WIT'S END What Wit Is, How It Works, and Why We Need It

James Geary's essays on wit--what it is, how it's manifested--give narrators David De Vries, JD Jackson, and Janet Metzger vocal workouts. His discussions of topics such as jive and stand-up comedy become examples of the forms themselves. He starts with a mock Alexander Pope poem; De Vries narrates the couplets in a British accent that makes them sound like Shakespeare. As Geary keeps up the parodies throughout, listeners may not feel as if they're learning while they chuckle. But Geary is providing informative observations on wit--for example, on the way Wile E. Coyote's misadventures play with expectations. Geary becomes more serious as he discusses Robin Williams's suicide and puns that get around censorship in China. This audiobook could help listeners craft better puns as it reveals the secrets of silliness. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2019]