Why the Long Joke?

by James Thomas

This is a very silly book. There are lots of jokes (I mean it; there are hundreds). Also: dozens of stories, poems, diagrams, lists, and cartoons. If you like laughing, oh boy, watch out, because of the aforementioned jokes. Except they're not really jokes. They're more like entries in a contest for the Stupidest Sentence Ever Written.

James Thomas decided a few years ago that he wanted to write comedy for the rest of his life. Write for comedy films. Write stand-up. Write humor books. Write funny T-shirt slogans. Write comic strips. Write absurd text adventure games. Write tweets. Write gags for the undersides of rocks. So he declared himself the President of Twitter and enjoyed his new-found glory sitting hunched over a rock with a crayon, putting the finishing touches on this very weird book.

Inside you'll find nuggets of comedy gold, including "How to Write a Sentence"; "Edgar Allan Poe Goes to a Music Festival"; and "Eleven Drafts of an Opening Paragraph." You'll also find Silver and Bronze winners of yet-to-be-determined microcomedy awards that you have to read to remember. And you can't miss the astonishing original illustrations of Dinosaurs of the Future (they're very big).

Genres: Humor

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2016

Reviews

[Alisha]

I don't even know...

[Jessica]

This is indeed a very silly book, chock full of humorous one-liners, amusing tales, and ridiculous (sometimes relatable) statements. Anyone with a sense of humor is likely to find something to enjoy.
A few of my favorites include "helpful" tips on what to do if you've found this or that item, how to morph "Kevin" into "Bacon", and quips such as:
- How can I follow my dreams if I keep forgetting them when I wake up?
- I'd like to teach the world to sing, but I just know a bunch of people wouldn't turn up for rehearsal.
There were certain jokes that I personally didn't care for. Overall I enjoyed this book and it kept me chuckling. Also it's the first book I've won from a Goodreads Giveaway, so double the fun!

[Michelle]

What a mind this author has!Most of the jokes I got and liked.There were a few that weren't in my taste but that was the spelling.I have a thing for correct spelling.I overall think there are jokes in this book for anyone who has a sense of humor and appreciates someone elses.I am very glad to have won it on Goodreads and hope to see it show up in libraries for others to enjoy.

[Piret]

Some of the jokes are funny in this book but most are just random thoughts and words a child would blurt out. There are also a lot of jokes and sentences that are not finished on purpose, a lot of grammar butchering and a questionnaire in the end.
I personally think the book doesn't really make any sense but I can see how some people might enjoy it and get a kick out of it.

[Roger Smitter]

the book provides a few very funny statements but much of the material falls flat.

Example of something funny: What are shadows suspicious of?

On the same page you'll find: A man is known by the company he keeps advertising.

[Nicole Gauvin]

I won this book from a Good Reads giveaway. It was not funny. I gave it chance and stuck it out to page 62 but it was a long slog.