University of Virginia Library

Humor With Holes

A large number of the essays
and anecdotes exhibit Mr.
Gellhorn's superb dry wit and
lightheartedness. One such
story is "The Hole", a
nonsensical half a page devoted
to the crisis the author faces
when he notices that someone
has stolen the hole the author
dug for his patio umbrella. "In
view of the recent sharp
increase in crime I thought it
might have been stolen by
somebody who needed a
similar hole in his patio and
wanted to avoid work."

In a children's story. "After
The Storm", he explains to
some young friends the
presence of the thousands of
white bubbles at the seashore.
"All along the beach there
were innumerable 'soap'
bubbles, small and large and all
a little dirty. I pondered what
all this meant. Then an inner
light appeared and I knew it. It
was washday for the fish."

In sixty-five pages he covers
a lot of ground, but he covers it
well and in a style that is
simple, straightforward, and
which flows surprisingly well
for a German-born immigrant
writing in his second language.
It is indeed a short book,
perhaps too short, for it can be
gobbled up in no time at all.
But after the book has been
put down, the reader will
probably keep munching on it
for quite awhile. What Ernst
Gellhorn says is not different
or difficult to swallow, it is
simply enjoyable and well
worth the chewing.