The Comedy of Survival: Literary Ecology and a Play Ethic

by Joseph W. Meeker

Since publication of the first edition more than twenty years ago, The Comedy of Survival has been credited as the founding work in the field of literary ecology, the study of relationships between the literary arts and scientific ecology. Here, Joseph Meeker expands upon his consideration of comedy and tragedy, not as dramatic motifs for humor and sadness but rather as forms of adaptive behavior in the natural world that either promote our survival (comedy) or estrange us from other life forms (tragedy). In this third major edition of his classic work, Meeker examines the role of literature in shaping such behavior. Drawing upon centuries of western writing from Dante to Shakespeare to E. O. Wilson, he demonstrates the universality of comedy in both human and animal behavior and shows how the comic mode helps us to live in harmony with nature. Meeker then defines the tragic view of life, interweaving that behavior with exploitation of the environment. With imagination and flair, the author also introduces the idea of a play ethic, as opposed to a work ethic, and demonstrates the importance of play as a necessary and desirable component of the comic spirit. Within a growing body of environmental literature dealing with spirituality, ethics, ecofeminism, nature writing, and alternative lifestyles, Meeker's is a one-of-a-kind book, combining elements of literary criticism, ethology, New Age thinking, and personal narrative. Full of provocative twists and turns, The Comedy of Survival is a book for literary critics, environmentalists, human ecologists, philosophers, and anthropologists. Many will find much to ponder in this clear explication of how we might become better stewards of the Earth.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Ecology, Politics

133 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book derives his knowledge from ideally two separate disciplines (English Lit. and Ecology) and drives hard into personal and family account, history, and philosophy to bring about a seeming collection of essays, revised now twice I believe. To be honest, I haven't found something this worthwhile or in-line with my own observations and philosophies of how life works, should work, and sometimes doesn't, since I read Kerouac's On The Road at sixteen. This is more than a science, much more than aesthetics, this is a description of the human condition, on a respirator or healthy as an ox. Meeker brings humanity down to earth like a major religious tradition would: the toil, commitment, dedication or spirituality of it. How are we animals? How are we not? As a writer myself, I see the literary metaphors, allusions and comparisons quite clearly. But how unimportant they are when you look back at having read this book and see how well-defined and steel-sculpted we are as human beings, how resilient, stubborn or just plain dumb and unthinking we can be, as even the family pet.

I bought this book at half it's cover price at a book warehouse in Cleveland and while waiting to give a reading that night in that part of the city. This book unfolded for me, changed shape and metamorphosed into something altogether more important to me than me and my writing could have ever made me feel that night. I highly recommend reading this...

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique blend of literature, philosophy, spirituality, and ecology that offers a fresh narrative of the human condition. Feels like encountering a wise sage during a hike; he invites you to listen, alters your view of the world, leaves you renewed, and makes you wonder why you don't explore nature more often. Deep and very good. Found this by reading Play by Stuart Brown, which I recommend reading first.

[Candy Wood]

Meeker’s subtitle is “Studies in Literary Ecology,” and the book is a convincing argument for interdisciplinarity, discarding the boxes that American education so often puts knowledge in and encouraging scientists and humanists to learn from each other. Showing that tragedy from its origins in ancient Greece emphasized “the supreme importance of the individual personality” in a world where nature is seen as made for human exploitation and morality derives from an external source, he argues that those assumptions have led to our present environmental crisis. Because comedy has not shared those assumptions, instead reflecting the need for humans to adapt to the external world in order to survive, he holds that it is a better model. The picaresque, especially, offers a model of learning from experience, unlike the pastoral, where humans manipulate the natural world they idealize as an escape. Examples from literature including Dante, Hamlet, and Heller’s Catch-22 support the argument in this early work of ecocriticism.

[KA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than a book of literary criticism; it is a book of ethics and spirituality as well. One of those books that is truly liberating. I'll definitely re-read it, and I'd recommend it to anybody!

[Aaron]

Recommended by other play book
Not in Libby or CV library

[Shayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating view of two worldviews, and an apology for the comic. This book isn't long, but you have to read it to get why it's important. Deeply erudite and well thought out, but stops short of explaining the deep ideas contained therein; leaves that to the reader instead.

[Christy]

My full review of this book is here: http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/04/1...