Stephen Leacock – författare

Of the many books by Canada’s most celebrated humorist, none has received more acclaim than his brilliant, caustic treatment of the glittering rich who gather at the Mausoleum Club on Plutoria Avenue.Today, Leacock’s pointed satire of the privileged class, and their social abuses and pretences, retains every ounce of its freshness and bite. An undisputed comic masterpiece, Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich reveals a depth of compassionate criticism rare in Leacock’s writings.From the Paperback edition.

This celebrated collection of sketches sparkles with Stephen Leacock’s humour and shines with the warmth of his wit.The comical E.P., star of the title essay, “My Remarkable Uncle,” is a classic Leacock character. He is president of a railway with a letterhead but no rails, and he heads a bank that boasts credit but no cash whatsoever – all of which trouble E.P. not in the least.My Remarkable Uncle, a wonderful smorgasbord of mirth served up by a master of comedy, includes several essays, a short story, a political parable, and personal reflections on a dizzying array of subjects.Here, in rich abundance, are the inspired nonsense and the unerring eye for human folly that have made Stephen Leacock Canada’s most celebrated humorist.From the Paperback edition.

Affectionately combining both the idyllic and ironic, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town is Stephen Leacock’s most beloved book. Set in fictional Mariposa, an Ontario town on the shore of Lake Wissanotti, these sketches present a remarkable range of characters: some irritating, some exasperating, some foolhardy, but all endearing. Painted with the skilful brushstrokes of a great comic artist, the delightful inhabitants of Mariposa represent the people of small towns everywhere.As fresh, funny, and insightful today as when it was first published in 1912, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town is Stephen Leacock at his best – colourful, imaginative, and thoroughly entertaining.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Disillusioned by the general drudgery of his job, Stephen Leacock resigned from his teaching position at Upper Canada College in 1899 to pursue graduate studies. 'At Chicago,' Leacock wrote wryly, 'they made a general pretense that I was fir for the graduate school in economics. It is a little hard to see why, except that I was obviously not fit to die.'Leacock graduated from the university in 1903. Carl Spadoni's discovery of his dissertation -- previously thought to be lost, and unread since Leacock defended it -- gives readers a unique opportunity to re-examine Leacock's philosophies. 'The Doctrine of Laissez Faire' reveals the early roots of his skepticism about political economy, on which his later works of humour fed. In it, Leacock attempts to demystify the dogmatic opposition to state intervention based on this economic precept. In his introduction, Spadoni provides the historical background for an intellectual understanding Leacock's thesis. The first part of this book, 'My Recollection of Chicago,' is a short essay by Leacock in which he reminisces on his graduate years at Chicago. The second part comprises his newly unearthed thesis. Together, these two pieces shed new light on one of the major figures of Canadian culture.