An outline of humor Being a true chronicle from prehistoric ages to the twentieth century — A Reader’s Guide

The Outliner's Dilemma

Wells's foreword is unusually self-aware about the compromises inherent in any anthology. She describes an outline as 'an irregular proposition' and admits that 'one thing is imperative, the Outliner must be conscientious.' She acknowledges that a 'hackneyed selection' may be tiresome to some readers but a 'novelty and a revelation' to others, and that a favorite poem is 'adjudged best, by a consensus of human opinion.' This pragmatic approach—sinking personal preferences for the sake of the whole—shapes the entire volume. The excerpts from Don Quixote (the windmill episode) represent exactly the kind of canonical humor that Wells would consider a 'high spot.' Yet her foreword also hints at the tension between representing such well-known material and the risk of tedium for experienced readers.

Translation as a Filter

Wells devotes a paragraph to the problem of translated humor, arguing that 'translations are at best misleading' and that 'few translations of Humor are to be found.' She notes that translators typically choose 'philosophy, the fiction or the serious poetry' of other nations, leaving humor 'to hang unplucked on the tree of knowledge.' This observation is borne out by the Don Quixote excerpt, which uses a formal, slightly archaic English translation (likely the 18th-century version by Charles Jarvis or a similar rendering). The humor in the original Spanish—rooted in wordplay, dialect, and cultural references—is necessarily flattened. Wells's decision to include such a translation, despite her reservations, underscores the practical limitations of her project.

Chronology and Its Discontents

Wells states that the outline 'is generally chronological, it is not a history and dates are not given.' She also allows for 'topographical' detours when advisable. This flexible structure means that readers cannot rely on a strict timeline; instead, the arrangement reflects Wells's judgment about thematic or stylistic connections. The Don Quixote excerpt, from a work published in 1605, would appear in the early modern section, but without a date, its placement depends on the reader's prior knowledge. Wells's decision to stop at 1900—because 'humor since then is too close to be viewed in proper perspective'—further emphasizes the historical distance she seeks to create, treating humor as a subject that benefits from retrospective analysis.

Readers approaching An Outline of Humor should treat the foreword as a key to the anthology's design. Wells's candid discussion of selection criteria, translation issues, and chronological flexibility provides a framework for understanding her choices. The excerpts from Don Quixote offer a concrete example of how canonical humor is presented, but the full work likely contains many less familiar pieces that reflect Wells's personal taste and her commitment to representing a wide range of humorous traditions.

I keep thinking about that old anthology, how it gathered laughter across centuries like pressed flowers. It made me remember the afternoon I first opened The Entire Project Gutenberg Works of Mark Twain — A Closer Reading, and felt that same quiet warmth—not just jokes, but a friend’s voice still breathing between the lines.