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Jewish Comedy

A Serious History
3.68 goodreads logo

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( 420 ratings, 61 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Jewish Comedy by Jeremy Dauber is a scholarly yet humorous exploration of Jewish humour from biblical times to the present social media era. Organised around seven thematic strandsβ€”including the Satirical, the Witty, and the Vulgarβ€”it examines how Jewish comedy has addressed themes of persecution, assimilation, and diaspora. Dauber discusses enduring comic archetypes such as the Jewish mother, the JAP, and the schlemiel and schlimazel, while analysing a wide spectrum of comic works, from the Book of Esther and Talmudic jokes to modern icons like Seinfeld, Woody Allen, and Jon Stewart.
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Format: Hardback
$5499
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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?

This insightful and entertaining volume is ideal for readers interested in comedy, Jewish culture, literary scholarship, and the evolution of humour across history.

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A celebrated scholar’s rich account of Jewish humour: its nature, its development and its vital role throughout Jewish history.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In a work of scholarship both erudite and funny, Jeremy Dauber traces the origins of Jewish comedy and its development from biblical times to the age of Twitter. Organising his book thematically into what he calls the seven strands of Jewish comedy (including the Satirical, the Witty and the Vulgar), Dauber explores the ways Jewish comedy has dealt with persecution, assimilation and diaspora through the ages.

He explains the rise and fall of popular comic archetypes such as the Jewish mother, the JAP, and the schlemiel and schlimazel. He also explores a range of comic masterpieces, from the Book of Esther, Talmudic rabbi jokes, Yiddish satires, Borscht Belt skits and Seinfeld to the work of such masters as Sholem Aleichem, Franz Kafka, the Marx Brothers, Woody Allen, Joan Rivers, Philip Roth, Sarah Silverman and Jon Stewart.

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?

The Economist praises Dauber's work as a deft survey of the entire history of Jewish humour. The Spectator highlights its impressive mastery and the way it connects American-Jewish comedy to a deeper cultural heritage.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780393247879

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 28 November 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 33.0mm

Width: 165.0mm

Height: 244.0mm

Weight: 550g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Jeremy Dauber is a professor of Jewish literature and American studies at Columbia University. He is the author of Jewish Comedy and The Worlds of Sholem Aleichem, both finalists for the National Jewish Book Award. He lives in New York City.

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