Cover of The Big Book of Irony

The Big Book of Irony

Jon Winokur defines and classifies irony and contrasts it with coincidence and cynicism, and other oft-confused concepts that many think are ironic.

Read more

He looks at the different forms irony can take, from an irony deficiency to visual irony to an understatement, using photographs and relate-able examples from pop culture.

* "Irony in Action" looks at irony in language, both verbal and visual, while "Bastions of Irony" and "Masters of Irony" look at institutions and individuals steeped in irony, though not always intentionally.

PLUS:

* The Annals of Irony looks at irony, and its lack thereof, throughout history.

A delight for anyone with a smart, dark sense of humor.

Audience
adult
Length
short · 192 pages

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it. Point at it (on a phone, tap it) for less of it instead.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked The Big Book of Irony? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked The Big Book of Irony. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation Shares nonfiction, writing, language
  2. Alphabetter Juice: or, The Joy of Text Shares nonfiction, language, humor
  3. Literally, the Best Language Book Ever: Annoying Words and Abused Phrases You Should Never Use Again Shares nonfiction, language, writing
  4. Things That Make Us (Sic): The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World Shares nonfiction, language, humor

“If you want more of the same (humor about writers), start with these.”

  1. Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day
  2. The Joy of Lex
  3. I Never Knew There Was a Word For It
  4. They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases

“If it was the language that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. Away with Words: An Irreverent Tour Through the World of Pun Competitions
  2. Wordbirds: An Irreverent Lexicon for the 21st Century
  3. Armed Gunmen, True Facts, and Other Ridiculous Nonsense: A Compiled Compendium of Repetitive Redundancies
  4. Fry's English Delight: Series 1

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. The Concept of Irony: With Continual Reference to Socrates/Notes of Schelling's Berlin Lectures
  2. Mandarins: Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
  3. Next World Novella
  4. Small Pieces Loosely Joined: A Unified Theory Of The Web