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So Ole Says to Lena: Folk Humor of the Upper Midwest
In the land of beer, cheese, and muskies—where the polka is danced and winter is unending and where Lutherans and Catholics predominate—everybody is ethnic, the politics are clean, and the humor is plentiful. This collection includes jokes, humorous anecdotes, and tall tales from ethnic groups (Woodland Indians, French, Cornish, Germans, Irish, Scandinavians, Finns, and Poles) and working folk (loggers, miners, farmers, townsfolk, hunters, and fishers). Dig into the rich cultural context supplied by the notes and photographs, or just laugh at the hundreds of jokes gathered at small-town cafes, farm tables, job sites, and church suppers. This second edition includes an afterword and indexes of motifs and tale types.
- GenresHumor
296 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 9, 2011
Don't miss this book to find some of the best tall tales - by nationality, no less - found in the Upper Midwest. Ethnic jokes and stories, as well as the best of Ole and Lena abound in the treasure!
A warning to the weak at heart: do not read this book unless you are prepared to laugh so hard you will have tears streaming down your face or hold your sides because they hurt so much from laughter!
A warning to the weak at heart: do not read this book unless you are prepared to laugh so hard you will have tears streaming down your face or hold your sides because they hurt so much from laughter!
March 31, 2017
Such fun to read! The book is well organized, and is a terrific assemblage of humorous short stories and jokes from the upper midwest US. You can dip into stories of Swedes, farmers, or just about any other ethnic or occupational category that exists in that region, which is quite diverse and pretty consistently funny.
Be advised: despite its avowed content, this is a serious folkloric/ethnographic study, so there is a long and turgid introduction preceding, and extensive footnotes following, the actual jokes and fun stuff. Feel free to skip all of that, however I do recommend taking a look at the photographs and biographical info on the actual tellers, which is located just before the endnotes. The bibliographical and source material is very complete and extremely useful, for those who need it.
Highly recommended to folklorists!
Be advised: despite its avowed content, this is a serious folkloric/ethnographic study, so there is a long and turgid introduction preceding, and extensive footnotes following, the actual jokes and fun stuff. Feel free to skip all of that, however I do recommend taking a look at the photographs and biographical info on the actual tellers, which is located just before the endnotes. The bibliographical and source material is very complete and extremely useful, for those who need it.
Highly recommended to folklorists!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews