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Title: A wonderfully original collection of secondhand material!
Review: Dr. Mardy Grothe has identified -- and expertly catalogued -- the oxymoronic element which is at the heart of so much of what we recognize as wit. Here one finds literary, comical, and philosophical one-liners both familiar and obscure, neatly grouped not only by general theme but also, where applicable, by specific conceits that have been replicated by wit after wit. To see near variations of the same oxymoronic witticism, side by side, as written or spoken by various literary notables, is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the book. Great minds think alike, one reflects . . . and yet one can't help wondering how near his writing-table GBS kept his collected Wilde!
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