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Humour
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Humour
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
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Description
A compelling guide to the fundamental place of humour and comedy within Western culture—by one of its greatest exponents.
Written by an acknowledged master of comedy, this study reflects on the nature of humour and the functions it serves. Why do we laugh? What are we to make of the sheer variety of laughter, from braying and cackling to sniggering and chortling? Is humour subversive, or can it defuse dissent? Can we define wit?
Packed with illuminating ideas and a good many excellent jokes, the book critically examines various well-known theories of humour, including the idea that it springs from incongruity and the view that it reflects a mildly sadistic form of superiority to others. Drawing on a wide range of literary and philosophical sources, Terry Eagleton moves from Aristotle and Aquinas to Hobbes, Freud, and Bakhtin, looking in particular at the psychoanalytical mechanisms underlying humour and its social and political evolution over the centuries.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Terry Eagleton's Humour is praised for its concise and witty exploration of humour's complex role in society, particularly in the political sphere, where it can both challenge and uphold power dynamics. Reviewers appreciate its balance of depth and accessibility, with sentences rich in ideas and references. The book is recommended as both a quick and entertaining read or a deeper dive into the philosophical and psychological aspects of humour.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780300255027
Publisher: Yale University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 10 May 2022
Country: United States
Imprint: Yale University Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 127.0mm
Height: 197.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 192
About the Author
Terry Eagleton is distinguished visiting professor of English literature, University of Lancaster, and the author of more than fifty books in the fields of literary theory, postmodernism, politics, ideology, and religion.
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