several well known wits (Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Fran Lebowitz, Roy Blount, Jr., John Updike) and a host of lesser-knowns. A piece about ferrets as pets, and ferret websites, by Daniel Radosh left me gasping. (I was so convulsed that Pomonella not only climbed off my chest, but carried her feline dignity out of the room.) An interview with Lebowitz about money and wealth represents the very summit of humor - a social commentary both fiercely barbed and charmingly jocular. Tell your librarian! Good stuff!
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A great disappointment
rating: 2
Despite being a fan of any number of the contributors, I found this collection incredibly frustrating. So much of it fell flat for me-- Death of an Interior Designer, How to Be Difficult, Emily Dickinson, Memo to Staff, all three fables, and more. The Dave Barry was standard, but the only stand-out was Josh Kornbluth's Red Diaper Baby. I'm awfully glad I just got this from the library and didn't put any money into it.
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A mixed bag with enough tasty treats to satisfy
rating: 4
With about 140 pieces from dozens of contributors, this humor anthology is a mixed bag. For me, some of the essays and parodies fell flat. Yet enough were truly hysterical to sustain me and keep me turning those pages. Among my favorites: Jon Stewart's "Pen Pals" and "The Last Supper, or The Dead Waiter"; Garry Trudeau's "I Am a Tip-Top Starlet" and "To Our Valued Customers"; Al Franken's "Index";Zev Borow's "A Graceland for Adolf"; Mark O'Donnell's "TV Guide, Soon"; Bill Scheft's "The All-Purpose Concession Speech"; and P. J. O'Rourke's "Memoir Essay."
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You have GOT to be kidding
rating: 1
I suppose if your IQ were in the mid 90's, you'd find these books amusing. I had the misfortune of taking both this one and "More Mirth..." as reading material on a cross-country flight. After 200 pages, no giggling, but lots of "oh come on" rolling of the eyes. Sophmoric crap. I ended up reading the US Airways magazine and doing the crossword instead.
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5 Stars, except there are 50 more star humorists in the book
rating: 5
Humor books are usually miscellaneous hodge-podges of "something for everybody." This one is not. It's a sustained compilation of great writing. Writing by very talented people who are variously smart-alec, smart-assed. and just plain smart. That's the one thing that's similiar about all the pieces: they're just very well done. After that, there's a huge range, from Sedaris's hilariously scatching review of kiddie theatrical productions to Garry Trudeau's re-re-retranslating of a Madonna interview back and forth from Russian. There are as many expected players--Ian Frazier, Fran Lebowitz, Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke with terrific pieces--as there are surprises and newer names. Favorites? Howard Mohr (who worked with Garrison Keillor on Prairie Home Companion for years), John Updike doing a parody about J. Edgar Hoover cross-dressing. David Ives, the brilliant playwright, giving a culinary history through philosophers. Even the index, by Al Franken, shows that Mirth of a Nation is serious about being funny, from cover to cover. I have the second volume, More Mirth of a Nation, and, believe it or not, it's even better. Thirds, anyone? I gather from their website it will be out in 2004. Can't wait.
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Mirth of a Nation: Audio Companion, Fellow Traveler and Friend for Life--Laff Tracks From America's Most Trusted Humor Anthology
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