The Humour Club discussion
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Most entertaining reads of all time
Loved Danny Wallace books especially Yes man which was so much better than the filmThe copy I read had a footnote where he went and saw the film being made which was as funny as the book
Liked his other books as well
I love the Brenda and Effie series by Paul Magrs - it appeals to me as I love the area it is set in.Never the Bride is the first one.
I would highly recommend Stephen Fry's books, they are packed with his usual wit and sarcasm and I loved them (I admit I've only read one fiction one and his first autobiography, Moad is my Washpot, but still I'm sure that makes me an expert).The Discworld books are also great for a laugh.
Mod
Which is the first of the series?
The series is as follows (I think):1. The Colour of Magic
2. The Light Fantastic
3. Equal Rites
4. Mort
5. Sourcery
6. Wyrd Sisters
7. Pyramids
8. Guards! Guards!
9. Faust Eric
10. Moving Pictures
11. Reaper Man
12. Witches Abroad
13. Small Gods
14. Lords and Ladies
15. Men at Arms
16. Soul Music
17. Interesting Times
18. Maskerade
19. Feet of Clay
20. Hogfather
21. Jingo
22. The Last Continent
23. Carpe Jugulum
24. The Fifth Elephant
25. The Truth
26. Thief of Time
27. The Last Hero
28. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents
29. Night Watch
30. The Wee Free Men
31. Monstrous Regiment
32. A Hat Full of Sky
33. Going Postal
34. Thud!
35. Wintersmith
36. Making Money
37. Unseen Academicals
38. I Shall Wear Midnight
39. Snuff
But you don't have to read them in order to still enjoy them :-)
Mod
Thanks for the list, Sam.
Yup you definitely scare me!No problem, I do like a list and just happened to have this one handy...yup back to the needing help again, damn!
Sam wrote: "Yup you definitely scare me!No problem, I do like a list and just happened to have this one handy...yup back to the needing help again, damn!"
That is a list. What else you got lists for?
Melki wrote: "Oh, I have to read EVERYTHING in order. I'm just THAT way! Thanks for the list, Sam."
Pratchett books are the only books that I don't feel the need to read the entire series once I read the first one, mostly because the stories are stand alone. But if I pick up Duncton Wood, or Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, or any other series that has an overarching story arc, I then have to read all the books in the series.
Robert wrote: "Sam wrote: "Yup you definitely scare me!No problem, I do like a list and just happened to have this one handy...yup back to the needing help again, damn!"
That is a list. What else you got lists..."
Here's a list of my lists:
- Christmas book list (now with santa/my mum)
- GR books export list
- GR reading challenge list
- Seven different challenge lists
- Five lists that are a sub set of one of my challenge lists
- General book wish and tempted lists (different to Christmas list)
- Seven to read book lists (1001 books to read before you die and that kind of thing)
- And two lists of genre/shelf lists
And that's just my book lists, there's still to-do lists, work to-do lists, survey work lists, survey notes lists, shopping lists, Christmas shopping lists, DVDs owned and to buy lists, lists of carb quantities for the various cakes I make (my dad's diabetic so made sense to keep notes rather than work it out each time) and things to get for my kitchen and flat in general lists.
Bet you wish you never asked now don't you!
That is a list of lists!!My problem is that if I start a things to do list I always have at the top
Remember to write on the to do list so sort of defeats the object!!
I find as long as I have a pen and bit of paper I end up making a list (or two...or three...), if I don't I'll just forget everything and end up doing nothing!
I am good at doing nothing I have a list of the number of times Wales have won the world cup
I have put it below
Robert wrote: "I am good at doing nothing I have a list of the number of times Wales have won the world cup
I have put it below"
Thin line there Bob, very thin line, lets remember that England didn't really win it, Johnny did and he's starting to lose his edge now.
Oh and who did the best out of the home nations this year and were only kept out of the final by one extremely questionable refs decision...
Phil wrote: "I am a huge fan of Wodehouse, Kingsley Amis and Magnus Mills. I would love some tips for other humorous reads - modern or classic. Any ideas anyone?"Phil, I am a fan of Lillian Beckwith. Try:
The Hebridean Omnibus: The Hills is Lonely, The Sea for Breakfast, The Loud Halo. I also loved The Lynne Truss Treasury: Columns and Three Comic Novels.
On my side of the Pond: Politically Correct Bedtime Stories: Modern Tales for Our Life & Times and Once upon a More Enlightened Time: More Politically Correct Bedtime Stories.
Finally a brilliant recent discovery: The Anthologist.
Kyle wrote: "I'll go with She's Come Undone [...] Treasure Island..."Are we talking about entertaining reads in general or specifically humorous reads? I like Wally Lamb as an author. I've read She's Come Undone, and think it is a great book, but I'm not sure how I would describe it. Entertaining--yes (depending on how you define the word). Funny? Not so much--although maybe there are some humorous bits in it. Maybe I feel this way because I read it soon after I Know This Much is True (also excellent).
I read Treasure Island as a kid, and frankly, Long John Silver was kinda creepy and the blind man Pew actually scared me. Perhaps if I read it again I would feel differently about it. Hmmm.....
I did think She's Come Undone was a good novel--especially because it was Lamb's first and he writes convincingly from a female narrator's point of view. It was not without humour--just not belly-laugh material. The narrator got to be very sarcastic, to the point where enough was enough (okay, you're a b**** and you enjoy being a b****--I get it already!) and yet I sympathized with her too. Both of the Lamb novels I've read are about people with serious mental illnesses who spent time in institutions. I was a bit depressed by this, maybe because I've heard stories about such places from someone who worked in one. My memories of Treasure Island are admittedly a bit foggy. I would have to re-read it to offer a fair judgment. And I would probably read it differently as a middle-aged curmudgeon.
Kyle wrote: "Wanna go for a beer? LOL!! ..."Sure! Who's buying? LOL
"Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems."--Homer Simpson.
Kyle wrote: "I'll go with She's Come UndoneNever Look Away: A ThrillerTreasure IslandThe WoodsBeach Music Part 1 of 2[book:Kiss Mommy Goodbye|1670..."I thought at first that that was one long title.......O_O
Entertaining reads:Three Men in a Boat
Ordinary Jack
Pippi Longstocking
Winnie-the-Pooh
The Westing Game
Finnegans Wake
Just Annoying!
A Long Way from Chicago
Holes
Mod
Catch-22 and Cold Dog Soup are twoi can never forget.
Melki wrote: "Good and quite interesting choices, Mr. Blimp."Thanks. They are mostly children's books, since of course, a child reads mostly children's books. There are some I missed, though. Like a few REALLY entertaining picture books, such as The Stinky Cheese Man.
Splinker wrote: "Catch-22 and Cold Dog Soup are twoi can never forget."Hmm, plan on reading Catch-22 soon.
Mod
I hadn't heard of Cold Dog Soup before, but it's now been added to my list.
Kyle wrote: "The Blimp wrote: "Kyle wrote: "I'll go with She's Come UndoneNever Look Away: A ThrillerTreasure IslandThe WoodsBeach Music Part 1 of 2[boo..."I was amused at first when I read it. And then I clicked on a part of the title, so this book with such an amusing and long title would open you.
:( Man, I was so disappointed.
Melki wrote: "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is a huge favorite in our house.I hadn't heard of Cold Dog Soup before, but it's now been added to my list."
Glad to hear that. It is my fave picture book.
Two of the funnier laugh-out-louds I've ever read:1. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
"There be no butter in Hell!"
2. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos
"Intreeging."
I, too, loved Cold Comfort Farm (book and movie). Another book that made me laugh was A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.
For sheer Marx Brothers silliness, the incident of the Escaped Helium-filled Sex Dolls and the competing Live Christmas Pageants (one with amorous camel) in Mark Schweizer's The Alto Wore Tweed left permanent scars on my funny bone.Edited to add: the book, despite the incidents mentioned, is not at all raunchy.
Mod
Your helium-filled sex doll comment reminded me of this delightful moment from HBO's Six Feet Under:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXuNp...
Here's a GOOD ONE that probably everybody knows about: "The Man Who Ate the 747" by Ben Sherwood. Very funny, very touching. You'll laugh so hard you'll cry and you won't be sure which came first.http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/86...
Jamie wrote: "Confederacy of Dunces. My number 1! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Confed..."
Jamie, It's the current group read for this group of which I'm a proud member (though not from the South): http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6...
I'm reading it now!
Cool! I need to keep up with Goodreads and humour club more.
Mod
Aha. I believe the brother and sister read to "Confederacy of Dunces" might be "The Moviegoer" and "The Last Gentleman" both by Walker Percy, Southern US novelist, humorist and purveyor of politely restrained despair.
Jeb wrote: "...purveyor of politely restrained despair."A very nice turn of phrase. I probably don't need to tell you that Percy was instrumental in getting Confederacy published. (See Mike, I am reading the book!) I haven't read any Percy myself but have heard much good of him, so I hope to read him soon.
Mod
Sounds like Jeb should join "On the Southern Literary Trail http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/6..., if he hasn't already.
I don't know if I would characterize Walker Percy's work as a real kneeslapping good time. I recall the opening chapters to "The Second Coming" in which the protagonist finds himself afflicted with random, spontaneous episodes of falling down, but only on the golf course. Tickled my funny bone, but then I've often felt like falling down on the golf course. I'm gonna go get on that Southern Literary Trail! After all they don't call me Jeb for nothin' ya know!
Melki wrote: "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is a huge favorite in our house.I hadn't heard of Cold Dog Soup before, but it's now been added to my list."
Hooray for The Stinky Cheese Man! Kids loved that book almost as much as I did. I called the cheese expert "Stinky Cheese Man" at the market a while back. He clearly wasn't the literary type!
Jeb wrote: " I called the cheese expert "Stinky Cheese Man" at the market a while back. He clearly wasn't the literary type!"Cheesy humour, but I love it! You have a whey with words.
Phil wrote: "I am a huge fan of Wodehouse, Kingsley Amis and Magnus Mills. I would love some tips for other humorous reads - modern or classic. Any ideas anyone?"
Really enjoy biz satires:Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis.
Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough
Those are prob my 2 favs.
Melki wrote: "Groan!"Sorry! (Not really.) ;)
Hey Bob did you read "Lloyd: What Happened" - by some biz columnist. They were giving the books away at some IT trade show I went to years back. It wasn't bad - great biz satire and a good, suspenseful story. I've got one in the hopper: "American Corporate", hopefully will be published on the heels of my debut, "Hack", coming out in June. Having been slaving away at IBM the last 12 years I've got lots of great inspiration. Anyway, thanks for the set up...:)
The Humour Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Catch-22 (other topics)Martians in Maggody (other topics)
Malice in Maggody (other topics)
The Lynne Truss Treasury: Columns and Three Comic Novels (other topics)
Naked Pictures of Famous People (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Joan Hess (other topics)Mark Schweizer (other topics)
Christopher Moore (other topics)
Edith Konecky (other topics)
Evelyn Waugh (other topics)
More...
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh
Sixpence House: Lost in A Town Of Books by Paul Collins
Allegra Maud Goldman by Edith Konecky
and
The Epicure's Lament by Kate Christensen
I've been meaning to read Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis for years now, Phil. Maybe you can gently prod me into starting it soon.
As far as tips for other humorous reads? I can recommend anything by Christopher Moore. He may not be everyone's cup of tea, but he always brings a smile to my face.