Book critic Steven Beattie recommends 3 unconventionally funny books
Steven Beattie, writer and former long-time review editor at Quill & Quire magazine, has always had a soft spot for funny books.
But his love for them isn't for the reasons you might expect.
On The Next Chapter, Beattie shared three of his favourite novels that use humour not just to entertain, but to confront difficult experiences and subjects.
"Humour has always been a vehicle for storytelling," said Beattie.
"If you can get people to laugh, one of the things that you do as an artist is you've automatically got your audience on your side, because if you're laughing, there's a fellow feeling there, there's a humanity there."
Beattie, who lives in Stratford Ont., is a writer and editor at That Shakespearean Rag, a book review blog.
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey
Really Good, Actually follows Maggie, a 20-something woman trying to navigate heartbreak, divorce and online dating at a young age. Inspired by her personal experiences, Heisey explores the art of moving on, proving the process is a lot messier, nonlinear and interdependent than many of us would like to admit.
Books that make us laugh aren't always light-hearted, said Beattie, and Really Good, Actually, demonstrates how humour can be a powerful tool to address difficult subjects too.
"One of the messages of the book is that while you're laughing at it, you're laughing … in a sense of recognition at the universality of the situation that Heisey is dealing with here," said Beattie.
One of the messages of the book is that while you're laughing at it, you're laughing … in a sense of recognition at the universality of the situation that Heisey is dealing with here.- Steven Beattie
"Because even if you haven't been divorced, chances are you've undergone a breakup in your life, you've had to work your way through it. As the book goes on, you see all the different ways she tries to do it."
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
The Sellout is a satirical novel that follows a young Black man on trial before the Supreme Court for attempting to reinstate slavery and segregation in his hometown of Dickens, an agrarian "ghetto" on the southern outskirts of Los Angeles. The story unfolds as he reflects on the events that led to this moment.
Beatty released the book in 2015, a time when former U.S. President Barack Obama was nearing the end of his second term in office. Many people believed, said Beattie, that having a Black president meant we were in a post-racial America.
But Beatty questions to the reader if this is true.
"That's what good satire does, right? It turns the spotlight on the recipient," said Beattie.
That's what good satire does, right? It turns the spotlight on the recipient.- Steven Beattie
"He puts it right in your face and he says, 'I want you to deal with this because these are things that are underpinning the American social psyche that you probably haven't even thought of.'"
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne
The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman is a novel that follows Tristram Shandy's attempt to tell the story of his life, but he is constantly humorously interrupted by tangents and eccentricities. The book serves as a satirical take on the autobiography genre and subverts traditional narrative conventions.
Despite being published more than two centuries ago, Beattie said it's one of his favourite books for its groundbreaking and comical storytelling techniques that were ahead of its time and continues to resonate today.
"Metafiction wasn't even a thing until the 20th century, but in a metafictional way, Sterne is commenting on the way the novel works for the reader, which I also find very hilarious and very modern," said Beattie.
Metafiction wasn't even a thing until the 20th century, but in a metafictional way, Sterne is commenting on the way the novel works for the reader, which I also find very hilarious and very modern.- Steven Beattie
"It really doesn't feel as though it was written in the 18th century. It feels as though it could have been written last week. The style is very conversational, the humour is so ribald."
Steven Beattie's comments have been edited for length and clarity.
