Wednesday, February 24, 2010

A new way in humor

For some reason not clear to m, I oddly enough found a connection to the first story for a lot of reasons. First of all, his commentary of the family is the classic and clichéd next door neighbors that no one on the block has any idea about, but everyone talks about. It reminded me immediately of a movie where the cliché is used, but I can’t think of the title. It involves something along the lines a comedy (obviously). The narrator is not like Tiko or Voltaire (come to think of it he and Voltaire are oil and water). He has great timing, but the delivery of his humor is not done throughout the book. I did laugh, but there was a subtleness to the jabs he makes.
Not only is this family the classic bunch of weirdoes that the author makes fun of, but he is stuck having to come in contact with them in an awkward situation. Again, typical case in these types of short stories. The candy part has nothing to do with the fact of the complete oddness that no one can get their head around (he admits including his mom). It is just the “they are plain weird” ideas. I’m not sure my mom would have even opened the door in the first place. It’s a case where the humor is used by the author himself to make the situation less bizarre for the reader. Any normal human being would have given them nothing (I use nor mal very loosely).
The candy is used as a device to create such a tense situation that the author even eats some as he’s deciding what to part with. This visual was hysterical, but it works great for humor. I know how that can be, not wanting to share (much less with people you think are weird). It’s the most agonizing thing ever.
The other story that again has this subtle humor that I liked was the End of the Affair. I think this is also a common situation whether you are with a lover or a friend. There is always some situation where your emotions run in opposite directions. I find it brilliant how the author gives his commentary on love at the end, thus leaving on serious note when his partner was so anguished over the two lovers in thee movie.
The humor of the eyes at the beginning was genius. He nails you with humor right away, much like all the other stories. I liked this style because you never know when the humor is going to pop up, and its so out of left field it makes it even better. I kind of liked how insensitive he was in. I’m not sure if this is just amazing writing, or how he is on a regular basis… Either way that in itself is what drives his style to be great, and unconventional. Unlike others we have read, you are not laughing the entire time. Instead he picks out specific things to use, and that are funny. This way is different, but it also works really well. Its fun to laugh, but I think his style is a little more creative, and modern to us (the book was written in 2004). This is why I liked it a lot more than any other novel we have read so far: you are surprised by the humor AND it is relatable to us. I think that is what makes him the most fun because we are not is removed that we cannot relate to the situation.

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