Books in the Humor in Life and Letters Series series

In this lively and fascinating analysis of humourists and their work, Will Kaufman breaks new ground with his irony fatigue theory. The Comedian as Confidence Man examines the humorist's internal conflict between the social critic who demands to be taken seriously and the comedian who never can be: the irony fatigue condition.

Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1985) was an Argentine writer of serious avant-garde poetry and prose. This work studies the humour embedded in the author. The author aims to show how Borges was concerned with making the humour in his work more apparent without abandoning the essential story line.

At a time when overt feminist statements could ruin a woman's reputation, comedy enabled certain authors to smuggle feminism into their writing. This work explores the ways in which Frances Burney, Maria Edgeworth and Jane Austen enlisted the power of comedy in the service of feminism.