Humor & Comedy - Exodus Books

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You know a book's funny if you're reading it alone and laughing hysterically. Of course, the really great comic masterpieces are also deep reflections on humanity and life and death (like Huckleberry Finn or All Creatures Great and Small or Calvin & Hobbes). Frequently, though, you just need to guffaw, and the literary quality of the piece isn't quite as important as the laugh-factor.

Not that you want to read swill. Cheap laughs might be funny on the surface, but the jokes that actually say something are generally funnier than the ones that simply point and snicker. It's easy to think we're superior because we get the joke, but in reality a lot of modern comedy is no more than the absence of reverence. Real comedy is simply an incongruous presentation of a familiar idea that amuses with its absurdity while offering a new view.

Before you dismiss the need for humor on religious grounds (suggesting that Jesus is the Man of Sorrows, and so must we be in order to be like Him), remember that the "laughter is good medicine" image comes from the Bible (Proverbs 17:22), and that as the Creator of everything God invented laughter. He invented jokes. As the perfect man, Jesus probably told the best jokes ever.

We have a few of them—a rich person will enter heaven as easily as a camel getting through the eye of a needle, or the one about the Pharisee and the plebe who go into the temple at the same time to pray. Jesus clearly saw the absurdity of life (in both of the cases mentioned, the absurdity of human pride), and used it to direct people to the Author of Meaning.

Basically, laughter is really good and you should try it sometime. If you're a little rusty and need a boost, read a funny book: maybe the heartwarming but hysterical adventures of the Gilbreth clan in Cheaper by the Dozen, or the pure zaniness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, or the heartwarming zaniness of Jeeves and Wooster. Whatever you do, smile more, frown less, and for goodness' sake take laughter seriously.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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	Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Illustrated Junior Library Series 2 Paperback by Mark Twain, illustrated by Donald McKay 1987 Printing from Grosset & Dunlap Realistic Fiction for 6th-10th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
	Another Field Guide to Little Known and Seldom-Seen Birds of North America by Ben, Cathryn, and John Sill from Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. in Field Guides: Birds (Location: NAT-FG01) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Belles On Their Toes by Frank Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey from HarperCollins Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $13.59
	Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey from HarperCollins Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $15.29
	Clockwork Twin A Freddy the Pig Book on Everything by Walter R. Brooks from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Doctor Dolittle: The Complete Collection Volume 1 by Hugh Lofting from Aladdin Paperbacks Animal Fantasy for 3rd-7th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.00 (1 in stock)
	Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter from University of New Mexico Press for 5th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $2.40 (2 in stock)
	Eye of Zoltar Chronicles of Kazam Book 3 by Jasper Fforde from HMH Books for Young Readers for 5th-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.99
	Freddy and Mr. Camphor by Walter R. Brooks from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and Mr. Camphor by Walter R. Brooks from Puffin Books for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and Simon the Dictator by Walter R. Brooks Reissue from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and the Baseball Team from Mars by Walter R. Brooks from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and the Dragon by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and the Flying Saucer Plans by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and the Men from Mars by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and the Perilous Adventure by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and the Popinjay by Walter R. Brooks from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy and the Space Ship by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy Goes Camping by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy Goes to Florida by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $11.05
	Freddy Goes to the North Pole by Walter R. Brooks from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy Plays Football by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy Rides Again by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy the Cowboy by Walter R. Brooks from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy the Detective by Walter R. Brooks, illustrated by Kurt Wiese from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $11.89
	Freddy the Magician by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy the Pilot by Walter R. Brooks Reprint from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Freddy the Politician by Walter R. Brooks from Overlook Press for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Good Old Archibald by Ethelyn M. Parkinson from Bethlehem Books for 3rd-7th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $12.71
	How to Train Your Dad by Gary Paulsen from Square Fish Publishing for 4th-8th grade in Humor & Comedy (Location: FIC-COM) $4.00 (1 in stock)
	Last Dragonslayer Chronicles of Kazam Book 1 by Jasper Fforde from HMH Books for Young Readers for 5th-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.79
	Last Dragonslayer Set by Jasper Fforde from Houghton Mifflin for 5th-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck from Puffin Books Humorous Family Stories for 4th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64
	Mary Poppins Mary Poppins Series #1 by P. L. Travers from Harcourt Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.49
	Mexikid A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martin from Dial Books for Young Readers for 5th-8th grade in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC) $12.74
	Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay from Houghton Mifflin Humor for 4th-8th grade in Humor & Comedy (Location: FIC-COM) $15.29
	Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race Lemoncello's Library #3 by Chris Grabenstein from Yearling in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $6.79
	Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt from Clarion Books for 4th-8th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.49
	Penrod by Booth Tarkington from Penguin Classics Realistic Fiction for 7th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $17.00
	Peterkin Papers by Lucretia P. Hale from Dover Publications Humorous Fiction for 7th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.79
	Pushcart War by Jean Merrill 50th Anniversary Edition from New York Review of Books Satire for 6th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $11.04
	Season of Gifts by Richard Peck Reprint from Puffin Books for 5th-9th grade in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64
	Small Steps Holes #2 of 2 by Louis Sachar from Ember for 7th-8th grade in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $9.34
	Song of the Quarkbeast Chronicles of Kazam Book 2 by Jasper Fforde Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers for 5th-9th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.49
	Soup by Robert Newton Peck from Yearling for Grades 4th-7th in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.94
	Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp from HarperCollins Biography for 7th-10th grade in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $16.14 $7.20 (1 in stock)
	Thurber Carnival by James Thurber from Harper Perennial for 7th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $16.99
	Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting from Yearling for 3rd-7th grade 1923 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.64
	Wind in the Willows The Scribner Library Books for Young Readers by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard 1961 renewed copyright from Charles Scribner's Sons Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC) $4.80 (1 in stock)
	Wonderful O by James Thurber from Yearling for 5th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $2.00 (1 in stock)
	Wonderful O by James Thurber from New York Review of Books for 5th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Wonderful O by James Thurber from Penguin Random House for 5th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
	Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck from Puffin Books Humorous Family Stories for 5th-9th grade 2001 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.64

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