As someone who primarily reads and writes a lot of humor, I'm always very interested in the mysticism of language and the rhythm that results in good humor. Joy in language is being surprised and entertained that the agreed-upon rules of grammar can be manipulated, teased, and spun to produce that surprise.

Much of my favorite writing is the product of some maverick of the English language so thoroughly dominating the rules of grammar that they are able to communicate something that is not so easily translatable about the human condition via the page.

In order to break the rules, you've got to know the rules. These are the rules*

*For the most part. I resent the idea that certain words or phrases are "bankrupt" as the book states. Nothing the book presents is a hard and fast rule, but even clunky composition can tell us a lot about what kind of character is speaking or what kind of story this is.

This book is designed to make your writing as clear and vivid as possible, making it stand out from amateurs. It is not a love letter to the medium of prose, moreso, the teacher that smacks your hand with a ruler when you misstep. There is a place for both the love letter and the ruler.