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I haven't read that many sad novels, but "A farewell to arms" definitely comes to mind. and in the realm of drama "Death of a salesman", I think we can agree, is absolutely wrenching. KS On 26/04/07, Jennifer Compton <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > have you ever read Testament To Youth ? gaspingly achingly sad and yet > redemptive with the soldiers arriving at the field station with stories of > angels they had seen on the battlefield - or should I say above the > battlefield? they seemed to be usually hovering above > > I don't know any of the writers you mention - but writers who have made me > laugh out loud while I am reading them are Jerome K. Jerome (Three Men In A > Boat) Thurber (I was reading him on my first visit to Venice last year and I > was having Thurber screams on the Grand Canal )and Clive James - Unreliable > Memoirs. > > Also I always beg the son not to put a Bill Hicks video on because he makes > me wet myself and beg for mercy. > > ----Original Message Follows---- > From: Barry Alpert <[log in to unmask]> > Reply-To: "Poetryetc: poetry and poetics" <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: Abrupt Snap > Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:02:49 +0100 > > At the time, "Post Office" was dangerously funny for me, though I haven't > read Bukowski since. I didn't have an extremely sad experience during that > stay in the hospital, so I'm a bit surprised your husband had an equally > painful physiological experience with a very sad book. > > If a writer can make me laugh hysterically during a live reading (examples > which come to mind right now include Ed Dorn, Ed Sanders, Anne Waldman, > Christian Bok, & Jaap Blonk), I consider that reaction as a marker of high > quality. > > Barry > > > On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 01:20:14 +1000, Jennifer Compton > <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > >Is Post Office funny? I have been meaning to read that for a while. > > > >You made me remember husband in hospital for 2 hernias. He begged for > books > >that weren't funny so I got him Testament Of Youth by Vera Brittain, which > >is the saddest book I know. > >But it was no good. He told me that weeping was as painful as laughing. > > > >cheers - jen > > _________________________________________________________________ > Advertisement: House hunt online now! ninemsn.realestate.com.au > http://a.ninemsn.com.au/b.aspx?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fninemsn%2Erealestate%2Ecom%2Eau%2Fcgi%2Dbin%2Frsearch%3Fa%3Dbhp%26t%3Dres%26cu%3DMSN&_t=758874163&_r=HM_Txt_Link_Oct06&_m=EXT >