2023-05-31
A comedy critic charts the history and evolution of American comedy.
“This is a love story,” writes Vulture senior editor Fox, invoking the famous quote from Season 2 of Fleabag. The author is a proud “member of the Seinfeld generation, a term I just made up to refer to the sort of millennial who grew up watching Seinfeld and, in turn, always knowing and caring about what goes into a stand-up’s comedy.” That passion for comedy led to this book, which “focuses on comedy made from 1990 through the early 2020s. This is the period in which millennials, and then Gen Z, emerged as cultural consumers.” Over the course of the narrative, Fox charts the history of comedy, evolving from “joke-jokes,” joke-book jokes that “have been around for millennia,” and comedians’ jokes, “a complete comedic idea.” Each chapter focuses on a different theme, including stand-up, “the most extreme example of comedy’s natural selection” that spans minstrel shows of the 1830s to vaudeville to the comedy clubs of the 1960s and ’70s; a thoughtful assessment of how, for better or worse, humor ages; a game defense of lowbrow humor, in which Fox wisely notes that “lowbrow does not mean low quality”; the immense influence of Jon Stewart’s Daily Show and the ways in which “comedy does and does not foster political progress”; the personal, confessional work of such figures as Hannah Gadsby and Jerrod Carmichael; and the rise of alternative comedy. The author occasionally tries too hard to be funny—e.g., “Seinfeld was less Waiting for Godot and more waiting for good joke”—but he’s clearly passionate about his subject and has an encyclopedic knowledge of modern humor. This book is like the work of a good comedian: inevitably hit or miss, but the best bits are comedy gold.
A well-informed, appreciative assessment of the current state of comedy.
"[An] energetic and wise book . . . Comedy Book is not the definitive history of the past three-plus decades. It’s Fox’s history, and better for it." —Rich Juzwiak, The New York Times Book Review
"A blend of criticism, history, and personal experience, Fox’s Comedy Book is the equivalent of talking with an extremely smart friend about something they are absolutely obsessed with." —Isaac Fitzgerald, Today Show
"Compendious, deeply considered, provoking, and rather dizzying . . . There’s a rhythm and an expertise about comedy criticism right now (Fox’s very much included) that reminds me of good jazz writing from the ’50s and ’60s: savvy, insidery, immersed, excited, with its own developing vocabulary . . . A bonus side effect of reading Comedy Book, of reading about all these comedians and their processes, was that I was cured, finally, of my sentimental attachment to the idea of the stand-up as truth-telling philosophe." —James Parker, The Atlantic
"That which makes us laugh reveals what we value, or so Jesse David Fox argues in this deft and detailed history of comedy through the 1990s into the 2020s and its path to cultural and political dominance. Both humorous and intellectually rigorous, Comedy Book is an essential read for anyone who’s curious how and why comedy became a perspective through which we make sense of the modern age." —Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE
"Jesse David Fox is a shrewd and incisive critic of a vibrant and mutable art form that historically rejects criticism . . . he writes movingly about the craft of comedy – both its deft, hilarious uses and its hack, cruel abuses." —Glen Weldon, NPR
"Fox achieves an analytic rigor that is notable: He’s genuinely curious about the form’s twists and turns, and he is a true expert on comedy’s contemporary history . . . By the end of Comedy Book, I still didn’t care about comedy’s classification, but I did remember why I fell in love with it in the first place." —Ginny Hogan, The Nation
"The comedy book that Comedy the Art Form didn’t have until now — a vibrant mash of meaning and history that pokes into how comedy ages; conservatives and jokes; the genius of lowbrow and more." —Chicago Tribune
"Few people writing about comedy nowadays do so with the diligence or verve that Jesse David Fox brings to the table. You might recognize him from his work as host of the podcast Good One, or his incisive writing on the subject at Vulture and elsewhere. At a time when comedians are getting massive deals from streaming services and comedians occupy a substantial share of the pop culture space, a comprehensive look at how we got here feels like essential reading — and that’s exactly what Fox has assembled." —Tobias Carroll, InsideHook
"Electric . . . [Fox] has a knack for finding revelations in unexpected places . . . There are fresh perspectives on every page, and the style is as humorous as one would expect . . . Brilliant and a pleasure to read, this raises the bar for comedy studies." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Jesse David Fox is not only very funny but also one of the most thoughtful writers about comedy working today. Comedy Book catalogs the most inventive voices in the field, but also changes the way we talk about an art form that is more diverse and exciting than ever before.” —Seth Meyers
"I thought I was the ultimate obsessed comedy nerd but after reading Jesse David Fox’s comprehensive Comedy Book I realized there is someone out there much sicker than me." —Judd Apatow
"This is a book for people who love comedy, and for people who know nothing about comedy and are curious about who is in there and how it can all work. This is a sharp, loving, well written exploration and analysis of the art form that makes us smile, helps us relate, and is perpetually mysterious. Comedy Book is excellent for many reasons, but my favorite one is that Jesse David Fox lays it all out in a way that still allows the reader to wonder. He writes about the power and mystery of comedy in a way that only adds to that very power and that very mystery." —Jenny Slate
“Not a single person alive knows, consumes or truly loves comedy like Jesse David Fox." —Tig Notaro
"Many people write about comedy but nobody writes about it with such passion and knowledge as Jesse David Fox. His Comedy Book is a thorough and caring ride through the world of comedy. I am honored to write a blurb for the book so hopefully he will write nice things about me for many years to come!" —Nick Kroll
"As someone who has been in the comedy game for 15 years and also loves to nerd out, this is one of the most comprehensive and delightful books on comedy I've ever read. It's such a joyful read from someone who, for as long as I've known him, has the purest love of stand-up, sitcoms, improv, and everything else comedy related. I'm proud of Jesse and this book and it's an honor to have him tell our story and also teach me some thangs! It's a must read!” —Phoebe Robinson
"A fascinating snapshot at a crucial moment in the fast-mutating world of comedy. Jesse David Fox has taken a loving look at where comedy stands today, and this will become a hilarious, and much-referred to, historical document when it all warps and mutates again." —Patton Oswalt
"Taking comedy seriously sounds mighty fishy to me. Then I read this juicy book and said, ‘Well, hold on a second, I think the kid has a point!’ And you know what? Everyone else in my cult agreed!" —Aparna Nancherla
"Jesse Fox’s Comedy Book knocks our socks off showing how comedy not only became a major cultural force, but a form of literature unto itself, and a high art." —Jerry Saltz, author of Art is Life
"[A] smart and comprehensive survey of the world of modern comedy . . . In Comedy Book, Jesse David Fox serves as a knowledgeable and informative guide to the world of contemporary comedy, and its diverse practitioners and forms." —Shelf Awareness
"A thoughtful assessment of how, for better or worse, humor ages . . . [Fox is] clearly passionate about his subject and has an encyclopedic knowledge of modern humor . . . A well-informed, appreciative assessment of the current state of comedy." —Kirkus
