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This is an introductory guide to comedy in English literature that systematically applies comic theory to a wide range of texts from Chaucer to "Bridget Jones' Diary". From Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" to Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones' Diary", this is a comprehensive introductory guide to comedy in the English literary canon. Beginning with a critical exploration of historical and philosophical theories of humour, the book goes on to apply those theories through close-readings of a wide range of major texts, authors and genres from the Medieval period to the present. "The Comic Mode in English Literature" examines such texts as: Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"; Pope's "The Rape of the Lock"; Austen's "Emma"; Dickens' "The Pickwick Papers"; Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest"; and, Amis' "Lucky Jim". Covering poetry, prose and drama, this comprehensive guide will be essential reading for students of comic writing, literary history and genre.