"Gérin's work is theoretically informed but not overburdened, her focus being cultural history and close reading of visual materials. It is in the selection and dissection of such print materials as posters and journals that Gérin truly excels."

"Deploying both contemporary and historical theories of the comic, Gérin makes a persuasive case for the continuity of Russian humor culture through the centuries."

"Gérin reveals that the Bolsheviks understood theories of laughter and sought to shape it for their own purposes. Satire and its laughter, they believed, could destroy the old bourgeois attitudes needed to create new people."

"Gérin's book, thoroughly researched, convincingly argued, and lavishly illustrated, sharpens the appetite for more discussions on satire and on caricature, as much from the early Soviet era as from the years of the Cold War and perestroika."

"Gérin's book tackles many interesting issues that can inspire future humour-related research across a variety of disciplines."

"Carefully documented, Gerin's book provides a very precious contribution on Soviet visual humour."

"A valuable resource for teachers of Russian culture and students interested in the Soviet arts."

"Engaging and lively, Devastation and Laughter is a major contribution to research, and will be of interest to historians and art historians. Gérin draws from many artistic disciplines to reveal the pervasiveness of 1920s and 1930s Soviet visual culture, most notably in the propaganda campaigns which took various mediums, including posters and film."