What makes the English laugh? Is it possible to reach an understanding of the English sense of humour through the study of literature? This course provides an investigation of a wealth of humorous literature in an effort to seek answers to these questions. 

Using a cultural studies approach, literary texts will be considered in tandem with essays about the philosophy and psychology of humour, and there will be opportunities to explore more ephemeral examples, such as seaside postcards, radio and television comedy (from Monty Python to Fleabag). We will consider the roots of comedy from Chaucer to Sterne, and embark on an exploration of the modern comic novel, by authors such as PG Wodehouse, Jerome K Jerome and Stella Gibbons. A variety of comic genres will be encountered, such as the diary form, satirical journalism, and genre fiction, written by authors such as Helen Fielding, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams. With a focus on linguistic play, challenge to the dominant world view, and an English fascination with class politics, the course will ask whether and how far we can understand another’s culture through laughter.