To Study the Art of Gentle Sarcasm, Read The Double –Jack Murders by Patrick F. McManus
Today a lot of humor is based on nasty sarcasm. McManus’ humor is different. His sarcasm combines both wit and irony, but nobody is deeply wounded. It’s more like the good-natured teasing between friends.
In The Double-Jack Murders, Sheriff Bo Tully, his associates, friends, relatives, and adversaries serve the zingers with easy lobs. For example, when he tells his lunch date, Susan, that at Crabbs’ restaurant he always orders the beef dip and fries, and it’s always good, she says, “That’s what I like about you, Bo, your sense of adventure.”
When Tully’s dad, Pap, comments, “I’ve always found fleeing to be the best defense,”
Tully says, “I come from a family of warriors.” That’s gentle sarcasm. And the book is full of such gentle jabs.
For an instructive sampling of Patrick McManus work, read The Deer on a Bicycle, excursions into the writing of humor. While humor often suffers from analysis, the author offers examples of his funny stuff with commentary on how it was constructed and what makes them work.
I am an Amazon Associate, so both I and Patrick will profit if you buy either of the above books. And that’s a very good thing.
Here’s a freebie from my portfolio. Example X The Exit Interview.
###
Filed under: Examples, Insights & Opinions, Resources, Writing Technique