- Paperback: 272 pages
- Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (Jun 14 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1400076854
- ISBN-13: 978-1400076857
- Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 1.4 x 20.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 227 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #328,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
In his introduction, McSweeney's founder Eggers says the goal of these short pieces, most of which originally appeared on the McSweeney's Web site, is to be "funny without being humorous," which is an open invitation for critical bashing. It's true that the short stories, essays and lists—oh, so many lists—tend not to have, or even try for, the sort of universal appeal that turns stand-up comedians into bestselling authors. Readers' reactions will depend on whether they share the same level of erudition and love for pop culture as the authors. Greg Purcell's spot-on impression of the deranged voice of Ezra Pound's later writings, for example, will work only for those who know Pound's work, while the "Journal of a New COBRA Recruit" will be equally incomprehensible to people who didn't grow up with GI Joe in the 1980s. If you get the jokes, though, they can be side-splittingly hilarious. Of course, there are misfires, especially those that play with the idea of trying and failing to be funny.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–This lively and amusing anthology brings together material that has appeared previously in either McSweeney's print edition or Web-site version. Anecdotes, plays, jokes, fake reviews, and lists are included, all poised to produce a quick chuckle. The pieces can be hit-or-miss and, like a lot of humor, they rely on readers knowing the references made to get the laughs, like Greg Purcell's "A Letter from Ezra Pound to Billy Wilder," which comes off quite dry unless one really knows Pound's style of criticism. The majority, though, touch more universal points. Christopher Monks's "Group Mobilization as a Desperate Cry for Help" places a nameless narrator organizing a picket line outside his girlfriend's house to protest her dumping him, in a manner worthy of a good Saturday Night Live sketch. Likewise, "My Beard Reviewed" by Chris Bachelder fabulously satirizes all the feelings of a self-deprecating person and the idea of self-image. All the pieces are short, many two pages or less. While no one will ever put this anthology on a literary best list, it does give a nice break from more serious reading and may even entice reluctant readers.–Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
The best outshines the rest, Sep 3 2004
By Trevor Seigler - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's, Humor Category (Hardcover)
Like any humor collection, not everything in "Created In Darkness" is a guarenteed laugh riot. Then again, McSweeneys has a reputation for aiming more for the brain than the funny bone, so that shouldn't be a surprise. What IS a surprise is that the amount of really good pieces outweighs the fair to not-very-good pieces.Among the stand-outs: the two Ezra Pound pieces (I was vaguely familiar with Pound's WWII activities, so that helps to get it), the Diary of a Cobra Recruit (haven't we all wondered if they were taught how to shoot at everything but the G.I. Joes?), The Letters to Mr. Vandwoude(sic), who refuses to be scammed out of his cash by a faux "orphan" charity, Michael Ian Black's look at why people hate him, and Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky's commentary for LOTR: The Fellowship of The Ring (no matter how you lean politically, you'll laugh your ass off).
There are many more that, if I hadn't just gotten up, I would be able to rattle off for inclusion in the "stand-outs" section, but maybe you should go ahead and buy the book and see for yourself...
Anyway, I read this book over a weekend, and enjoyed just about every minute of it. The one fault I give it is the section of lists at the end. That got old real quick, page after page, but there were plenty of hilarious ones to make it worthwhile.
So do yourself a favor and pick this up. It's a nice selection of humor pieces from one of the few really good humor sites out there.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A reader from the U.P. (it's in Michigan), Oct 4 2004
By Trevor - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's, Humor Category (Hardcover)
I'm giving this five stars instead of four because this is Amazon.com -- where, if you really like something and have the relatively reasonable expectation that your like should effect the overall perception of the book, then you have to say "five stars" to make up for those who are jerks. Anyway, I liked this book, a lot. For those of you familiar with Mcsweeney's, it's a great collection. For those of you who are not -- you are missing out, by the way -- it's a great introduction. It's always funny and smart and sometimes very funny and very smart. Everyone who is not my mother will laugh out loud.One more thing, while it's great to read in the bathroom, be careful. I was serious about the laughing out loud. Your housemates will think you're weird.
20 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anne Rice Eat Your Heart Out, Nov 17 2004
By Sean Carman - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's, Humor Category (Hardcover)
This is a fine book, and I encourage you to buy it. Buy it now. Buy the book already. Stop with the equivocating. Be strong. It's a great book. You won't regret it.But could we stop talking about how we like to read this book in the bathroom? I am merely one tiny contributor among many to the book, one miniscule contributor among a multitude to the website. I can't speak for everyone. Still, the idea that you are reading something of mine in your bathroom sort of creeps me out. Unless you are Angelina Jolie, and even then I have to think about it. I just don't like the idea that the hand you are using the turn the page on "Lessons Learned from My Study of Literature" was, a moment before -- GROSS! Stop it. Just stop it right now.
True, my entry in this compendium is quite small, putting the odds against you actually reading my words in your bathroom. You probably enjoyed my entry on your back porch during a gorgeous sunset, or on an afternoon spin in your convertible, your best friend reading aloud from the passenger seat, her long hair swirling up furiously, as if a miniature tornado were chasing your Miata, your golden retriever in the back seat smiling that goofy golden retriever smile. Still, there is the remote chance that you are, instead, alone, furtively -- oh God, I can't even think about it.
This book makes a great gift. It's small, and light, and will display your good taste. It will make your best friend happy when she unwraps it, and you more beautiful in her eyes, which is what the holidays are all about. Believe me when I say that you cannot go wrong with this book.
Just try not to take it into the bathroom. Please. For my sake.
Thank you, that is all.
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