Anne Enright in LRB on Jack by Marilynne Robinson and writing in general:

‘Sometimes, when a writer allows no humour into their prose, they keep sex out of it too, and they do this to reinforce their own sense of singleness, solemnity and self-importance. But Robinson is different: she serves a higher importance; she does not think that we are on our own.’

Read the complete review here.

It’s as far as I know the first time that I read so clearly about the relationship between sex and humor in a novel, and probably also outside the novel.

And I do like Robinson and her theological solemnity.
But yes, sex in the novel is a source of comedy or tragedy and if sex is a source of meaning then it is through comedy.

The flesh is comedy first, tragedy later.