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What Makes a Good Comic Novel? Andrew Sean Greer on the Joy of Funny Writing
The Pulitzer-winning author of Less and Villa Coco explores the art of writing humour – plus 10 of the best novels to make you laugh
TL;DR
- Comic novels are defined by the author's decision to make them funny, even when dealing with tragic themes like grief, love, and death.
- Writing comic novels requires a 'double-processing' approach: first understanding characters' hardships realistically, then presenting the story as a funny narrative.
- Humor can be found in unexpected places, like Melville's Moby-Dick or Nabokov's Pale Fire, where the author 'decides' something is funny.
- The process of writing comedy enriches language with a wider vocabulary and forces the writer to be present in the moment.
- Comic novels acknowledge life's difficulties but offer a temporary, often artificial, resolution, providing solace and a way to move forward.
- A list of ten recommended comic novels is provided, including works by Stella Gibbons, Noël Coward, Vladimir Nabokov, and Miguel de Cervantes.