Occasionally, often in my case, a good laugh is needed. There are not many writers that are good at writing humor. Twain was probably the best, and certainly Shakespeare displayed a keen sense of humor, but, all too often, writers are too concerned with being profound or displaying their mastery of style to be funny.
One of my favorite writers is a guy who manages to fill all of his writing with great humor Tom Robbins. Robbins has been deeply influenced by the existentialism that characterized the Beat writers but that is crossed with a fine sense of cosmic absurdity more characterized by the acid days of the 60s. In short, his books are hilarious. He does make statements about the world and its problems but he has a dogged way of simply refusing to let all of our messes bring him down, at least in his writing. I have no idea what he is like personally because he has done an admirable job of keeping his private life private.
If you want to read some exceptionally well written novels that will actually make you laugh out loud, I can heartily recommend 3 of his. Another Roadside Attraction manages to deal with a hot dog stand and a theft from the Vatican (what is stolen will amaze you). Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, set on a ranch run by lesbians, is a brilliant analysis of sexual politics and gender roles that says more on the subject than any academic analysis can and does so with great and gentle humor. Still Life With Woodpecker is a wonderful love story that manages to encompass pop culture causes, radical politics and messages from Aliens.
Robbins is a fine wordsmith, a true lover of the flow of the English language and the subtleties. That he manages to write so well and still be hilariously funny is amazing.
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