Let There Be Laughter

A Treasury of Great Jewish Humor and What It All Means

By: Michael Krasny

Narrated by: Michael Krasny

Michael Krasny has been telling Jewish jokes since his bar mitzvah, and it's been said that he knows more of them than anyone on the planet. He certainly states his case in this wise, enlightening, and hilarious book that not only collects the best of Jewish humor passed down from generation to generation but explains the cultural expressions and anxieties behind the laughs.

With his background as a scholar and public-radio host, Krasny delves deeply into the themes, topics, and form of Jewish humor: chauvinism undercut by irony and self-mockery; the fear of losing cultural identity through assimilation; the importance of vocal inflection in joke telling; and calls to communal memory, including the use of Yiddish. Borrowing from traditional humor and such Jewish comedy legends as Jackie Mason, Mel Brooks, Joan Rivers, Larry David, Sarah Silverman, Jerry Seinfeld, and Amy Schumer, Let There Be Laughter is an absolute pleasure for the chosen and goyim alike.

©2016 Michael Krasny (P)2016 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Love it

I've listened to the book at least 10 times so far great jokes and awesome delivery

Culturally Interesting

My father's family was Jewish so I always enjoy learning about the faith and culture and this book explained a lot about my own father's sense of humor.

There are many funny jokes and stories, though few were new to me. All together, this book would have been better if it had been read by a professional reader, or even better still, by a Jewish comedian. The reading was dry and the timing off on the jokes.

Very haimish, absolutely loved it!

My fiancée and I enjoyed listening to this book immensely. It was quality time together with a quality book. The jokes resonated with both of us, with her being Sephardic and me Ashkenazik.

I personally enjoyed this as I grew up listening to these Jewish comedians. They helped to mold the sense of humor I have today. I like to say, while my fiancée was learning from the likes of Rambam, Maimonides, Nachmonides, Tarfon and Eliezer, I was learning from The Marx Brothers, Three Stooges, Lenny Bruce, Don Rickles, Rodney Dangerfield, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Gilbert Godfried, Mort Sal, Henry Yungman, and honorary Jew Robin Williams. Thank you for the laughs and insightful stories. I will be buying the hardback book and adding it to my library of Jewish Humor books.

Could’ve been ...

...really laugh-out loud funny. But it’s never funny to ***explain*** why something ‘s funny. So overall you have to settle on getting a little education and a little humor. Overall definitely worth the read though.

Suggestions

When he tells or reads, he needs to pause or do something to indicate going to the next joke. It runs together and can at times be confusing. Also it might help to have his voice rise or fall with more expression. Great content of jokes and very interesting analysis kept me listening.

It's great and I don't like joke books Highly recommend for you. Just hilarious

It's great and I don't like joke books Highly recommend for you. Just hilarious like none o

GREAT ANALYSIS BUT HARD TO MAINTAIN DIRECTION

VERY ASTUTE ANAYSIS OF JEWISH HUMOUR AND THE SOURCE OF THE ANGST WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO THE HARD HITTING EFFECT OF HISTORICAL TRUTHS WITH REGARD TO THE PERCEIVED, OR HORRENDOUSLY FACTUAL, PERSECRUTION OF JEWS.. NOT REALLY A HUMOUR BOOK IN ITS OWN RIGHT BUT A GOOD BOOK TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING THE SOURCE OF WHAT IS PERCIEVED HUMEROUS BY INDIVIDUALS WITH A JEWISH BACKGROUND OR HERITAGE. very MUCH IN LINE WITH THE HUMOUR OF MEMBERS OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH RELATING TO A CATHOLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION.

When the reader is essential

Krasny categorizes Jewish humor so the reader gains a sense of history and culture , making the humor meaningful as well as entertaining. Since much of the humor derives from Yiddish, an expressive idiom, I recommend Krasny's reading aloud rather than a print book. That said , the tone can be rather predictable, the pacing unvaried