![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sanalithThis particular book, The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, by Will Cuppy, was a recommendation from our very own princesslucia, and I must say it was a very good book to read during the middle of a busy period. It was nice and light, and think I can safely say that it wins the prize for Novel with the Funniest Title Ever. Basically, Cuppy takes us through the centuries and explains the way things really happened in the past...and how they didn't work. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a good laugh, but a fairly decent knowledge of history would definitely come in handy.
One thing aspect that quickly becomes obvious is that Cuppy is far smarter than he makes himself out to be. He chooses to satire history, but only after he assures himself that he knows everything he possibly can about it. Because of this, the more you know about the particular person he is discussing, the funnier the chapter is. When I wasn't well versed in a certain subject, I sometimes found myself wondering whether or not the statements he was making were true or false (or a little bit of both), and that sometimes cut down on the humor. Most of it, though, was just plain great.
My favorite chapters were probably on Cleopatra, Charlemagne, Catherine the Great, and the entire section on "Merrie England." The section on Louis XIV gets special mention for being the one to make me laugh out loud the most, and induce me to read sections aloud to my poor husband. But honestly, anyone who translates Louis le Roi Soleil as "Louis the Show-Off" needs to be read aloud. That's just how it is.
More than anything, this book reminds me of why I have such a soft spot for novels that make history fun. This probably comes from being a historian, but it really makes me feel sad when I hear people talking about how boring history is, and how difficult it is for them to understand. Clearly, this book wouldn't be good for a student trying to learn real history, but it would be great for them to look at as a way to see history as fun and entertaining. I mean, seriously, some of the things that happened in the past were too weird even for fiction, and Cuppy does a wonderful job pointing out all the flaws and stupidity exhibited by the greatest rulers of the world. He paints history as one big catastrophe after another, and in truth it often was. It's just really nice to see someone having so much fun with history while still (sometimes) getting the facts straight.
Or at least permanently crooked, which, quite frankly, is almost just as important.
princesslucia, and I must say it was a very good book to read during the middle of a busy period. It was nice and light, and think I can safely say that it wins the prize for Novel with the Funniest Title Ever. Basically, Cuppy takes us through the centuries and explains the way things really happened in the past...and how they didn't work. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a good laugh, but a fairly decent knowledge of history would definitely come in handy.One thing aspect that quickly becomes obvious is that Cuppy is far smarter than he makes himself out to be. He chooses to satire history, but only after he assures himself that he knows everything he possibly can about it. Because of this, the more you know about the particular person he is discussing, the funnier the chapter is. When I wasn't well versed in a certain subject, I sometimes found myself wondering whether or not the statements he was making were true or false (or a little bit of both), and that sometimes cut down on the humor. Most of it, though, was just plain great.
My favorite chapters were probably on Cleopatra, Charlemagne, Catherine the Great, and the entire section on "Merrie England." The section on Louis XIV gets special mention for being the one to make me laugh out loud the most, and induce me to read sections aloud to my poor husband. But honestly, anyone who translates Louis le Roi Soleil as "Louis the Show-Off" needs to be read aloud. That's just how it is.
More than anything, this book reminds me of why I have such a soft spot for novels that make history fun. This probably comes from being a historian, but it really makes me feel sad when I hear people talking about how boring history is, and how difficult it is for them to understand. Clearly, this book wouldn't be good for a student trying to learn real history, but it would be great for them to look at as a way to see history as fun and entertaining. I mean, seriously, some of the things that happened in the past were too weird even for fiction, and Cuppy does a wonderful job pointing out all the flaws and stupidity exhibited by the greatest rulers of the world. He paints history as one big catastrophe after another, and in truth it often was. It's just really nice to see someone having so much fun with history while still (sometimes) getting the facts straight.
Or at least permanently crooked, which, quite frankly, is almost just as important.