The only Three Types of Humor Books that Matter

There are 3 types of humor books that are worth reading. Everything else that claims to be humor is trash.

These are the only three types of humor books that you will find me reviewing.

Kirchinger's Three Types of Humor Books:

1. Humorist's Tale--


The humorist who writes a story. These are people like Douglass Adams (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Terry Pratchett (Discworld), and Grant Naylor (actually two people who could never get along well enough to write sequels to Red Dwarf) These books could get a ten out of ten from me even though they might have weak literary qualities. But that is because they achieve what they set out to do; make us laugh. Their work is funny, and literary quality is a part of the price they pay to write in these styles. But I believe that is what the author intended.

2. Humorist's Ramblings--


The humorist who writes commentary about life. These are not really novels, but they are funny; usually very funny. Laurie Notaro, David Sedaris, Erma Bombeck; these writers who tell stories about their lives, stories that are probably largely more or less mostly true, but invariably make us laugh. These are human being that are naturally gifted with the ability to see the funny side of life, and so they simply have to talk or write, and they make us laugh. You know people like this in your life, and you know they can diffuse tension.

These are also people like Ellen Degeneres, David Letterman, or Bonnie Hunt, and these are people who should be revered the most in our world, because laughter is much better than war.


BUT…their writings are not novels, nor do they pretend them to be.



3. Humorist’s Fiction--


The novelist who writes a funny story. These are people like Jim Butcher, Janet Evanovich, Lawrence Block, Donald E Westlake, Carl Hiaasen……and many many more. Unlike the Humorist’s Tales, these writers actually write well. They write quality prose and good fiction. The quality of their writing could stand up against any other contemporary writer, even the ones that want to scare us or make us cry or make us think but not laugh. But these authors are better becaus they are funny. Often very funny. This is clearly the most intellectual of the three types of humor books. It takes much more planning and a very smart person to write this kind of a book; a book that is both good fiction and full of intelligent humor.

Think about it. Not only do these writers pay attention to character development, dynamic characters, voice, point of view, foreshadowing, plot, subplots, motives, etc etc etc….but they can build humor, set up jokes and deliver punchlines all at the same time.

I think these writers are among the smartest people on the planet, and it would be one of the biggest highlights of my life just to have lunch with any one of them.