May 6, 2009 (All Things Considered) — Moby Dick, Ulysses and The Sound and the Fury can cause cold sweats just by coming up on a syllabus, but author Jack Murnighan swears that these classics are packed with humor.
n p r n e w s
on:
NCPR is supported by:
This is a Visitor-Supported website.
More from NPR
May 21, 2013 — A high water table and red clay that soaks up the moisture make dry basements an expensive and iffy proposition right in the heart of Tornado Alley.
May 21, 2013 — Sens. Tom Coburn and James Inhofe have become the faces of pushback on federal emergency spending. Now the deadly and devastating tornado in their home state has put them in an awkward position.
May 21, 2013 — Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division dealing with nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status, will not testify on Wednesday despite a congressional subpoena, her attorney says. She is accused of closely scrutinizing conservative groups that sought tax-exempt status.
May 22, 2013 — NASA and Google have come together to buy a new kind of computer that the manufacturer says runs on the strange laws of quantum mechanics. But some physicists counter that the machine, known as the D-Wave Two, has never demonstrated a phenomenon known as "quantum entanglement."
May 22, 2013 — It's a hard time to be a saver. The return on a savings account doesn't even keep up with inflation, and that's led many savers to ask: What should I do with my money? NPR's Uri Berliner takes $5,000 out of his own personal savings and explores various investment opportunities.
'The Sound and the Fury' ()
Mining The Classics For Laughs (Even 'Moby Dick')
by Jack Murnighan
May 6, 2009 (All Things Considered) — Moby Dick, Ulysses and The Sound and the Fury can cause cold sweats just by coming up on a syllabus, but author Jack Murnighan swears that these classics are packed with humor.See this
Hear this
This text will be replaced
Explore this
Reported by
Jack Murnighan
Moby Dick, Ulysses and The Sound and the Fury can cause tremors or cold sweats just by coming up on a syllabus or in conversation at a cocktail party. And there's good reason: The terrifying trio present some real challenges to the reader (Moby Dick with its encyclopedism, Ulysses with its recondite vocabulary and constant experimentation, and The Sound and the Fury with its flip-flopping of times and names, and general narrative confusion).
But here's a secret key to finishing — and actually enjoying — these all-time intimidators: You have to realize how much humor is packed into each, and let laughter get you over the humps.
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.9(MDAxNzgwMTg5MDEyMTQ4Nzc4MjdiNWVmMw004))
'The Sound And The Fury'
The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner, paperback, 336 pages
'Moby Dick'
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, paperback, 464 pages
'Ulysses'
Ulysses, by James Joyce, paperback, 783 pages
Missing some content? Check the source: NPR
Copyright(c) 2013, NPR
'The Sound and the Fury' ()
Summer Books from Utah's Remote Librarian
May 27, 2007 (Weekend Edition Sunday) — Eve Tallman, director of the prize-winning Grand County Public Library in Moab, Utah, kicks off our annual summer reading series with a handful of books she's set aside for the season.In Moab, Utah, the local citizenry's expectations for their public library are as lofty as the colorful canyons, mesas and buttes that surround them.
It's Eve Tallman's job to meet those high expectations. She directs the Grand County Public Library in Moab, which serves a county the size of Delaware and Rhode Island put together.
Tallman's library — built to citizen specification — was recently named the best small library in 2007 by Library Journal.
Books on tape are a popular choice for locals who drive long distances in the remote region, Tallman says. A million international visitors come through Moab each year, many of whom are interested in climbing, canyoneering and rafting down the Colorado River.
Tallman, who enjoys canyoneering in her spare time, says the local landscape influences her reading choices. She kicks off Weekend Edition Sunday's annual summer reading series with a handful of books she's set aside for the season.
Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.9(MDAxNzgwMTg5MDEyMTQ4Nzc4MjdiNWVmMw004))
'The Sound And The Fury'
The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner, paperback, 336 pages
'Moby Dick'
Moby Dick, by Herman Melville, paperback, 464 pages
'Ulysses'
Ulysses, by James Joyce, paperback, 783 pages
Missing some content? Check the source: NPR
Copyright(c) 2013, NPR
