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shitsu_tonka
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Spent a lazy sunny morning rereading Bill Bryson's Notes From A Small Island, which was nice.
The first words on the back are 'Laugh Out-loud funny'. I do think it's a great book and a pleasure to read but I didn't lol. Reading doesn't often make me do that. A bit of a chuckle yes, a happy smile certainly, but actual noisy 'my ribs hurt make it stop' laughter no. The only book I can remember really and frequently loling at is Cold Comfort Farm.
What books have made you guys lol?
MrChigleysAunt
offlineMember
The first 4 of Spike Milligan's war autobiographies, My Shit Life So Far by Frankie Boyle, a lot of Wodehouse, a lot of Jerome K Jerome (particularly the bit about the tinned pineapple in Three Men in a Boat), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, lots of Woody Allen's short pieces. And yet something I read recently (just a couple of sentences) was probably the funniest thing I have ever read. I was almost sick with laughter, but it was none of the above, and I can't for the life of me think what it was.
I went off Bill Bryson when I read his admission that most of the funny things that happened to him were actually rather mundane but made funny after the event. That's probably true of a lot of comic writers but his mistake was to admit it.
sauce
offlineMember
Pretty much anything by Pratchett.
Cold Comfort Farm, yes.
Three Men in a Boat (first read when I was 13 - the scene with the butter is priceless).
Three Hundred Mile Walkies (same vein)
Plenty of poetry (Roger McGough, John Cooper Clarke, the list could go on for a few pages)
Saki's short stories (anything where high society is regularly devoured by ferocious wild beasts has to be good).
MrChigleysAunt
offlineMember
The strange thing about Terry Pratchett is that, in theory, he ticks all the boxes for me but I just don't find him funny. I struggled through one of his books and it left me cold. Mind you, the bit about death riding a pale horse whose name is Binky did make snort.
sauce
offlineMember
Binky's the brand name of an American "pacifier" (dummy), so that makes it all the better. The later books are far more satirical, Aunty, rather than just poking fun at the fantasy genre. Hard to chose favourites but Monstrous Regiment (my 11-yr-old daughter giggles every time socks are mentioned now), Going Postal and The Thief of Time are excellent.
Doctor Moptop
offlineMember
The Straight Man by Richard Russo - about a creative writing department in a mid-west university. I howled with laughter all the way through. The Dean banned his wife from reading it in bed as her laughter disturbed him.
Most Saki stories; PG Wodehouse; William Brown stories; Jennings; Molesworth.
I like naughty school boys, what can I say?
Stan Laurel
offlineMember
Wodehouse and the first couple (there are rather a lot) of Clive James' autobiogs spring to mind.
Hunter F. Thompson
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I was reading 18th Century philosopher Carl Philip Lichtenberg's remarks about his life and times, and came upon a convoluted emplanatory passage where, as he puts it: "...his theory collapsed amid something like the noise of an entire regiment sneezing." LOL. Gut wrenching hilarity. Very dry SOH, with these artfully hilarious twists which pounce unexpectedly.
Everything by Wodehouse. Graham Greene.
Mary Evans
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i had to stop reading Bill Bryson on public transport because I kept snorting in a profoundly unladylike way on the tube, giving rise to the odd guffaw. One of his books has a great passage ranting about getting the 'Are you Sure' box on Windows. I was helpless when I read it and had to get off the train two stops early to allow myself a howl. But then everything's funnier to me when I'm not really supposed to laugh. I'm dreadful at funerals - the order of service has me in fits.
clamcyp
offlineMember
Peter O'Donnell's "Modesty Blaise" books. In the midst of terrifying action you get precious one-liners. O'Donnell died very recently. Pity.
Re Terry Pratchett - I think you started in the wrong place. Try "Guards, guards" or "Wyrd Sisters". I have most of his books and although they form only 1% of my library, they probably account for 20% of my re-reading. With lol.
MrChigleysAunt
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Ok, I will try another Pratchett. I just have to finish The Glitter Dome by Joseph Wambaugh and then As I lay Dying. The Glitter Dome is trash but very funny in parts. There's a small-time criminal in it known as Tuna Can Tommy - because the dimensions of his penis match those of a can of tuna. Made me laugh anyway.
As I Lay Dying looks pretty hard going, and I'm not expecting laughs, but it's a book I've been recommended several times.
Genghis Cohen
offlineMember
I don't generally do LOL-ing when reading, but perhaps the funniest book I've read is Don DeLillo's White Noise. Joseph Heller's stuff is grimly funny, as is Nathaniel West's (particularly Miss Lonelyhearts). I love the easy comic narrative voices of Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Brautigan, and of course Solzhenitsyn can always be relied upon for some real belly laffs.
None of these writers are British. Discuss.
virtuallywill
offlineMember
P J O'Rourke - Holidays in Hell and Republican Party Reptile, also some of the Flashman books.
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
Predictable as ever, I still lol at HHGTTG, despite numerous readings and re-readings.
Jerome K Jerome too makes me snort and guffaw, both the tinned pineapple and butter depictions are hilarious, but it's the late night attack of swans upon Harris, the packing of the toothbrush, and plaster fish that really set me off. The sequel, 'Three Men On The Bummel' is lol funny too, particularly the bicycle maintenance and cycling downhill parts.
As a writer Jerome was slated by most at the time due to the familiarity used in his narrative, his use of slang, and the hinted at sweary words.
Oh! And I love the tale of his uncle hanging a painting. It sounds so like an elderly relative of mine.
In Chick-Lit land, Fiona Walker is one of the funniest writers to my mind, with some beautiful one liners, and social faux-pas that I can empathise with.
rickwestwell
offlineMember
Am I alone in thinking that if Jerome K Jerome had only titled his sequel "Three Men on a Bike" rather than "Three Men on the Bummel", it would have sold a lot better?
And damn you, Plucky, you beat me to it with Henry Latin.
Heartening to see several Sakiphiles on here. My jaw's usually too busy dropping to the floor in wonder to be laughing out loud, but inside I'm howling.
Ditto Wodehouse. Also David Nobbs' Reggie Perrin ones, and Spike's best war ones.
But the couple of books that have come out of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue have bits which actually make me lol - the description of the cricket commentary where Geoffery Hiscock is batting is excruciatingly funny - lines like "Good to see the India captain giving Hiscock a friendly wave from the pavilion end... The bowler comes in, and... Oh my goodness! Hiscock is out! Hiscock is out! What a terrible sight!" etc etc.
Those men are/were geniuses.
rickwestwell
offlineMember
In fact, sod it, here's the quote:
The first ever actual joke broadcast on the BBC was probably this, taken from the transcript of a 1921 commentary on the final test against India at The Oval. The reporters were Arthur Pink and Bernard Lyttle.Lyttle: With the MCC chasing India's total of 468 declared our hopes are with team Captain, Donald Gardiner and First Bat, Geoffrey Hiscock. And as they take up their positions at the wicket, the crowd roars its approval at the sight of Gardiner giving Hiscock a friendly wave from the gasworks end.
Pink: It was a bold decision of Gardiner to open the batting with Hiscock.
Lyttle: Yes, Arthur, a lesser man might have only used Hiscock later.
Pink: Personally, I'd like to feel Hiscock was going in and staying there all afternoon.
Lyttle: And as Pootna Shankaranji runs in to bowl the first delivery - oh my goodness! Hiscock is out! What a terrible sight! Hiscock is out! Held skilfully by the wicket keeper. Hiscock is out for a duck.
Pink: What can Gardiner do now but watch in disbelief as the umpire points Hiscock towards the pavilion?
Lyttle: Well, as we wait for number three to arrive at the crease, how about a joke to cheer up the listeners? My dog's got no nose.
Pink: But how does he determine aromas?
Lyttle: Not awfully well, I'm afraid!
As you can see, it's biting satire I mainly go for.
Des Custard
offlineMember
The Tom Sharpe Wilt books. Fine mix of clever funny and violent slapstick funny.
MrChigleysAunt
offlineMember
At last, someone else who has read "A Smoking Dot in the Distance". I was drawn to it by the Glenn Baxter illustration on the cover.Unfortunately, I found it only mildly amusing. Perhaps I'll try it again.
On the subject of books that I hoped would be hilarious, but weren't, I mention Your Monkey's Shmuck by Simon Louvish. According to one of the reviews 'Mr Louvish has enough combustible talent to earn the comparisons with Heller, Vonnegut and Swift that have come his way. The apposite adjective in the long run will likely be "louvish".'
Wrong!
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