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While the Humour is On Me
A collection of humorous essays on life in Ireland in the 1950's.
"Mr Sheridan has made a trade of laughter and can write with the same effortless ease about Fur Coats and Furniture Vans, Black Grapes and Sandwich Men, Wedding Cakes and Petrol Pumps, finding in all of them that kindly humour which every reader, young and old, will recognise at once as authentic. And in "While the Humour is on Me" he is at his happiest and best." [original blurb]
"Mr Sheridan has made a trade of laughter and can write with the same effortless ease about Fur Coats and Furniture Vans, Black Grapes and Sandwich Men, Wedding Cakes and Petrol Pumps, finding in all of them that kindly humour which every reader, young and old, will recognise at once as authentic. And in "While the Humour is on Me" he is at his happiest and best." [original blurb]
204 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1954
About the author
John D. Sheridan
37 books3 followers[From Wikipedia]
John Desmond Sheridan (1903–1980) was an Irish novelist, short story writer, and humourist. He was a frequent contributor to the Irish Independent newspaper. In addition to his novels and essays, he also published several books of poetry, and authored a biography of poet James Clarence Mangan in 1937.
John Desmond Sheridan (1903–1980) was an Irish novelist, short story writer, and humourist. He was a frequent contributor to the Irish Independent newspaper. In addition to his novels and essays, he also published several books of poetry, and authored a biography of poet James Clarence Mangan in 1937.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
August 20, 2020
Like all of Sheridan's works, this book is very much of its time. It's an interesting insight into the mid-century middle-class Irish worldview.
Is he sexist? Yes. Is he misogynistic? No, not at all. He is wrong about many things because he grew up in a time when the Man was Head of the House, corporal punishment was Good for the Soul and Catholicism was the Literal and Only Truth. And yet he remains gentle and kind, and his humour is good-natured to a fault.
I see him as an example of how it is possible to live in a society that is systematically wrong, and still be a good person and, conversely, how it is possible to be as well-intentioned as possible and yet end up being fundamentally wrong in ways you never imagined.
At the time, the Liverpool Press said: "There is something just a little lamb-like about the essays of John D. Sheridan – and we refer, of course to the immortal Elia and not to anything woolly". I agree that he deserves to be mentioned alongside Lamb and other famous essayists. (OK, I'll admit that his style is forced and deliberate, but it works. His puns may not be spontaneous but they're funny. And he's waaaayyy more readable than, say, Hazlitt.) But the most lamb-like thing about John D. Sheridan is his innocence, and his essays are still little breaths of fresh air, even though they need to be taken with a few grains of salt.
Is he sexist? Yes. Is he misogynistic? No, not at all. He is wrong about many things because he grew up in a time when the Man was Head of the House, corporal punishment was Good for the Soul and Catholicism was the Literal and Only Truth. And yet he remains gentle and kind, and his humour is good-natured to a fault.
I see him as an example of how it is possible to live in a society that is systematically wrong, and still be a good person and, conversely, how it is possible to be as well-intentioned as possible and yet end up being fundamentally wrong in ways you never imagined.
At the time, the Liverpool Press said: "There is something just a little lamb-like about the essays of John D. Sheridan – and we refer, of course to the immortal Elia and not to anything woolly". I agree that he deserves to be mentioned alongside Lamb and other famous essayists. (OK, I'll admit that his style is forced and deliberate, but it works. His puns may not be spontaneous but they're funny. And he's waaaayyy more readable than, say, Hazlitt.) But the most lamb-like thing about John D. Sheridan is his innocence, and his essays are still little breaths of fresh air, even though they need to be taken with a few grains of salt.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review