by Joe Queenan
First published 2002
Joe Queenan assembles a diverse collection of satirical literature spanning centuries and continents. The anthology brings together sharp-tongued essays, biting short stories, irreverent novels, caustic plays, and pointed poems from master satirists across history. Readers encounter Aristophanes' theatrical mockery in "The Birds," Voltaire's philosophical wit in "Candide," and Jane Austen's epistolary venom in "Lady Susan." Each selection demonstrates how writers have wielded humor as a weapon against human folly, social pretension, and political absurdity. Queenan curates voices that refuse to accept the world as it presents itself, instead choosing to expose its contradictions through laughter and scorn. The collection reveals satire as a universal human impulse that transcends cultural boundaries and historical periods.
Genres: satire, anthologies, humor, 21st-century
Vibes: irreverent, satirical, thought-provoking
Tropes: literary-criticism, social-commentary
Period: Centuries, Historical
1200 pages · Hardcover · Running Press