Research Catalog

Title

Sweet madness : a study of humor / William F. Fry.

Author

Fry, William F.

Publication

New Brunswick, N.J. : Transaction Publishers, c2010.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

xxv, 178 p.; 23 cm.

Summary

"Written for all who are interested in the mechanics of humor, Sweet Madness presents a general discussion and introduction to the roles of paradox, metaphor, and fantasy in humor. The operation of the implicit and the unconscious in humor; the importance of humor to human life; and the development, from childhood on, of the sense of humor are discussed." "The background for this serious study is drawn from such fields as psychiatry, psychology, anthropology, and sociology. William F. Fry, in this work, presents a new theory of the structure of humor based on the sometimes little understood psychological processes experienced by those who use humor or are exposed to humor. It is these relationships with other fields of study that allows for this investigation into the anatomy of humor." "Fry, in this outstanding and erudite volume, takes a giant step in furthering our thinking about humor in transactional terms. Humor and a sense of humor are a vital part of human interactions, and as such, this book has much to contribute to the study of psychology, culture, communications, and---of course---humor itself."--Jacket.

Subject

Wit and humor > History and criticism

Genre/Form

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

A survey of humor -- Problems in humor -- A metaphoric discussion -- The unconscious -- Levels of living -- The uses of humor -- Background for theory -- Humor's anatomy.

ISBN

• 9781412811682 (acid-free paper)
• 1412811686 (acid-free paper)

LCCN

^^2010003600

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library