Project Gutenberg 2006-05-02 Public domain in the USA. 508 L'Estrange, A. G. K. (Alfred Guy Kingan) 1832 1915 L'Estrange, Alfred Guy Kingan Estrange, A. G. K. l' (Alfred Guy Kingan) History of English Humour, Vol. 1 With an Introduction upon Ancient Humour E-text prepared by Barbara Tozier, Janet Blenkinship, Bill Tozier, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team "History of English Humour, Vol. 1" by A. G. K. L'Estrange is an analytical exploration of humorous literature and its evolution written in the late 19th century. The primary focus of this volume is on the origins of humour, weaving through ancient civilisations, Greek and Roman comedic traditions, and into the early development of English humour. L'Estrange aims to uncover the subjective nature of the ludicrous, the different phases of laughter, and the mental characteristics that distinguish humour from mere silliness. The opening portion lays the foundation for this comprehensive study by examining the elusive nature of humour and its general neglect in serious philosophical discourse. L'Estrange discusses how the ludicrous—often fleeting and difficult to define—has been largely overlooked by scholars, despite its significant emotional impact on human interaction. He delves into the psychological aspects of laughter, emphasizing the necessity of understanding humour as stemming from our mental constitution rather than merely from the external world. By presenting both historical and philosophical frameworks, the text sets a compelling stage for exploring how humour developed across different cultures, leading ultimately to English comedic forms. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 65.8 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en English wit and humor -- History and criticism Wit and humor -- History and criticism PR Text Category: Humour Category: History - British Category: Psychiatry/Psychology Category: Philosophy & Ethics 624285 2025-08-08T03:55:08.237707 text/html 636123 2006-05-02T15:35:21 text/html 319457 2025-08-08T03:55:21.922119 application/epub+zip 324858 2025-08-08T03:55:12.712659 application/epub+zip 311095 2025-08-08T03:55:10.751720 application/epub+zip 597087 2025-08-08T03:55:27.578102 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 548525 2025-08-08T03:55:19.924148 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 523887 2022-09-08T15:45:54.109437 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 521830 2025-08-08T03:55:06.794704 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 521610 2006-05-02T15:24:39 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 521697 2006-05-02T15:24:39 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20899 2025-08-08T03:55:27.726082 application/rdf+xml 16105 2025-08-08T03:55:11.304650 image/jpeg 3815 2025-08-08T03:55:11.021648 image/jpeg 208669 2006-05-02T15:24:39 application/octet-stream application/zip 225369 2006-05-02T15:35:44 application/octet-stream application/zip 208632 2006-05-02T15:24:40 application/octet-stream application/zip 300946 2025-08-08T03:55:08.281671 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog