I’ve read a whole bunch of comedic books in my life. From Steve Martin’s Without Feathers to Tina Fey’s Bossypants, I’ve experienced many different attempts at humor. However, I’d never experienced a book that truly kept me engrossed and laughing, cover-to-cover, until BJ Novak’s collection of short stories, One More Thing.
I was first acquainted with Novak through his work on the popular American series, “The Office.” I was never overly impressed with his writing, acting, or production work. Therefore, I approached One More Thing with very high expectations. However, by the second or third vignette, I was crying from laughing so hard. His short stories are hilarious-- built on funny concepts, filled with funny characters, and jam-packed with funny jokes. Additionally, all of his pieces work on a broader, literary level. Not only is his writing extremely witty, but it also serves a large purpose. His vignettes say something important about people, problems, or society at large.
My favorite pieces (so far) are “Missed Connection: Grocery spill at 21st and 6th 2:30 pm on Wednesday”, “The Comedy Central Roast of Nelson Mandela”, “MONSTER: The Roller Coaster”, “If I Had A Nickel”, “Wikipedia Brown and the Case of the Missing Bicycle”, and “The Ghost of Mark Twain”. That list may seem long, but it was actually incredibly hard for me to narrow it down to just six stories. The really amazing thing about BJ Novak is his ability to combine observational, situational, slapstick, sarcastic, ironic, and low key humor into one. For example, “Missed Connection” plays on the situational hilarity of meeting someone through a missed connection ad on Craiglist and the observational humor that the missed connection page even exists, and then Novak riddles other jokes throughout the piece.
Some of them are short and sweet-- done before you can even choke out your first laugh. Others are longer and more serious. For example, “MONSTER: The Roller Coaster” is basically an extended metaphor, comparing a rollercoaster fashioned by a roller coaster builder to life itself. Although the piece is ultimately a bit ironic, it has a very real, somber message. The duality of Novak’s work, or its ability to be both serious and hilarious simultaneously, is what makes this book so amazing.
I haven’t completed finished One More Thing yet (I still have two or three short stories to go) but I’ve already started to think about what I will research. There are several different routes I could pursue. I could focus on the art of comedy writing by examining the prose of Novak and others. I could look into one particular story and center my project around that. I could even look at the piece thematically and pick a research topic from there. I’m not sure what I’ll choose yet, but each sentence, character, story, and idea presents a new opportunity for research.
I’m really happy to be reading this book. I can’t wait to see what else Novak has up his sleeve, and I can’t wait to get started on some writing of my own.
I read this earlier this year, and I liked some but others felt gimmicky to me, but, now, perhaps, you are making me see something I didn't give myself time to see. I read this right after reading Saunders, though, and I felt Novak was a Saunders "wannabe," but perhaps I was too harsh.
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ReplyDeleteI rarely read comedy but I want to read this, it sounds so fun! You've done a great job of pinpointing the variety of BJ Novac's comedic stories. Because of this variety, choosing multiple stories to focus on for your project is a great idea because it provides a broader scope for your research and might lead you to the meaning behind the title. (It might also be easier since you had trouble choosing six of your favorites for your post).
ReplyDeleteIt's really cool how his stories serve not only as comedic relief but also commentary on people, problems, and society at large. You could write your own story incorporating your own commentary on a subject he presents in his book. With the variety of themes present in the book you have a lot to pull from.
Considering how his book compares to the other comedic books you've read and how it differs is a great place to start research because you already have so many resources to draw from having read so many comedic works. What about BJ Novac's writing keeps you laughing that doesn't happen in other comedic works? You could research the psychology of humor and find out why you stayed entertained throughout the book.
Also, humor is perpetually changing; what's funny today is boring tomorrow. Tracking the historical changes in humor might lead to some cool discoveries.
I really enjoyed reading this post and look forward to see where your research takes you. Happy Hunting!