I was amused by these humorous reviews of Big Books in the American Canon. the sad tale of Edgar Allen Poe is especially touching. ( )

The subtitle says it all: A short history of American literature for long-suffering students, for teachers who manage to keep one chapter ahead of the class, and for all those who, no longer being in school, can happily sink back into illiteracy. American lit relit is Richard Armour at his punny best, taking us through American literature one pun at a time. He covers all the usual suspects, from Anne Bradstreet though Whittier, Poe, Twain, Hemingway and many others.

It helps to know a bit about each author and work, but not necessary for enjoyment. For instance: “[St. John de Crèvecœur] asks the question, ‘What is an American?’ … [he] answers in about six thousand words. Apparently it didn’t occur to him to say, “An American is a person who lives in America.” Or: “Who does not know the opening line of many of Longfellow’s poems? Before answering this question, here is another. Who knows the rest of the poem?” Armour adds footnotes to his text to further explain the text and they are sometimes funnier (or punnier) than the text – read the explanation of why Henry James did not eat at home and then read the footnote.

The text is complemented by black and white illustrations by Campbell Grant. I found myself looking to see which authors were wearing shoes, socks or slippers. I haven’t yet discovered the significance or if the fact that Twain’s slippers had polka dots had any relevance.

This book may not help you pass a college course in American literature but it will make you laugh and/or groan. ( )

A very funny book looking at the history of story telling and literature. It pokes fun at the classics.
All the "history" is told alongside line drawings in that '1960's style'.
If you are at all familiar with some of the cannon of Western literature, your side will split. ( )