Anthology of Black Humor

Rating:
Summary: incredible
Review: breton's eulogy of surrealist revolt is basically incarnated in this book, which is a collection of insane and eccentric (particularly lacenaire, murderer and poet) figures who, through absurd humor and surrealistic flights of the fantastic, cast serious (sometimes dangerous) doubts on the validity of the Reality Principle. The best in this collection is perhaps Benjamin Peret, the most uncompromising surrealist of them all. His work is completely recalcitrant to mundane reality, forcing it to become magical and, of course, surreal. Admittedly, some of these writers are difficult to penetrate, but the effort is certainly worth it. Jarry especially.

Rating:
Summary: Yes
Review: I want to vomit right now. Good.

Rating:
Summary: An updated anthology is needed.
Review: Though this edition is revised, a newer collection would be more practical since the advent of post-modern thinking with the likes of Pynchon, Barth, Barthelme, Gaddis, Hawkes, and Heller heading the movement.

This collection is bogged down by Breton's psychoanalytic readings in the author introductions and his grasping for authors and passages to lengthen the page count in order to have a sizable book.

Yet there are names which have long since been forgotten which, due to this collection, are sustained and might later be an aide in their reevaluation.

Highlights include: Grabbe, Allais, Baudelaire, L'Isle-Adam, Cros, Huysmans, Jarry, Rigaut.

This book is only for those who are studying the field and will be a bitter disappointment for anyone else, esp. people looking for a humor collection per se.