In "An Essay on Comedy and the Uses of the Comic Spirit," George Meredith offers a profound analysis of the nature of comedy and its role in literature and society. Delving deep into the essence of humor, Meredith examines the ways in which comedy reflects human nature, societal norms, and the intricacies of relationships. This classic essay remains a must-read for anyone interested in the art of comedic writing and its broader implications.

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In this book, Meredith's prose is presented for the first time in a critical edition. Its goal is to present Meredith's words as he intended them to be read, without the errors of his publishers, and with a complete scholarly apparatus that allows readers to re-create the history of each work's transmission. Each text, originally published in the New Quarterly Magazine between 1877 and 1879, is accompanied by a textual history, a list of editorial emendations, a historical collation (showing how Meredith's texts changed over time), and additional lists and tables as determined by the special circumstances of each text.

Excerpt from An Essay on Comedy: And the Uses of the Comic Spirit Moreover, to touch and kindle the mind through laughter, demands more than sprightliness, a most subtle delicacy. That must be a natal gift in the Comic poet. The substance he deals with will show him a startling exhibition of the dyer's hand, if he is without it. People are ready to surrender themselves to witty thumps on the back, breast, and sides; all except the head: and it is there that he aims. He must be subtle to penetrate. A corresponding acute ness must exist to welcome him. The necessity for the two conditions will explain how it is that we count him during centuries in the singular number. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

An Essay on comedy and the uses of the comic spirit George Meredith Good Comedies are such rare productions, that notwithstanding the wealth of our literature in the Comic element, it would not occupy us long to run over the English list. If they are brought to the test I shall propose, very reputable Comedies will be found unworthy of their station, like the ladies of Arthur's Court when they were reduced to the ordeal of the mantle. There are plain reasons why the Comic poet is not a frequent apparition; and why the great Comic poet remains without a fellow. A society of cultivated men and women is required, wherein ideas are current and the perceptions quick, that he may be supplied with matter and an audience. The semi-barbarism of merely giddy communities, and feverish emotional periods, repel him; and also a state of marked social inequality of the sexes; nor can he whose business is to address the mind be understood where there is not a moderate degree of intellectual activity. Moreover, to touch and kindle the mind through laughter, demands more than sprightliness, a most subtle delicacy. That must be a natal gift in the Comic poet. The substance he deals with will show him a startling exhibition of the dyer's hand, if he is without it. People are ready to surrender themselves to witty thumps on the back, breast, and sides; all except the head: and it is there that he aims. He must be subtle to penetrate. A corresponding acuteness must exist to welcome him. The necessity for the two conditions will explain how it is that we count him during centuries in the singular number. 'C'est une étrange entreprise que celle de faire rire les honnètes gens, ' Molière says; and the difficulty of the undertaking cannot be over-estimated. Then again, he is beset with foes to right and left, of a character unknown to the tragic and the lyric poet, or even to philosophers. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.