Nonsense Novels

"Nonsense Novels" by Stephen Leacock is a compilation of funny short stories from the early 1900s that uses Leacock's special brand of wit and smart sarcasm to make fun of different parts of society, like mystery and love stories, with a funny and silly twist. In the beginning, Leacock's introduction gives a funny explanation of why he wrote the book, talking to critics who think he's not smart. The first story, "Maddened by Mystery: or, The Defective Detective," presents a really bad detective who has to figure out the strange kidnapping of the Prince of Württemberg; the detective's silly thinking leads to the funny understanding that the prince is actually a prize Dachshund dog, which sets the stage for Leacock's fun way of telling stories, bringing readers into a world where things don't make sense and laughing is the most important thing.