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- Title: Wit and Humor of America, Vol 02
- Author: Various Authors
- Narrator: LibriVox Volunteers
- Length: 05:14:13
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/01/2017
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Comedy, Satire & Parody
- ISBN13: SABLIB9786258
There’s something magical about discovering humor across generations – like finding a faded postcard in an antique shop that still makes you chuckle. That’s exactly the experience I had with “Wit and Humor of America, Vol 02”, a delightful time capsule of American comedy from a bygone era. As someone who’s spent countless hours listening to audiobooks while traversing everything from Andean mountain passes to Tokyo subway lines, I can tell you this collection offers a unique kind of travel – a journey through America’s comedic consciousness at the turn of the 20th century.
Listening to these 44 stories and poems (curated from 31 different authors) reminded me of evenings spent around campfires in New Mexico, where travelers would share jokes that somehow felt both dated and timeless. The humor here operates similarly – some pieces land with the crispness of a freshly pressed suit, while others require you to dust off your historical imagination to appreciate their charm.
“”The Audio Experience:””
The LibriVox volunteers – that noble brigade of public domain devotees – bring varied voices to this production. Like any anthology with multiple narrators, the quality fluctuates. Some readers have the cadence of your favorite college professor spinning yarns after class (particularly enjoyable in Mark Twain-esque pieces), while others sound like your kind but slightly nervous cousin reading at a family reunion. The audio quality reflects LibriVox’s crowdsourced nature – occasional background noises and inconsistent volumes that somehow add to the charm, like scratches on a vintage record.
“”Standout Moments:””
Several pieces shine with particular brilliance:
– The satirical takes on new technologies (remember, this was when electric lights and telephones were novel) that made me laugh thinking about how we now panic over AI
– Regional dialects captured in stories from the South and Midwest – linguistic time travel at its finest
– Poems with rhythms that beg to be read aloud, their meter bouncing along like a vaudeville performer’s routine
“”Cultural Archaeology:””
As an anthropologist by training, I was fascinated by what these jokes reveal about early 1900s America – the social anxieties wrapped in laughter, the acceptable targets of satire (politicians, then as now, took plenty of hits), and the sheer joy of wordplay before television diluted our collective attention span. Some pieces haven’t aged gracefully (fair warning for modern sensibilities), but many still deliver solid guffaws.
“”Perfect For:””
– Long road trips when you need engaging short-form content
– History buffs who want to understand everyday American life beyond textbooks
– Writers looking to study vintage comedic timing
– Anyone who appreciates the warm imperfections of volunteer-narrated audiobooks
While not every piece in this collection will land equally for contemporary ears, that’s part of its charm – like sampling a buffet of grandmother’s handwritten recipes. Some flavors surprise you with their enduring zest, while others taste distinctly of their time. Either way, this free audiobook offers a priceless opportunity to time-travel through laughter.
Keep laughing across the decades,
Marcus
Marcus Rivera
