Sophomoric Humor -- But in a Good Way

While I tend to think of a lot of things as funny, and I enjoy a good comedy on film, though I'm more likely to appreciate the subtle or absurdist than the mass-market drivel, I have a bit of a problem with prose humor. A lot of times I'll read something and kind of smile or maybe even chuckle once, but more likely, I'll think, "That's funny." Over the last few days, I read a novel titled 10th Grade by Joseph Weisberg. (And that's a pretty quick read for me; I'm not an especially fast reader.) The novel is written in first person from the perspective of a high school student experiencing his sophomore year. And it's written in much the way a high school sophomore might write it -- loads of run-on sentences (shades of James Joycean stream-of-consciousness), very little punctuation, and seemingly pointless diversions. And it is one of the most hilarious things I've ever read. I was laughing out loud a lot (especially during the early parts of the book; its main failing, I think, is that it tends to lose some steam toward the end). I found myself going back and rereading passages, often aloud (which is a bit strange when one is all alone in one's house), just for the pure enjoyment of them. At one point, I know I had to put the book aside for a few moments 'cause I was laughing so hard. It took me a couple of tries to go back to it that time before I was able to without guffawing. I would highly recommend this novel, especially for anyone who deals with high school students, or who was one himself (or herself, I suppose, though I'm sure this book will appeal more to males than females). Be advised that there is some profanity (the 15-year-old narrator likes to drop the f-bomb), a lot of talk about sex (he's obssessed with "tits"), and some drug references (pot smoking). But I repeat: one of the most hilarious novels I've ever read.