Michael J. Rosen
1 A mixed bag with enough tasty treats to satisfy
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."
2 You have GOT to be kidding
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.
3 5 Stars, except there are 50 more star humorists in the book
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.
4 WORST EVER
This CD was the worst of anything I have ever heard or read. Out of six CDs, there were two Dave Barry's and two other stories that were bearable. The rest were lists: I mean lists that were numbered, like reading a menu that someone must have thought were funny. And several were things that came off much better when they were passed around in email.
5 hilarious
This book is non-stop funny. I believe that Mirth of a Nation is going to become a major pillar in the realm of humor writing. The pieces are well chosen--there is truly something here for everyone. The big names come through with hilarious material, as well as many I've never heard of (but hope to hear more from!) I can't wait for volume 2!
6 Subtitle is true: It really is the best contemporary humor!
Many humor anthologies are very hit and miss, and they also tend to be very much a "boys only" club. Mirth of a Nation is of the best I've ever seen, both in terms of quality and in including an good representation of women humorists. Michael J. Rosen has done an excellent job in compiling humorists such as Fran Lebowitz, Dave Barry, Mark O'Donnell, Jon Stewart, David Sedaris, Colleen Werthman, Patricia Marx and Henry Alford, just to name a few. This anthology would make a wonderful gift for just about anyone in any age group (it is pretty much "clean humor"). Treat yourself with it at any time, but especially if you are going to be on a plane,train, or subway. I hope they have many sequels!
7 Buy two
I got this for a friend's birthday, and had a hard time parting with it. When I get a copy for myself, I'm getting two, so I can give another one away. Nearly everything in here is dead-on funny. I had to call my sister and read some of it aloud, because I couldn't just keep on laughing to myself all afternoon, but she couldn't make out much of what I was saying through the laughter. The collection of McCourt memoir parodies still makes me laugh a week later -- Shlomo McCourt, Frances Mayle McCourt... The news quizzes, eh, not so funny. Otherwise, loved it.
8 Don't drink milk while reading!
This book is a hilarious compendium of short humor writing by the funniest authors around today. Perfect subway, bedtime, or bathroom reading.
9 You'll laugh out loud!
I have a simple test for any book that purports to be funny: Will it make me laugh out loud? Something that simply causes the corners of my mouth to turn up in a smile won't do the job. This collection of humorous essays, however--- brightly contemporary,impressively varied, occasionally political--- met the test handsomely. This is an anthology, and not every piece succeeds; Christopher Buckley's brittle faux-sophistication, for example, left this reader with a hollow feeling; he's too determined to impress; he seems to try too hard. For the most part, however, the pieces in this collection are dependably funny. Ian Frazier's collection of rules for children--- expressed in the high rhetoric of the King James Bible--- not only made me laugh out loud; I woke up my wife and read the piece aloud to her, with tears of mirth running down my cheeks; she laughed out loud, too. This collection is not only well worth the price; it will cheer you up for days, and bring you back to read the short pieces again and again.
