Humour in HP.

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 186571

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "eggplant107" <eggplant107 at ...> wrote:
>
>  "Carol" <justcarol67@> wrote:
> 
> > Carol, who doesn't have access to Britcoms and is still
> > somewhat at a loss regarding understated British humor
> >(maybe I should look for it in Jane Austen!) 

Eggplant: 
> Nah Jane Austen is bush league, go with the real deal, go with Monty Python; not the TV show go with the movies. Pure brilliance expressed as only the British can! 
 
> JKR has lots of humor in her books, it's interesting that the only other fantasy writer that anybody dares to mention in the same breath as her is Tolkien (OK, Pullman too), and in all the Rings books I can find only one joke, and it stank big time. 

Geoff:
I wonder which joke that was? 

Also, have you missed out on CSL? There are some quite funny moments 
there too.

There is a saying that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" - this could 
be restated as "humour...."

I love series which use dry humour and verbal jokes. As examples, "Yes 
Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister" absolutely have me rolling on the floor. 

Some humour, though, which hinges on embarrassment leaves me 
cringing. I find it almost impossible to read (or watch) Harry's first meeting 
with Dobby.

One piece of JKR's armoury of humour which has not been mentioned but 
I have always appreciated is her use of word play in names... There is quite 
a long list but as examples I would cite, in passing,  Diagon Alley. 
Durmstrang, Grimmauld, Knockturn Alley, Kreacher and even the change
of use of words such as Apparition and Disillusion.

I appreciate many of the examples which have been mentioned by others. 
Perhaps I will  add some of my own when I have a little more time - it being 
07:45 here in the UK with the household just getting into gear. My cereal 
and toast is calling!