The Definitive Guide to Underground Humor: Quaint Quotes About Death, Funny Funeral Home Stories and Hilarious Headstone Epitaphs

by Edward Bergin (editor)

"Edmund Gwenn, the famous actor, observed 'Dying is easy. Comedy is difficult.' Well, any comic will tell you, comedy about dying is really hard. But necessary. For what greater triumph of the human spirit exists than to defiantly mock the grinning reaper, specter of our darkest fears? 'Hey Death--is that a sickle in your hand or are you just glad to see me?'" -- by Anita Wise, stand up comedian/writer who has appeared on the "Tonight Show" and "Seinfeld." That passage from the Foreword of the book "The Definitive Guide To Underground Humor" sets the stage by capturing the morbidly amusing essence of the succeeding pages. This book dares to explore the comical depths of death and the black humor hidden deep within us all, featuring: Quaint Quotes About Death from such people as Robin Williams, Woody Allen, Johnny Carson, Dennis Miller & Anita Wise; Funny Funeral Home Stories from anonymous funeral directors, embalmers, pall bearers, limo drivers and others who work in the funeral service industry; Hilarious Headstone Epitaphs from graveyards in different parts of the world; and Funeral-Flavored Comics from Non Sequitur & The Wizard of Id. And who better to unearth this type of humor than someone with 122 years of service in the funeral industry in his genes. Author Edward Bergin's family has owned and/or operated funeral homes in Connecticut since the 1800s. To those of you who might be uneasy about the idea of a book that deals with the lighter side of death, Anita Wise offers the following for you to ponder: "We enter the world crying, isn't it only fitting to leave it laughing? After all, death is not the final exit, but only a revolving door."

Genres: Humor, Death

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a bit too slim to be "definitive" but it certainly is an amusing collection of anecdotes: funny quotes about death, funny stories from funeral directors and funny tombstone epitaphs, most of which I had not seen before.

[Christopher Pokorny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This text is surely not definitive. The text is comprised of reflections of anonymous contributors pertaining to funerals, wakes, epitaphs and quotes. This shows the human side of working in a funeral home. Death is just as normal as any other aspect of life. As one who deals with death often, I appreciated the stories regarding the wakes and the funerals.

The book left me desiring a deeper engagement of the subject. It seemed like the accounts were stripped of a majority of their realistic qualities, to the detriment of the quality of content. The best comparison is a well produced movie versus a solid ‘B movie.’ You can watch a ‘B movie,’ but it lacks something deep and it kinda feels a bit corny and cringe-y when viewing, wishing it was more robust and knowing that it could be so much better if a few things were adjusted.

[LeAnne Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being in the funeral business has its funny moments, as I was reading this I felt like I was right there in each story!