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The Best American Humorous Short Stories
A massive collection of humorous stories from America's favorite writers:
The Little Frenchman and His Water Lots (1839) George Pope Morris
The Angel of the Odd (1844) Edgar Allan Poe
The Schoolmaster's Progress (1844) Caroline M.S. Kirkland
The Watkinson Evening (1846) Eliza Leslie
Titbottom's Spectacles (1854) George William Curtis
My Double; and How He Undid Me (1859) Edward Everett Hale
A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters (1861) Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (1865) Mark Twain
Elder Brown's Backslide (1885) Harry Stillwell Edwards
The Hotel Experience of Mr. Pink Fluker (1886) Richard Malcolm Johnston
The Nice People (1890) Henry Cuyler Bunner
The Buller-Podington Compact (1897) Frank Richard Stockton
Colonel Starbottle for the Plaintiff (1901) Bret Harte
The Duplicity of Hargraves (1902) O. Henry
Bargain Day at Tutt House (1905) George Randolph Chester
A Call (1906) Grace MacGowan Cooke
How the Widow Won the Deacon (1911) William James Lampton
Gideon (1914) by Wills Hastings
The Little Frenchman and His Water Lots (1839) George Pope Morris
The Angel of the Odd (1844) Edgar Allan Poe
The Schoolmaster's Progress (1844) Caroline M.S. Kirkland
The Watkinson Evening (1846) Eliza Leslie
Titbottom's Spectacles (1854) George William Curtis
My Double; and How He Undid Me (1859) Edward Everett Hale
A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters (1861) Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (1865) Mark Twain
Elder Brown's Backslide (1885) Harry Stillwell Edwards
The Hotel Experience of Mr. Pink Fluker (1886) Richard Malcolm Johnston
The Nice People (1890) Henry Cuyler Bunner
The Buller-Podington Compact (1897) Frank Richard Stockton
Colonel Starbottle for the Plaintiff (1901) Bret Harte
The Duplicity of Hargraves (1902) O. Henry
Bargain Day at Tutt House (1905) George Randolph Chester
A Call (1906) Grace MacGowan Cooke
How the Widow Won the Deacon (1911) William James Lampton
Gideon (1914) by Wills Hastings
199 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1920
347 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 21, 2011
Not all that humorous. Perhaps the standards of humor have changed in the last hundred years, but most of these stories are interesting rather than funny. There is certainly sociological and literary ore here, it's just not gold. Nor even silver.
It was free, but hardly worth the time. Too many better books to read.
It was free, but hardly worth the time. Too many better books to read.
March 19, 2014
It's hard to rate these, because the quality of the tales varies considerably. Also,there is a very long and (to me) tedious introduction, in which the editor exhaustively describes his process for selecting the tales. I'd advise skipping it unless you're writing a doctoral dissertation on early American literature.
All of the stories were at least mildly entertaining, although not all were funny. I particularly enjoyed "Titbottom's Spectacles," a melancholy fantasy by George William Curtis, whom I had never heard of before; "A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters" by Oliver Wendell Holmes (reads exactly like a Monty Python sketch!); "Colonel Starbottle for the Plaintiff" by Bret Harte; and "The Duplicity of Hargraves" by O'Henry.
All of the stories were at least mildly entertaining, although not all were funny. I particularly enjoyed "Titbottom's Spectacles," a melancholy fantasy by George William Curtis, whom I had never heard of before; "A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters" by Oliver Wendell Holmes (reads exactly like a Monty Python sketch!); "Colonel Starbottle for the Plaintiff" by Bret Harte; and "The Duplicity of Hargraves" by O'Henry.
November 5, 2012
Overall pretty okay, but such ridiculous notions about women and black people (and everything else). All of the stories were from the late 1800s to about 1910, so I can't be that surprised. Also, I don't think I really understood about half the humor, like jokes about men not wearing hats. Hilarious, right! But, ridicule aside, some of the stories were pretty funny.
March 27, 2013
Sorry, not for me. Unless you are privy to 1800's lingo and long forgotten words and phrases...I am guessing you will not like this book. It was like doing a very very hard crossword when you don't know the meanings of the words. Gave up reading on third story.
July 5, 2020
After an hour on stories 1,2, 7 I asked myself "What humor?"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2026
“Introduction” — Amusing in itself, as Jessup proceeds to dismiss a number of authors by labeling them as not very good short story writers or merely humorists (i.e., tellers of jokes), before he gets to talking about the selections he did make and why. But even there, Jessup often damns with faint praise or is more opinionated about the abilities and worthiness of an author than is afforded more recent anthologists—in some ways, it’s quite a refreshing change of pace from the modern practice of unfettered hagiography.
“The Little Frenchman and His Water Lots,” George Pope Morris — The humor here comes from the juxtapostion of the naive Frenchman who spends all his money on land unseen. Does it work? Not very well. It’s a critique of people’s greed and how they fall on get-rich-quick schemes, but my feeling is this Frenchman only got what he deserved for poor due diligence.
“The Angel of the Odd — An Extravaganza,” Edgar Allan Poe — A fantasy with a very unreliable narrator, for the man is drunker than drunk, seeing angels in bottles, or should I say, seeing an angel made out of bottles of Kirshenwasser, and proceeds to have a drunken dream of odd events. Or, maybe it’s all real, and there is an Angel that guides the odd coincidences of our lives. Amusing, if uneven.
“The Schoolmaster’s Progress,” Caroline M.S. Kirkland — Like Nathaniel Hawthorne, this story relies on the manners and customs of rural America in the early 1800s. For one, the notion that the schoolmaster would only be 18 goes against what we expect of teachers today. Another is the propriety expected in the making of a courtship, who could or could not write or spell, and the logistics of transport, both local and farther away. The plot, while it takes a bit to get going and indeed has a bit of a red herring initially which could have been cut to make the story tighter, is all too believable and yet funny in the sitcom-ish way of people being put in unfortunate circumstances.
“The Watkinson Evening,” Eliza Leslie — Another story in which the manners of the time make up the humor. In this case, the lead characters have only two letters of introduction in New York and when they drop by, both ladies to whom they were addressed are indisposed. When they return to their hotel, however, they find one lady has written them with an invitation for the evening, which they promptly accept; but then, the other lady comes by and she’s much more to their type, but alas, the other invitation came first and they were hasty in their decision. Quite hasty, because the evening at the Watkinson is a horrible disaster, showcasing the worst kind of parent and children. This is a comedy of class, which did exist in America, and which likely still does in some quarters. But it’s pretty removed from our everyday experience, which makes it strange.
“Titbottom’s Spectacles,” George William Curtis — This story goes on for much too long. It’s a fairly simple conceit: the protagonist’s work friend warns him about seeing the reality of people because long ago his grandfather had gifted him with spectacles that do just that. He then goes on page after page of describing how he looked through these spectacles at a number of people. For entry in this book of supposed humorous stories, I found it quite dull and humorless with the possible exception of the last line, which undercuts the story in a way. Still, not much to recommend here, at least for modern reading tastes.
“My Double and How He Undid Me,” Edward Everett Hale — This isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but it is quite amusing, almost Shakespearian, in its depiction of a small religious sect minister and his decision to hire a double to handle his “public” duties while he concerned himself with his religion and parish. It works by exaggeration, partly of the very many calls upon the minister to attend this meeting, charity event, or social engagement, and the very simple, literal minded double, to whom the minister and his wife teach about five stock phrases like “I agree with the person on the other side of the room.” It goes well, delightfully well, for a time, but eventually the double trips up, and thus the downfall of the scheme. The language is a bit hard to take as Hale uses a number of words that have fallen out of favor in the last two centuries, but a hardened reader should be able to follow the story fairly well.
“A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters,” Oliver Wendell Holmes — This story is as abominable as you might imagine from the title. While I have nothing against the pun, an entire story predicated on a flood of them is a bridge too far, and this one definitely washed out.
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” Mark Twain — I read this initially in high school and had little recollection of it when reading it again. The framing device is strange and somewhat unnecessary: I suppose it’s there to try and downplay the somewhat outrageous portrait of Jim Smiley, the man who would bet on anything. The comeuppance of Mr Smiley would work better, however, if there had been some indication that his winning his bets was because of his own cons, although I guess that’s somewhat implied by all the other animals leading up to the frog. It’s an amusing story, but not perfect by any means.
“Elder Brown’s Backslide,” Harry Stillwell Edwards — A fairly cozy bit about an old man who goes to town but doesn’t keep all his wits about him, both during the journey and then during his visit, falling so far as to go into his cups. What redeems the story from being just a mean bit is how the tired relationship between the Elder and his wife is somehow rekindled by his backsliding, a somewhat surprising turn of events when one is expecting her to instead just be a shrew.
"The Hotel Experience of Mr Pink Fluker,” Richard Malcolm Johnston — An update, basically, of the city mouse/country mouse story, wherein Mr Fluker plays the part of the country mouse, thinking the city would be mighty fine, while a Mr Pike is the city mouse, intent on taking advantage of his bumpkin cousin. The story proceeds apace from that and if it ends not quite as abruptly for the city mouse, is close as can be, and the country mouse realizes home is not as bad as they thought, although these being humans, some memories remain in all who enjoyed the spectacle.
“The Nice People,” Henry Cuyler Bunner — I confess to totally not understanding this story. The particulars are clear: the Brede’s are telling lies. But why? And why, if they are a newlywed couple, does that change things? Mysterious.
“The Buller-Podington Compact,” Frank R. Stockton — A cozy story about two good friends who each has a deathly fear of the other’s abilities in a particular sport, so of course what occurs in the story is a realization of the fear, but it all works out okay as they are able to come to a new agreement about their friendship.
"Colonel Starbottle for the Plaintiff,” Bret Harte — The style is long-winded, as is Colonel Starbottle, but the situation is ripe for humor: an orator of some renown (at least in his own belief, and somewhat of the town’s), Colonel Starbottle is engaged by a widow and daughter of the town to press suit against a deacon whom the daughter accuses of trying to woe her with underlined words in the prayer book, lozenges where I Love You is written, and daily passing-bys of her home. It’s a flimsy case, but Starbottle—besotted by the daughter—takes it. He wins, then learns that he’s as much a fool as the deacon. It’s way too long for today’s comedy tastes, but still remains humorous.
"The Duplicity of Hargraves,” O. Henry — Like many O. Henry stories, this one has a neat twist to it that I will not reveal. The situation of the old Southern gentleman and his daughter in somewhat dire straits for money, and the actor who has studied the gentlemen well enough to portray him on stage, is one bit of the whole, but it’s the combination of all of these, and that twist, that makes this story work, in the way that many O. Henry stories do, a combination of the foibles of people with the realities of the world. Truly, no one did it better than O. Henry.
"Bargain Day at Tutt House,” George Randolph Chester — Two family trios (one with a young daughter, the other with a young son) find themselves the unexpected guests at Tutt House because the bridge is washed out. The two families are led by the haughty matrons, to the dismay of their husbands and children, but what can they do? But, even worse, they come under fire from Billy Tutt, the owner of the inn, who seeks revenge against the coach company for failing to stop at his inn for noonday lunch since the new railway line opened. War is declared, in a way, between the families, and Mr Tutt is the unlikely beneficiary. It’s quite a funny story in which each family attempts to one-up the other until no upping is left, similar in style to E.F. Benson’s Lucia works.
“A Call,” Grace MacGowan Cooke — A fairly long-winded story about a couple of young boys trying to “call on girls” with very little understanding of the doings thereof. It’s somewhat painful to read, if you have any empathy for the boys, and it proceeds like a sitcom episode where event after event just compounds their awkwardness and the fact the family they came to call on is making fun of them.
“How the Widow Won the Deacon,” William James Lampton — A breezy little piece about the lengths a woman will go to when she wants a man, but also the lengths a man will go to in order to win himself. It’s deftly amusing in its comedy of manners, somewhat out of place today but easily recognizable. The horse race itself is quite exciting and a perfect foil for the plot.
“Gideon,” Wells Hastings — I realize we can’t judge stories of the past by the tenets of our current times but this story has multiple things going on that reduce the humor of it as well as any need to recommend it, except to scholars of the period. The titular character is a black man from Florida who is ‘discovered’ by a vaudeville agent for his ability to tell a humorous story and sing and dance, at least in the way loved by the minstrel shows of the time. Gideon’s fine with that for awhile—loves the limelight and the attention—but ultimately becomes homesick and runs away from his manager back to Florida. And while some of that was pretty racist, the worst is to come, when Gideon comes across a young girl and basically kidnaps her to be his bride. Ugh.
“The Little Frenchman and His Water Lots,” George Pope Morris — The humor here comes from the juxtapostion of the naive Frenchman who spends all his money on land unseen. Does it work? Not very well. It’s a critique of people’s greed and how they fall on get-rich-quick schemes, but my feeling is this Frenchman only got what he deserved for poor due diligence.
“The Angel of the Odd — An Extravaganza,” Edgar Allan Poe — A fantasy with a very unreliable narrator, for the man is drunker than drunk, seeing angels in bottles, or should I say, seeing an angel made out of bottles of Kirshenwasser, and proceeds to have a drunken dream of odd events. Or, maybe it’s all real, and there is an Angel that guides the odd coincidences of our lives. Amusing, if uneven.
“The Schoolmaster’s Progress,” Caroline M.S. Kirkland — Like Nathaniel Hawthorne, this story relies on the manners and customs of rural America in the early 1800s. For one, the notion that the schoolmaster would only be 18 goes against what we expect of teachers today. Another is the propriety expected in the making of a courtship, who could or could not write or spell, and the logistics of transport, both local and farther away. The plot, while it takes a bit to get going and indeed has a bit of a red herring initially which could have been cut to make the story tighter, is all too believable and yet funny in the sitcom-ish way of people being put in unfortunate circumstances.
“The Watkinson Evening,” Eliza Leslie — Another story in which the manners of the time make up the humor. In this case, the lead characters have only two letters of introduction in New York and when they drop by, both ladies to whom they were addressed are indisposed. When they return to their hotel, however, they find one lady has written them with an invitation for the evening, which they promptly accept; but then, the other lady comes by and she’s much more to their type, but alas, the other invitation came first and they were hasty in their decision. Quite hasty, because the evening at the Watkinson is a horrible disaster, showcasing the worst kind of parent and children. This is a comedy of class, which did exist in America, and which likely still does in some quarters. But it’s pretty removed from our everyday experience, which makes it strange.
“Titbottom’s Spectacles,” George William Curtis — This story goes on for much too long. It’s a fairly simple conceit: the protagonist’s work friend warns him about seeing the reality of people because long ago his grandfather had gifted him with spectacles that do just that. He then goes on page after page of describing how he looked through these spectacles at a number of people. For entry in this book of supposed humorous stories, I found it quite dull and humorless with the possible exception of the last line, which undercuts the story in a way. Still, not much to recommend here, at least for modern reading tastes.
“My Double and How He Undid Me,” Edward Everett Hale — This isn’t laugh-out-loud funny, but it is quite amusing, almost Shakespearian, in its depiction of a small religious sect minister and his decision to hire a double to handle his “public” duties while he concerned himself with his religion and parish. It works by exaggeration, partly of the very many calls upon the minister to attend this meeting, charity event, or social engagement, and the very simple, literal minded double, to whom the minister and his wife teach about five stock phrases like “I agree with the person on the other side of the room.” It goes well, delightfully well, for a time, but eventually the double trips up, and thus the downfall of the scheme. The language is a bit hard to take as Hale uses a number of words that have fallen out of favor in the last two centuries, but a hardened reader should be able to follow the story fairly well.
“A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters,” Oliver Wendell Holmes — This story is as abominable as you might imagine from the title. While I have nothing against the pun, an entire story predicated on a flood of them is a bridge too far, and this one definitely washed out.
"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” Mark Twain — I read this initially in high school and had little recollection of it when reading it again. The framing device is strange and somewhat unnecessary: I suppose it’s there to try and downplay the somewhat outrageous portrait of Jim Smiley, the man who would bet on anything. The comeuppance of Mr Smiley would work better, however, if there had been some indication that his winning his bets was because of his own cons, although I guess that’s somewhat implied by all the other animals leading up to the frog. It’s an amusing story, but not perfect by any means.
“Elder Brown’s Backslide,” Harry Stillwell Edwards — A fairly cozy bit about an old man who goes to town but doesn’t keep all his wits about him, both during the journey and then during his visit, falling so far as to go into his cups. What redeems the story from being just a mean bit is how the tired relationship between the Elder and his wife is somehow rekindled by his backsliding, a somewhat surprising turn of events when one is expecting her to instead just be a shrew.
"The Hotel Experience of Mr Pink Fluker,” Richard Malcolm Johnston — An update, basically, of the city mouse/country mouse story, wherein Mr Fluker plays the part of the country mouse, thinking the city would be mighty fine, while a Mr Pike is the city mouse, intent on taking advantage of his bumpkin cousin. The story proceeds apace from that and if it ends not quite as abruptly for the city mouse, is close as can be, and the country mouse realizes home is not as bad as they thought, although these being humans, some memories remain in all who enjoyed the spectacle.
“The Nice People,” Henry Cuyler Bunner — I confess to totally not understanding this story. The particulars are clear: the Brede’s are telling lies. But why? And why, if they are a newlywed couple, does that change things? Mysterious.
“The Buller-Podington Compact,” Frank R. Stockton — A cozy story about two good friends who each has a deathly fear of the other’s abilities in a particular sport, so of course what occurs in the story is a realization of the fear, but it all works out okay as they are able to come to a new agreement about their friendship.
"Colonel Starbottle for the Plaintiff,” Bret Harte — The style is long-winded, as is Colonel Starbottle, but the situation is ripe for humor: an orator of some renown (at least in his own belief, and somewhat of the town’s), Colonel Starbottle is engaged by a widow and daughter of the town to press suit against a deacon whom the daughter accuses of trying to woe her with underlined words in the prayer book, lozenges where I Love You is written, and daily passing-bys of her home. It’s a flimsy case, but Starbottle—besotted by the daughter—takes it. He wins, then learns that he’s as much a fool as the deacon. It’s way too long for today’s comedy tastes, but still remains humorous.
"The Duplicity of Hargraves,” O. Henry — Like many O. Henry stories, this one has a neat twist to it that I will not reveal. The situation of the old Southern gentleman and his daughter in somewhat dire straits for money, and the actor who has studied the gentlemen well enough to portray him on stage, is one bit of the whole, but it’s the combination of all of these, and that twist, that makes this story work, in the way that many O. Henry stories do, a combination of the foibles of people with the realities of the world. Truly, no one did it better than O. Henry.
"Bargain Day at Tutt House,” George Randolph Chester — Two family trios (one with a young daughter, the other with a young son) find themselves the unexpected guests at Tutt House because the bridge is washed out. The two families are led by the haughty matrons, to the dismay of their husbands and children, but what can they do? But, even worse, they come under fire from Billy Tutt, the owner of the inn, who seeks revenge against the coach company for failing to stop at his inn for noonday lunch since the new railway line opened. War is declared, in a way, between the families, and Mr Tutt is the unlikely beneficiary. It’s quite a funny story in which each family attempts to one-up the other until no upping is left, similar in style to E.F. Benson’s Lucia works.
“A Call,” Grace MacGowan Cooke — A fairly long-winded story about a couple of young boys trying to “call on girls” with very little understanding of the doings thereof. It’s somewhat painful to read, if you have any empathy for the boys, and it proceeds like a sitcom episode where event after event just compounds their awkwardness and the fact the family they came to call on is making fun of them.
“How the Widow Won the Deacon,” William James Lampton — A breezy little piece about the lengths a woman will go to when she wants a man, but also the lengths a man will go to in order to win himself. It’s deftly amusing in its comedy of manners, somewhat out of place today but easily recognizable. The horse race itself is quite exciting and a perfect foil for the plot.
“Gideon,” Wells Hastings — I realize we can’t judge stories of the past by the tenets of our current times but this story has multiple things going on that reduce the humor of it as well as any need to recommend it, except to scholars of the period. The titular character is a black man from Florida who is ‘discovered’ by a vaudeville agent for his ability to tell a humorous story and sing and dance, at least in the way loved by the minstrel shows of the time. Gideon’s fine with that for awhile—loves the limelight and the attention—but ultimately becomes homesick and runs away from his manager back to Florida. And while some of that was pretty racist, the worst is to come, when Gideon comes across a young girl and basically kidnaps her to be his bride. Ugh.
April 3, 2014
Another fascinating exercise in changing standards, this book was compiled early in the last century. That means some of the stories are still funny, some are worth a chuckle, a few are just baffling. For example, I discovered that casual racism and romanticism of slavery (as opposed to the deliberate savage mocking of it in Twain's works) dramatically cuts down on the humor of a piece--when characters are casually mentioned as "owning five slaves between them" I just find their hijinks less amusing. The O. Henry story plays with racism and stereotypes in ways that seem to be subverting expectations and thus retains some humor, but many are quite off-putting, and the last story in the volume (where the shiftless and dim lead in a minstrel show steals a bunch of money and runs away home to the South, where he abducts a screaming girl to be his "wife," the end) will almost certainly hit modern ears with a shocking thud--if it was ever funny, it just isn't anymore. Some of the stories will elicit a smile, and when they don't it's interesting to puzzle out why someone once thought they were funny when they don't seem it now, but it's hardly an anthology for when you want a belly laugh.
March 28, 2014
I had a great time with many of these short stories especially, "Titbottom's Spectacles" by George William Curtis (1854), "My Double; and How He Undid Me" by Edward Everett Hale (1859), and "The Duplicity of Hargraves" by O. Henry (1902). I did not find the humor bawdy or slapstick, but the wry sense of humor and irony in these pieces has a charm that made me smile. Aside from Poe's "The Angel of the Odd" and Twain's tale of "The Celebrating Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," most of these pieces are forgotten to the contemporary reader. This may partially be explained by the depiction of African-Americans in many of the stories, but also due to the fact that changes in language and culture make these stories distant from the modern reader.
If you are looking for something that you can read in short sessions (15-30 min) this book provides a few clever gems.
If you are looking for something that you can read in short sessions (15-30 min) this book provides a few clever gems.
November 14, 2016
It's difficult to rate a collection of stories. There were a few, such as "A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decaying Punsters" and "Bargain Day at Tutt House," to which I'd love to assign 5 stars. Others, such as "A Call," I'd give 4 to. However, there were others in this collection to which I would also assign a 3, 2, or even in some cases a 1. Overall, I found myself skimming some stories and skipping others altogether. It was rare that a tale in this collection really caught my attention. Given that this is supposed to be the "best" of American humorous short stories, I'd expected better. I enjoyed the feel of the leather bound text in my hands, the smell of an old book, and the occasional chuckle elicited by some of the better stories, but in general I was disappointed.
April 3, 2013
This brief collection of 19 short stories is an interesting collection from the late 19th and early 20th century, featuring great authors and some of their more interesting brief works. There are familiar pieces from Henry, Bierce and others as well as some lesser know pieces from authors like Poe. Those who enjoy the tongue in cheek, ironic and observant will enjoy these playful and sometimes biting pieces.
January 17, 2014
I feel very much tempted to kill this Idiot 'DEXTER' style who compiled this book under the Fake Title of ' Best American Humorous Stories'. I didnt even chuckled once while reading this Childish, Bland Boring short stories. They are not even minutely funny. They resembled to me like stories that toddlers read in kindergarden. It took me 2 days to finish this Crap book & I so wish I could get my precious 2 days back !! Minus 100 stars for this Book !!
September 7, 2016
In spite of the fact that my sense of humor and irony didn't always appreciate all the short stories in this collection, I still enjoyed reading them. Most of these stories were truly enjoyable and while I was unfamiliar with a few of these authors, I was happy to sample their literary offerings. I would recommend this collection to anyone who is looking for a taste of early nineteenth century short stories with a side of giggles.
February 10, 2018
This is a free Gutenberg Press digital Kindle format download. The stories are by the likes of Poe, Twain, Harte, etc.--a nice collection from the 1800's. The writing is old-fashioned and the humor is in the situations. Many are written in strong southern dialect. It is considered to be an eleven-hour read, but in addition to the seventeen short stories, there are many frontal pages and pages at the end with free-use information.
May 13, 2011
These short stories were pretty funny. Read it on an iPod Touch and with small screen it wasn't easy to look up, as writing this, the dates of the various stories. But I think most written in 1800s and early 1900s. Certainly no automobiles. Great read on small screen. Highly recommended. Price is right too.
January 3, 2013
Enjoyed reading this at my leisure. The stories are dated, yes. But the writing and the language used in those days are a refreshing and terrific break from the vapid and curt writing I encounter so much these days! My favorite stories: Titbottom's Spectacles, A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters, My Double; and How He Undid Me, and The Buller-Podington Compact.
October 23, 2014
This book gave me an appreciation for humor that does not have to be slap stick or shocking as most modern day humor is presented. These stories found humor in more subtle ways that required a true skill on the part of the author. I enjoyed reading this collection.
November 20, 2018
A few of the stories are real gems, others just OK, but there is one, "Gideon," which could only have been written by a disturbed and crazy individual; and I'm guessing Mr. Jessup (who compiled this selection) was also a disturbed and crazy person for thinking this story was at all humorous.
November 12, 2011
an excellent read, i enjoyed it immensely <3
Read
June 23, 2012Read on my iPhone when I needed a distraction. It provided a unique insight into 19th Century America. The last story left me a little puzzled but I think that was the point.
June 30, 2012
Although they might have been humorous in their day, I found view that were to my liking.
July 13, 2012
A nice collection. My favorites were: The Angel of Odd, Bargain Day at Tutt House, and A Call
August 10, 2012
A collection of 18 short stories, I did like some of them, while can't say much about the rest. Also, I didn't find a couple of stories lacked even a dash of humour. Yet, the others made up for it.
May 19, 2013
Anyone who doesn't love this book must be a rum-soaked beezaboor!
"The Death of Red Peril" by Edmonds is a must-read.
"The Death of Red Peril" by Edmonds is a must-read.
February 13, 2014
Very old american short stories...different kind of humour
June 14, 2015
Very entertaining
I enjoyed each of the short stories making easy to pick up and lay down for summer reading Will look for more of this type book
I enjoyed each of the short stories making easy to pick up and lay down for summer reading Will look for more of this type book
February 11, 2018
This collection of stories by American authors isn't comedic or humorous, but still highly enjoyable.
January 10, 2019
Despite the extremely misleading title, the stories range only from cute to not funny at all, and in the end, you'll wonder why you picked up this volume in the first place.
January 3, 2025
So it turns out that from about 1880, the American humorous short story worked very hard to turn the aging Confederate officer stuck in his romanticized past into a harmless figure of fun. Upsetting!
Favorites:
"The Schoolmaster's Progress," Caroline M.S. Kirkland (1845)
"My Double; and How He Undid Me," Edward Everett Hale (1859)
"A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters," Oliver Wendell Holmes (1861)
"Elder Brown's Backslide," Harry Stillwell Edwards (1885)
"Bargain Day at Tutt House," George Randolph Chester (1905)
Favorites:
"The Schoolmaster's Progress," Caroline M.S. Kirkland (1845)
"My Double; and How He Undid Me," Edward Everett Hale (1859)
"A Visit to the Asylum for Aged and Decayed Punsters," Oliver Wendell Holmes (1861)
"Elder Brown's Backslide," Harry Stillwell Edwards (1885)
"Bargain Day at Tutt House," George Randolph Chester (1905)
July 16, 2018
Mixed bag
Here lies a collection of short humorous stories. However I want to caution you on something: This anthology is so diverse in style that you probably will not find all the stories funny or amusing. I have a feeling that a few will make you laugh, some will make you smile, some may even disappoint you. However at such a good price, it just may be worth your time.
Here lies a collection of short humorous stories. However I want to caution you on something: This anthology is so diverse in style that you probably will not find all the stories funny or amusing. I have a feeling that a few will make you laugh, some will make you smile, some may even disappoint you. However at such a good price, it just may be worth your time.
July 26, 2021
There are a couple of good stories here but, in general, the fading away of the humour has left exposed mediocre writing and some unpalatable racial stereotypes. Particularly tedious are those writers who lean too heavily on the word Suddenly….
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