This quote eloquently captures the essence of detachment and unfamiliarity with a fundamental human experience—humor and laughter. The man described understands the theoretical existence of jokes, recognizing that they are real because they are written about, yet he remains untouched by their spirit, never having experienced the immediacy and warmth of a genuine joke firsthand. It serves as a poignant metaphor for many human conditions where knowledge or awareness does not equate to true understanding or engagement.

In a broader sense, the quote speaks to the divide between observation and participation. A person can be aware of phenomena, events, or emotions intellectually without ever truly engaging or connecting with them on a personal level. This distance creates a kind of loneliness or isolation, as the man remains an outsider to the communal and joyous exchange that humor represents. It highlights how some aspects of life, particularly those involving shared human emotions and interactions, can only be truly understood through direct experience.

This thought extends beyond jokes and humor—into experiences like love, grief, or wonder—where secondhand knowledge is a pale substitute for first-person lived reality. The literary style of the quote reflects a deep, subtle sadness beneath its surface wit, anchoring it firmly within themes common to the novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, which often explores the tension between knowledge, power, magic, and human frailty.