Wit from one of the most widely read humorists from a century ago, and mostly still enjoyable today
Canadian writer Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) is said to have been the most widely read humorist in the English-speaking world at his peak (1915-1925). As well as non-fiction works about political science, he wrote over thirty books of humour, most being collections of sketches or short stories.
Leacock has sometimes described as a Canadian Mark Twain, and while some think this gives him too much credit, I can appreciate the comparison with the famous American humorist. Some of Leacock’s work is also reminiscent of P.G. Wodehouse, although Leacock's wit and wordplay isn't quite on the same level as Wodehouse either. There's also a stronger undercurrent of satire of the rich and powerful in his writings than Wodehouse. But his influence is undeniable, and later humorists like Groucho Marx and Jack Benny all owe a big debt to Leacock, and his whimsical style also finds an echo in the absurdist British comedy of Spike Milligan, Monty Python, and The Goons. Travel writer Bill Bryson's style also reminds me somewhat of Leacock.
Some of Leacock's sketches feel somewhat dated, and don't speak as well to a modern audience outside of their original context. But many of them are still highly entertaining. His two best known works of fiction are "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town" (1912) and "Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich" (1914). The first is a humorous and affectionate portrayal of the quirks and follies of characters in a small fictional Canadian town through a series of loosely interconnected scenes. The second is a more biting satire of the hypocrisy and vanity of the wealthy upper-class.
While I didn’t particularly enjoy his two best-known works just mentioned (aside from the story of the sinking of the Mariposa Belle in “The Marine Excursions of the Knights of Pythias”), that’s mostly a matter of personal taste. His other collections of sketches contain some real gems, especially his well-regarded books “Literary Lapses”, “Nonsense Novels”, and “Frenzied Fiction”. I didn't find all of his work to be worth reading, and many would agree that he's also written some dull pieces that weren't really funny to begin with. But these are my personal favorite sketches that I highly recommend seeking out, and which I would happily to re-read at any time.
From the collection "Literary Lapses" (1910)
- A, B, and C: The Human Element of Mathematics
- A Manual of Education
- Getting the Thread of It
- How to Live to be 200
- My Financial Career
- Number Fifty-Six
- The Conjurer’s Revenge
- The Life of John Smith
From the collection "Nonsense Novels" (1911)
- Maddened by Mystery: or, The Defective Detective
- "Q." A Psychic Pstory of the Psupernatural
- Guido the Gimlet of Ghent: A Romance of Chivalry
From the collection "Frenzied Fiction" (1918)
- A Prophet in our Midst
- Personal Adventures in the Spirit World
- The New Education
- The Old, Old Story of Five Men Who Went Fishing
From various other collections:
- How We Kept Mother's Day (1926)
- The Hallucination of Mr. Butt (1915)
I did try a few other of his better known collections, but found that their contents weren't really my cup of tea:
- Moonbeams From the Larger Lunacy (1915)
- Winsome Winnie and Other New Nonsense Novels (1920)
- My Remarkable Uncle and Other Sketches (1942)
But if there are specific Leacock gems or favourites hidden in his other works, I'd love to hear any recommendations. Leacock's work is in the public domain and can easily be found online. If you've never read any Leacock, "My Financial Career" is a good place to start, and is one of his best known sketches. It describes the hilarious misadventure of a man crippled by anxiety trying to make his first deposit at a bank.
by EndersGame_Reviewer