CanLit Challenge discussion

Honestly, I was expecting this to be funnier than it was. I mean so much is made of Stephen Leacock and his humour, I was kind of expecting a Canadian P.G. Wodehouse or something. So in that sense it was a little disappointing.

However, there was plenty of really good satire that still rings true today. And there were many times when I did laugh out loud at the absurdities portrayed and the amusing way Leacock words things. It’s remarkable how little changes. What Leacock satirized in 1914 (following closely in the footsteps of Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray) is the same kind of stuff pilloried by the likes of Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Rick Mercer (sans topical current events–Leacock takes more of a timeless approach).

It would be difficult to give examples or describe it because just stating it outright takes all the humour out. Anyway, as with most good satire, it’s sad at the same time as it’s funny—because it’s so close to reality.