The Best American Humorous Short Stories

In Short

This anthology gathers nineteen stories tracking the evolution of American comedy from the nineteenth century into the early twentieth. As edited by Alexander Jessup, the collection spans small-town embarrassments, supernatural visitations, runaway sleighs, and elaborate swindles. Across every era, the pieces share a delight in human delusion, vanity, and resilience. Characters plot, bluster, and scheme, only to be undone by their own grandiosity or simple bad luck. The volume has endured because it captures the distinct rhythms of American speech and the persistent, comforting absurdity of everyday life.

The Story

The book moves systematically through decades of short fiction, revealing how American comedy shifted from early literary set pieces to sharp modern character studies. It opens in a register of gothic slapstick and social satire. In an early tale, a self-satisfied narrator who mocks superstition is physically battered into submission by the "Angel of the Odd"—a strange, winged entity that forces him to drink alcohol diluted with Kirschenwasser until he is reduced to confused tears. Elsewhere, a young man named Master Horner attempts to declare his devotion to Ellen during an icy sleigh ride, only to get tangled in misunderstandings that send Ellen into a feverish rage and leave Horner bruised in a snowbank, hopelessly managing an upcoming school exhibition in a total daze.

As the collection moves toward mid-century, the humor shifts into social awkwardness and pretension. In one story, the Morland family suffers through an excruciating evening visit with the pious, rigid Mrs. Watkinson. While Mrs. Watkinson refuses to offer real refreshments—insisting plain soda biscuits and water are best for moral discipline—her daughter Jane hammers out a dreadful, six-page piano piece out of tune, driving the guests to desperate clock-watching while they wait for a carriage that never arrives. In a gentler, more whimsical vein, another narrator gazes through his magical spectacles at his calm, stately grandmother, dreaming of lost, unbloomed potential and grand, silken-sailed fleets drifting across quiet waters.

The anthology then embraces full-throated satire, regional tall tales, and farce. A man uses his quiet alter-ego, Dennis, to fulfill his social obligations at the Governor’s grand party so he can stay home and read theology books. In a mining camp tavern, a visitor is cornered by the tranquil, unsmiling Simon Wheeler, who endlessly recounts the exploits of gambling enthusiast Leonidas W. Smiley. In Georgia, the backsliding Elder Brown gets thoroughly drunk on a trip to buy a pink silk bonnet for his red-headed wife, picking a fight with his own loyal mule, Balaam, and abandoning the animal on the street to preserve his compromised dignity. Elsewhere, two men attempt to outsmart each other over a summer vacation, only to discover their conflicting stories about their children and mothers-in-law expose their transparent social lies.

The collection closes with physical comedy and poignant escapes. Two friends end up submerged in a pond when a carriage ride goes awry, leading to a frantic, whip-less sprint home to avoid catching cold. In another tale, a church deacon enters a high-stakes sleigh race against a rival squire, winning only because his widowed passenger leaps mid-race into a deep snowbank to lighten the load. Finally, a timid young man named Gideon flees downriver in a leaky boat with his bride Vashti, escaping her overbearing mother to find quiet, affectionate peace on the open water.

How It Unfolds

A strange visitor enforces submission An arrogant narrator refuses to believe in odd occurrences until a heavy-drinking, wingless spirit known as the Angel of the Odd knocks him back into his armchair and pelts him with small bottles.

A romantic sleigh ride turns to disaster Master Horner tries to confess his love to Ellen during a fast drive, but his clumsy references to their letters offend her so deeply that she runs off in tears, leaving him to wander into a ditch.

An agonizing evening of forced hospitality The Morlands endure a dismal night at Mrs. Watkinson's home, where they are served plain water and dry biscuits while enduring a monstrous, out-of-tune piano performance by her young daughter.

An alter-ego crashes a governor's party A reluctant guest hires a proxy to stand in for him at an elite town gathering, allowing him to stay home and read while his double navigates the tedious small talk of high society.

A cornered visitor hears a tall tale Trapped in a decayed mining camp tavern, a traveler is subjected to a relentless, deadpan monologue from Simon Wheeler about local characters and their outrageous wagers.

A deacon wins a desperate winter race Determined to beat his rival on the snowy road, a deacon gains the lead only when his quick-thinking companion jumps out of the moving sleigh into a massive drift to shed weight.

The People

• The Angel of the Odd: An eccentric, heavily accented spirit who wears no wings and violently corrects anyone who questions his authority or misses the absurdity of life.
• Master Horner: An earnest, inexperienced young man who attempts to court the woman he loves, only to completely mismanage the conversation and wreck his sleigh in the process.
• Mrs. Watkinson: An austere, sanctimonious host who denies her guests sweetmeats and proper food under the guise of moral virtue, inflicting terrible music and plain biscuits on her company.
• Simon Wheeler: A fat, bald tavern-dweller whose tranquil, earnest countenance hides an endless capacity for reeling off bizarre, deadpan stories to helpless listeners.
• Elder Brown: A religious man whose resolve crumbles on a trip to town, leading to an extravagant bonnet purchase, a heavy drinking bout, and a dramatic argument with his own mule.
• Deacon Hawkins: A fiercely competitive man who desires victory above all else, driving his horse to absolute exhaustion in a sleigh race against his local rival.
• Gideon: A gentle, quiet young man who takes to the river in a leaky, small boat to rescue his sweetheart from her aggressive family and build a simple life together.

In Its Own Voice

“Te angel ab not te wing, and I am te Angel ov te Odd.”

When confronted by a skeptical narrator who expects a heavenly figure to look conventional, the strange visitor fiercely defends his identity while brandishing a heavy bottle.

“You see, ma’am... how very fluent she is in French; and she has only been learning eleven quarters.”

Mrs. Watkinson proudly showcases her daughter’s forced, awkward recitations to her exhausted guests, completely blind to the agonizing boredom she is causing.

“You’re a goldarn liar, Balaam, and, blast your old buttons, you kin walk home by yourself...”

Elder Brown, severely intoxicated and struggling to walk a straight line, indignantly addresses his loyal mule after the beast brays in recognition of his compromised state.

What It's Really About

Beneath the slapstick collisions, awkward dinner parties, and runaway horses, the book presents a sharp, unified critique of American self-importance. The stories consistently examine the gap between who people claim to be and how they actually behave. Whether it is a moralizing host denying her guests cake out of pure stinginess or a respectable church elder arguing with his livestock, the collection finds endless amusement in hypocrisy. It explores the fragility of social status, the absurdity of small-town rivalries, and the sheer unpredictability of daily life. Ultimately, the collection argues that humility is best learned not through solemn lectures, but through the sudden, unavoidable experience of looking utterly ridiculous.

Why Read It Today

This volume serves as an excellent historical cross-section of American humor, offering readers a chance to see how national comedy developed its distinct cadence. It will appeal to lovers of classic literature, historical fiction, and short story form, as well as anyone who appreciates dry, observational wit. Reading through the collection feels like taking a winding train journey through nineteenth-century villages, tavern backrooms, and parlor halls, guided by writers who view human flaws with a mix of sharp judgment and quiet affection.

Readers should be prepared for period difficulties. Some entries rely heavily on written dialects, phonetic spellings, and archaic slang that require a slow, attentive pace to decipher. Additionally, a few stories reflect the prevailing racial and social attitudes of their time, displaying archaic depictions that modern readers will find uncomfortable or dated. Yet, despite these structural and historical hurdles, the book's core insights into vanity, love, and frustration remain strikingly fresh. The sight of someone losing control of their reputation over a minor misunderstanding is just as recognizable today as it was a century ago.