As you say, it is difficult to explain humor. The best I can do is try to give examples. And to be honest most of the things that immediately strike me as funny

As you say, it is difficult to explain humor. The best I can do is try to give examples. And to be honest most of the things that immediately strike me as funny deal with sex. In the passage cited below by jhedwards, I find the way Joyce suggests Shem's Greek-Jewish heritage explains his taste in cheap prostitutes very funny (as well as his skewering the sanctimoniousness of it all, "you like prostitutes but only the cheap ones"). Also, that he gives the address of the whore house, like it is an advertisement is also funny. You mention the first chapter, so I started reading from the online link given earlier in the thread. In the second paragraph, I found it funny the way he says that topsawyer (Tom Sawyer?) had not exaggerated the size of his balls when they were "doublin their mumper all the time." It's all about the wordplay and frankly being ridiculous. Obviously if you read these things in the context of a forum, you are probably not going to find it funny. Context is very important: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/0i0fy2/stand-up-hannibal-buress--uncensored---comedy-is-a-weird-job http://www.cc.com/video-clips/0i0fy2/stand-up-hannibal-bures... As jhedwards suggests, if you read it aloud you will hear the jokes.