This collection of essays by distinguished scholars explores the range, scope and sheer verve of Lawrence's comic writing. Lawrence's novels, short stories, plays, letters and poems are full of comic moments that develop his critique of the modern failure of the mystic impulse. Lawrence used comedy to create an alternative cultural and social space, to distance himself from the dominant orthodoxy surrounding him. This book revises the popular image of Lawrence as a humorless writer and reveals his strategic use of a genuine comic talent.