The Humour of Homer, and Other Essays

The humour of Homer, and other essays – is a work which was published in 1913 and written by Samuel Butler. He was an English writer and translator, artist, one of the classics of Victorian literature. The main body of this book is a collection of essays by Samuel Butler, which was originally published by Mr. Grant Richards in 1904 under the title Essays on Life, Art, and Science, and was republished by Mr. Fyfield in 1908. To these has now been added another essay entitled "The Humor of Homer", a biographical sketch of the author that will significantly increase the value of the publication, as well as a portrait of the author. "The Humor of Homer" was originally delivered as a lecture at Working Men's College on January 30, 1892, the day Butler first publicized his theory of Odyssey's trapanian origin in a letter to Athenseum. Later that year, it was published with some additional material by Messrs Metcalfe & Co. of Cambridge. The Humor of Homer is especially valuable as a kind of general introduction to Butler's more detailed exploration of the Odyssey. His attitude towards Homeric poems is expressed here with extraordinary freshness and strength.