Public-domain ebook
by Kate Sanborn
Language: en4,191 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Humour·Essays, Letters & Speeches
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #28503.
The Wit of Women" is a curated anthology that sets out to prove, with a blend of humor and scholarship, that women have long possessed a lively sense of wit. The book opens with a confident declaration from Kate Sanborn that the female humor “is not affected by such trifles as ‘chestnuts,’” and proceeds to assemble a variety of anecdotes, epigrams, puns, and verses collected from magazines, literary friends, and well‑known publications. Sanborn frames her project as a “summer’s gleaning” of material that has been largely overlooked, promising readers a mixture of fresh jokes and historic examples that together argue for the parity of women’s wit with that of men.
Sanborn’s voice is conversational yet erudite, marked by a playful irony that mirrors the very humor she celebrates. Written in the late nineteenth century, the style reflects the period’s penchant for elaborate diction, frequent allusions, and a didactic tone that still manages to amuse. Readers who enjoy Victorian literary criticism, collections of epigrams, or any exploration of gendered humor will find this work rewarding. It especially appeals to those interested in the cultural history of women’s writing, as well as to anyone who appreciates a lively, well‑sourced compendium of witty repartee.
The opening · free to read
While the wit of men, as a subject for admiration and discussion, is now threadbare, the wit of women has been almost utterly ignored and unrecognized.
With the joy and honest pride of a discoverer, I present the results of a summer's gleaning.
And I feel a cheerful and Colonel Sellers-y confidence in the success of the book, for every woman will want to own it, as a matter of pride and interest, and many men will buy it just to see what women think they can do in this line. In fact, I expect a call for a second volume!
KATE SANBORN. HANOVER, N.H., August, 1885.
My thanks are due to so many publishers, magazine editors, and personal friends for material for this book, that a formal note of acknowledgment seems meagre and unsatisfactory. Proper credit, however, has been given all through the volume, and with special indebtedness to Messrs. Harper & Brothers and Charles Scribner's Sons of New York, and Houghton, Mifflin & Co. of Boston. I add sincere gratitude to all who have so generously contributed whatever was requested.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. PAGE THE MELANCHOLY TONE OF WOMEN'S POETRY--PUNS, GOOD AND BAD--EPIGRAMS AND LACONICS--CYNICISM OF FRENCH WOMEN--SENTENCES CRISP AND SPARKLING 13
The book keeps going
Reading is free forever. Sign up and watch scenes appear while you read.
Scenes Storieta drew for other classics.
New illustrated classics
Once or twice a month: the latest books to get full character casts, scene art, and free comic editions. No account needed.
