"HUMOR ME" AND OTHER FUNNY THINGS

"Humor Me", an anthology edited by Ian Frazier, collects "the very best humorous essays of this or indeed of any age" in one volume, he boasts in his introduction. Take that claim with a medium-sized grain of salt and you've got an idea of what follows: a collection of around 50 pieces published over the last 30 years, plus a section at the end of oldies-but-goodies, including work by Mark Twain, Bret Harte and Danil Kharms (translated from the original Russian by Frazier). About half of these pieces were originally published in the New Yorker, which should serve as a warning; if the magazine's droll brand of humour isn't your bag, then this might be one to avoid.

Those in favour will find plenty to giggle over in the collected essays, however. Steve Martin contributes a short history of thought ("Plato can't be faulted for naïvely thinking of the world in terms of forms and shadows; technology was not advanced enough for him to have known that the universe is composed of tiny particles called 'futons'"); Bruce McCall imagines the contents of Hitler's diary ("April 17, 1935: Göring again lets his straw make disgusting noises as he finishes up his milkshake"); and Andy Borowitz posts fake theatre-lobby notices ("WARNING: The role usually played by Sir Ian McKellen will be performed tonight by the actor who played Isaac on The Love Boat"). David Sedaris, Roger Angell, David Mamet and Cathleen Schine also contribute.

The essays are short and sweet, but to read them in sequence can be exhausting or tonally jarring, as is often the case with essay collections. The solution? Pick up the book and put it down at leisure. Take it with you to the beach or, better yet, on your morning subway commute. Frazier has wisely designed "Humor Me" to function in the way of a multivitamin—a daily habit meant to improve your overall well-being. It's not a bad Father's Day present, either.

"Humor Me: An Anthology of Funny Contemporary Writing (Plus Some Great Old Stuff Too)" (ECCO Press), edited by Ian Frazier, is out now in America and Britain

~ MOLLY YOUNG