Book excerpt: The ability to produce humor and laughter is one of the things that makes us human. Humor implies a complex knowledge of the world and the ability to interpret reality in multiple layers. That said, it is not surprising that many authors have chosen humorous fiction to convey their message. The critic August Nemo selected seven short stories that use humor to reach and entertain the reader: - A Burlesque Autobiography by Mark Twain - Luck by Mark Twain - The Death of a Government Clerk by Anton Chekhov - The Mouse by Saki - The Nose by Nikolai Gogol - Soaked in Seaweed: or Upset in the Ocean by Stephen Leacock - My Financial Career by Stephen Leacock For more books with interesting themes, be sure to check the other books in this collection!