Now, when my english teacher told me to read 'The Human Comedy' by William Saroyan, I was open minded. I read the book, and wasn't too thrilled by it, but I figured 'Oh well, I'm done with it'. Then, out of the blue, my teacher tells me to do a report on the humour in the human comedy. This was too much. Despite the fact that it's called 'The Human Comedy' there is nothing funny about it. It's a boring, depressing and confusing book and I simply don't see any humour in it. In fact, the only thing funny about the book, was after the actual story in a little section called 'For Reflection, Conversation, Writing and Sketching' Allow me to give you an example:  "Most people read through The Human Comedy without stopping; One reader did so in an hour and a half.  After reading it, you will find it profitable to browse through the pages and reflect upon the chapter titles and recall the events" Yes....Yes it must be VERY profitable to recall the chapter titles....Thank god I browsed through the chapter titles.....What if I had forgotten about the one called 'Ancient History'. It would be very un-profitable if I had forgotten.....  "As you must have discovered, it is fun to talk over books with others." Yes, I MUST have discovered that somewhere along my journey through life. It is very fun to discuss books. "Hey Thomas, do you recall the chater called 'Ancient History'?"  "Yes, I find it very profitable to do so" *rolls eyes* "Many of the happenings in the human Comedy may recall experiences to you and impel you to talk of them and to write"  Indeed, many of the experiences from 1943 impel me to talk about my experiences in World War ][ America.........I now feel the need to write about them...  "In all probability Mr. Saroyan would say "Write! Don't pause to ask whether the result will be poem, essay, story, play or novel. Write!"  Well, I hate to tell you this, but in all probability, Mr Saroyan is dead. Dead! Don't pause to ask whether it was homicide, suicide, or natural causes. He's dead!  "Are Mr. Freeman's sketches dramatic? frivolous? Has the artist caught the mood of the story?" Simply, the answer is NO.  "What is the scene of the novel: California, nowhere, everywhere?"  My guess is 'nowhere'. Thanks for trying to make me think though... "Saroyan's character's stop to tell what they value."  No kidding. This is what annoyed me most about this book. The characters would just start going off about how they were alone in the world, and yet they were everyone and all this other crap. And they would do this for no reason at all. These people have problems... "Hey Homer, do you know what time it is?" "Yes, it is the time that it has always been.  If we were someone else, would the time go quicker? Slower? What is time? Are WE time? Is that kid time? Is my uncle Bernie time?"
"Homer and Ulysses don't understand about Death. Neither did the child in Wordsworth's poem, for she insisted "We are seven""  Thanks for explaining to us WHAT Wordsworth's poem was, and how the phrase "We are seven" explained that the child didn't understand death.  "Mr Grogan weaves in the fact that the accumulating of money is most unimportant'he goes right on, "It's a night letter." He concludes comments on immortality by asking, "Are you any good at pitching horseshoes?""  Yes...or course...because we all know how horseshoes portray immortality....Does anyone understand how 'It's a night letter' fits in? I'm confused....  "What could be more democratic than the incident in the first chapter in which Ulysses waves at the negro on the train that is passing?"  I can just see it now... Ulysses: "Okay, now we're going to take a vote to see who would like to wave at this passing Negro...All for? All Opposed? All right, Let's wave" *waves*  Now, I'd like to continue with this Saroyan bashing but I'm too damn mad.......That bastard....