The Alchemy of Laughter

This is the only contemporary critical study to discuss the nature of comedy with exclusive reference to novels. It examines the comic styles of novelists from Fielding and Jane Austen to Waugh and Agnus Wilson, as well as less familiar writers such as Ronald Firbank and Sylvia Townsend Warner. Distinguishing between different kinds of humour, it shows how comedy works in practice under changing literary, social and environmental conditions, and is designed to interest academic and general readers equally.

Autorentext

Glen Cavaliero is Fellow Commoner of St. Catherine's College and a member of the Faculty of English at the University of Cambridge.

Inhalt

Preface Acknowledgements The Matter of the Work Aspects of the Comedic Process Parodic Comedy: The Separation of Elements Lucid Comedy: The Dissolution of Elements Ironic Comedy: The Conjunction of Opposites Satirical Comedy: The Disjunction of Opposites Subversive Comedy: The Infernal Marriage Intellectual Comedy: The Distillation of Elements Celebratory Comedy: The Accomplished Work Comedic Stylistics Epilogue: The Alchemy of Laughter Reference Index