Comedy Books

Neil Freeman has taken what all actors and theatre professionals do and put it together in one book (or three!). He's put the modern version of speeches & soliloquies and placed them side-by-side with the folio versions. He's also added insightful commentary on the changes and highlighted important aspects. Shakespeare was meant to be performed (not read) and you can't perform his plays without examing the folio for clues to character and inspirational guidelines. This book makes streamlines this process. Now if only someone would publish all of the plays like this!

This book is a very thorough reference in Shakespearean monologues. This volume of comedies comes from his first folio and includes the original text with modern translations and footnotes regarding the audience and nature of the material.

The actual layout is easy to follow and read, with items in three columns. The print itself reads from top to bottom instead of left to right, allowing the reader to gather more information at once. At the opening, Freeman discusses the principles behind each play, describes the charaters, and explains how to use this book. From that standpoint, it is a vital reference to any English student or lover of Shakepeare's works.

'One of the Boys' tells the story of a woman named Petra and her desire to become 'One of the Boys' - in this case, a member of an elite force of fighting bakers. Swearing allegiance to a long forgotten flag (Moolavia), Petra joins forces with an Albanian taskmaster named Raul and they set off across country in a red Volkswagen van in search of the mysterious Rico. I don't want to give too much away, but the rest of the book is one hell of a roller-coaster ride of double entendre, double crossing, and a scathing analysis of the Uruguayan "Papurilla" voting system. All in all this book deserves more than 5 stars, but to quote Petra, "This lousy Amazon will give you malaria or perhaps a death involving Piranha. But it will never -never- provide the means to escape a ubiquitous "star" rating system!" Buy a copy for at least 3 of your closest friends today!

This is a book that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for the main character and heroine: Beatrix von Watzdorf.It is Bea's sensitive determination to understand those around her that brings this book out of the ordinary. A truly remarkable writer and role model, I applaud her creative and personal writing style and hope she continues to teach the world through her works. A book of heart, I reccomend it for anybody who has ever dared to wonder about the lives of people outside the confines of their own environment. Truly astonishing!!!

I hadn't heard of William Hamilton before I read his post here on Amazon about horror writers, but I decided to check out the book after reading his blurb. I was very impressed with the book, which was sometimes creepy, shocking, or funny, depending on the chapter. In fact, while the overall tone of the book was serious, the funny chapters were funnier than many humorous books I've read. The one problem I had with the book was sometimes it was more like a series of related short stories than a novel, but I still enjoyed it.

A Well crafted novel

I hadn't heard of William Hamilton before I read his post here on Amazon about horror writers, but I decided to check out the book after reading his blurb. I was very impressed with the book, which was sometimes creepy, shocking, or funny, depending on the chapter. In fact, while the overall tone of the book was serious, the funny chapters were funnier than many humorous books I've read. The one problem I had with the book was sometimes it was more like a series of related short stories than a novel, but I still enjoyed it.

I read these works for a graduate seminar on Aristotle.
Poetry appeals to human passions and emotions. Powerful beautiful language and metaphor really appeal to emotion. This idea really disturbed Plato, who takes on Homer in the Republic. Plato thought that early Greek poetry portrays a dark world; humans are checked by negative limits like death. Tragedy has in it a character of high status brought down through no fault of his own. Plato says this is unjust. Republic is about ethical life and justice. It starts with the premises that might makes right and then moves onto the idea much like modern religions that justice comes in the afterlife. Plato hates the idea that in tragedy bad things can happen to good people. He wanted to ban tragedy because he found it demoralizing.

Aristotle's Poetics is a defense against Plato's appeal to ban tragedy. Tragedy was very popular in Greek world so Aristotle asks can it be wrong to ban it? Yes, it is wrong thus he decides to study it. Plato says Poetry is not a technç because the poets are divinely inspired. Aristotle disagrees Poetics is a handbook for playwrights. Mimçsis= "representation or imitation." Plato uses it in speaking of painting, thus art is imitation. Another meaning is to mimic, like actors mimicking another person. Plato and Aristotle use it to mean psychological identification like how we get absorbed in a movie as if the action were real, eliciting emotions from us. We suspend reality for a while. Aristotle says this is natural in humans; we do this as children, we mimic. If imitation is important for humans then tragic poetry is worthwhile for Aristotle to study.

Definition of tragedy- "Through pity and fear it achieves purification from such feelings. This is a famous controversial line. Katharsis= "pity and fear" thus the purpose of tragedy is to purge katharsis. Katharsis can also mean purification or clean. There is a debate if it means clarification, through which we can come to understand katharsis. Aristotle thinks tragedy teaches us something about life. Tragedy is an elaboration on Aristotle's idea that good or virtuous people sometimes get unlucky and in the end, they get screwed. Tragedy shows this so we can learn to get by when life screws us. The whole point of tragedy is action over character. Action is the full story of the poem like the Iliad. Character is only part of the action.
Aristotle distinguishes between poetry and history. Poetry is concerned with universals, history is concerned with particulars.

I recommend Aristotle's works to anyone interested in obtaining a classical education, and those interested in philosophy. Aristotle is one of the most important philosophers and the standard that all others must be judged by.

This text is the first book of literary criticism in the western literary tradition--and the most influential. It is also a how-to-write-a-successful-story text, based on Aristotle's inductive study of Greek literature. Richard Janko's rendering is the best English translation I have read. His commentary on catharsis is profound, resolving what has often been a stumbling block for many critics and theorists. His interpretation is well in line with the rest of Aristotle's philosophy and makes Aristotle's analysis even more useful for both students of literature and contemporary writers. Janko's reconstruction of Aristotle's lost book on comedy is splendid, a contribution to the history of ideas and comic theory.

How long would YOU fight to make your dream come true? Can you put a value on your dream? When fighting for your dream, how far would you go to make it happen?

Jennifer O'Reilley has had a dream for going on two decades. Because of the nature of her dream she not only doesn't make it come true...she gets form letters rejecting her and her dream. She is TOLD she has failed..she doesn't just "know" it.

You see, Jennifer wants to be a best selling author. At last count she has six novels completed. Very special novels these... Jennifer wants to change the world and getting her books published and on the best seller list is crucial to changing the world.

You can approach this book as an odyssey of a woman and her dream... or you can see it as a meticulously drawn anatomical study of the publishing world.

Either way...watch the character of Jennifer. She is central to this because it is through her eyes that author Linda Gail Shelnutt masterfully reconstructs the publishing world. I doubt you could possibly find anywhere a more concise portrayal of the impact of a dream on a woman and her family as you will here.

You follow Jennifer through several days, learning her habits and foibles...learning her tastes and moods...learning her view of marital obligation and devotion. Husband John works at a coal mine...he works at several mines. They move...you follow Jennifer as she sets up house wherever they need to go. You learn to love her and root for her, for alongside the world through which she must struggle to realize her dream Linda Shelnutt ALLOWS THE READER to construct a character study...who is this woman? what does she want? and why does she want it?

I realize that there are many other levels on which to appreciate this book...even adore it. Me I like people...what makes them tick...their struggles, their ethics, their strong and weak points. You couldn't ask for a better literary work in that genre than this one. From start to finish I was fascinated with this woman, and I was both amused and admiring of the way she pursued her dream, pursues her happy second career as the wife of John O'Reilley and faces and copes with months of rejections such as "you cannot get published without an agent and you cannot get an agent unless you are published..."

I've been following Jennifer's exploits since MORNING COMES. Full Moon Rising and New Moon Blues came next, followed by this one. You can read it independently of the others or, like me, in series. I'm glad there are more Jennifer books around and I am off to read the next one...more of the woman and her dream... More of the Books of Gem. Five Stars for sheer engaging plot interest. John W. Cassell

John W. Cassell is the author of seven novels of life during the American Cultural Revolution of the 1960's and 1970's. His Crossroads: 1969 is one of the books featured in the London-based ARTS ON THE UNDERGROUND FOUNDATION'S publication for 2008: "Piccadilly Land". Cassell retired from a career in law enforcement in 2006. Since that time he has been a regular contributor to the Amazon-Connect Blog and has published several guest editorials in Israel National News.

Quarter Moon Dues (The Books of Gem)

Does this review title make sense? As a metaphor yes! At 7:30 a.m. on an island blissfully enjoying sub-equatorial winter YES! As a rye comment on a bomb story Y E S !

They teach young people to DREAM! Not too much mind you...for there are chores to be done. But yes, dream. Probably to keep us off the streets.

This is what has to be a true life account of the continuing dream of Mya Jennifer O'Reilley. It HAS to be true to life...because it feels so UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL. Just like the previous instalments in Jennifer's adventures we get the day to day feel of what it's like to have a dream...and go after it....

Yes, you will find Jennifer's pursuit of her dream very real...and who can better comment on that than a 20 year old who knows all about dreams. Really great letters Jennifer writes to publishers and magazine people and relatives and TV news people and TV WEATHER people...anyone...anywhere...who could maybe help her realize her dream...or maybe just sympathize now and then.

Short stories, long stories even a bomb set of articles on the planets! In the foreground, in the background, is that supporting husband of hers. They have their ups and their downs but this story is TRUE TO LIFE, which I have seen all along as a primer on how to do it right. Not necessarily correct...but right. As I've said before, these stories have taught me a lot of good things about marriage. Things you can't read about just everywhere.

From that great American truck stop food I miss to those great American motel rooms I miss. From her Gemstar to one of greatest dogs you'll ever want to meet.

Anybody following Linda Shelnutt's really bomb forum posts on the publishing world will not help but be able to see where she learned all that and how. There is nothing about this story I don't like. Except that it is over. This is a story about adulthood...yes the joy of being able to buy Vailima all nice and legal. The REAL story...In Jennifer's own words:

>>>>>>A painful monsoon of self doubt overwhelmed and filled the exhausted, empty space of later evening.
Hemorrhaging energy.
Was that what she was doing?
Was her work good? Was it worth publishing? Was she deluding herself?
Was it time to quit?
She didn't know any longer if her work was good or bad. She didn't know if she was deluding herself when she felt it was good. During the evening emotional Monsoon it had seemed very likely she was fooling herself very badly and sadly to think her writing was good enough to publish. But, she wasn't ready to quit.
What else could she do?<<<<<

This is a really great true to life story. I can't wait to start the next instalment.

It is always that conclusion with the Gem books.
I can't wait to start the next one.

Jeff Wayne's Raconteur is a very funny and highly engaging collection of original stories about some of the twenty four performers of stage and screen. From Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, and Marlon Brando, to Dean Martin, Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, and Elvis Presley, here are anecdotal tales that will fascinate, inform and thoroughly entertain the listener. Highly recommended for both personal and community library audiobook collections, Raconteur is also available in a CD format (07-3, ....

This two CD, two hour collection of highly entertainting show business stories and anecdotes by Jeff Wayne includes such luminaries as Elivs Presley, Frank Sinatra, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Biong Crosby, The Beatles, Bela Lugosi, Andy Kaufman, Jay Leno, Pavoroti, Gary Cooper, and a host of other entertainment celebrities. Jeff's comedic stand-up timing is enhanced with a natural storytelling ability told with genuine wit and a little wisdom!

O. Henry and his "The Ransom of Red Chief" do not need my review (a charming little story about a kidnapped boy who drives his captors crazy; sort of a early 20th century Home Alone). Travelman is a reference to the format of this short story. It is printed on a folding page, sort of like a map. The idea is that "travelers" (e.g., subway riders) need something to read that is more portable than a big hardback, large print copy of, say, War & Peace. I guess paperback books and newspapers aren't the answer. Anyway, it is another charming little product from England, like Triumphs, the bowler, and the Spice Girls.

Red Chief, the red haired, freckle faced, 7 year old, is really a good kid. So he sets cats on fire and shoots arrows through the postman's hat. So he through Becky in the lake, he just wanted to get her clean. But why does everyone in Summit, Alambama (the flattest little town in the south)run when he comes out to play? And what happens when he is kidnapped by the two slick, charming, and unusually kind con-men Sam and Bill Driscoll? Red Chief (or Johnny Dorset by true name) adores them both, which is more than is to be said about their feelings toward him. Bill gets hit by Hurricane Red Chief the hardest. But what happens when they try to collect the ransom leaves them both on the short side of
"The Ransom of Red Chief"!!!!

Thorough, well-written and at times a laugh-out-loud read, this book offers a complete crash course for anyone interested in the history of British cult comedy. Ever wanted to learn more about that unique "British sense of humor", well Julian Hall explores and describes this in the perfect amount of detail. Hall writes about fifty iconic British comics, many television shows, and, my own personal favorite chapter, a wonderful look at the birth and growth of American comedy and it's influence on British comedy. The book is an instuctional read for both those knowlegeable about comedy and those new to the subject matter. Hall provides wonderful references for further investigation, as well as a smart and witty style of writing that could earn himself a place in his own book. This is a must read!

If you want to get up to speed with the UK comedy scene and find out what US comedians and comedy shows influenced British comedy from Eddie Izzard to The Office then this book is the one for you. There's a blog for the book too which is really helpful.

Fabulous new book and one that opened my eyes to see the wealth of comedic material in my own life, i.e. in which to draw upon to write. This should be considered the "Bible" for stand-up work.

I also took Sandi's workshop in So. Calif. and developed my first set, performed it in front of an audience at one of the casinos, plus healed some personal issues in the process!

I have been laughing and joking my whole life, because if you don't laugh you just might cry. I think it is like that with most funny people. As it was a life-long dream of mine, I finally took the plunge and bought Sandi's book and enrolled in her class on how to be a stand-up comedian. That was eight weeks ago and I got more from Sandi's book than I did in TEN YEARS OF THERAPY!!! I lost 25 pounds! I gained new self confidence! I was able to find laughter in some things I NEVER would have considered funny (ever)! You know, my deepest and darkest pain. But it is all in how you look at it. Sandi is kind, gentle, spiritual and guiding. She is not a mean comic. She does not promote making fun of people at their expense, or being crass and rude. She taught me to strip away my "angry" layers and find the true joy and laughter that had been inside me all along, not the mean spirited laughter I had used to hide behind. Even if you aren't able to take her class, I say, BUY THE BOOK. It is incredibly thorough and the cheapest and most effective therapy you will EVER get. Not only that, you will end up a lot more funny than you could EVER imagine. I did my first stand up this past Sunday to a packed house and couldn't believe how many people were laughing (and hard). It made me feel good, like I made a difference in the lives of some people by sharing my experiences. I thought maybe they will heal a little, too. So, SPREAD THE LOVE AND SPREAD THE JOY! Buy this book and make a difference in your life and the lives of others. THANK YOU SANDI!!!

I've read all but one of Pulitzer-Prize winner Richard Wilbur's translations of French master playwright Moliere. This is my favorite. I was provoked to laugh out loud many times while reading it, something I rarely do with contemporary comedies, much less ones written in the 17th Century. The School for Wives I found more fresh and delightful than any present-day television sit-com and The Learned Ladies had its moments as well (especially the poetry reading by the pedantic Trissotin).

The School for Wives centers around a man, Arnolfe, who is afraid of being cuckolded. He has raised a girl from when she was very young to know nothing but praying and sewing, so that when she marries she will not have the wherewithal to cheat on him. Of course, a young man in the neighborhood happens to see her while Arnolfe is out. In a series of misunderstandings, the young man ends up enlisting Arnolfe's aid in wooing the girl. Arnolfe's every attempt to thwart their union is in turn thwarted by her. She may have been raised ignorant, but she is not stupid.

The Learned Ladies is, in present context, somewhat misogynist. Much of the comedy revolves around the matriarch of a family who rules her household "like a man." The plot again involves young lovers separated by a willful parent. The daughter of the matriarch wants to wed a young man who is equally in love with her but her mother wants her to wed the stuck-up court poet Trissotin. This is really just a pretext for a lot of the deflation of pomposity at which Moliere excels. For those who like the old battle-of-the-sexes screwball comedies, here is a likely progenitor.

The most famous of Moliere's plays are The Misanthrope, The Hypocondriac and Tartuffe. If you've already read them and like them, then I have no reservation recommending this delightful double-header.

Moliere and Wilbur, though they did not, of course, work together, are a match for Gilbert and Sullivan as a wedding of talents. Each of these plays is very funny and full of insights about human vanity.