Books reading recommendation request

[Neil Jones]

I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
list?

Thank you in advance.

NJ

[mUs1Ka]

"Neil Jones" <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:E85ri.12270$***@newsfe21.lga...
>
> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
> comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse who
> makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good authors
> or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a list?
>


Try books by Tom Sharpe.

--
Ray
UK

[Don Phillipson]

"Neil Jones" <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:E85ri.12270$***@newsfe21.lga...

> The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> authors or classic books that are funny?

Tell us first whether you prefer American, British or
other funny novels. People who enjoy Thurber or S.J.
Perelman may not enjoy Roald Dahl or Evelyn Waugh.

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)

[Neil Jones]

Don Phillipson wrote:
> "Neil Jones" <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:E85ri.12270$***@newsfe21.lga...
>
>> The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>> authors or classic books that are funny?
>
> Tell us first whether you prefer American, British or
> other funny novels. People who enjoy Thurber or S.J.
> Perelman may not enjoy Roald Dahl or Evelyn Waugh.
>

Thank you for replying. I am interested in funny novels without any bad
language. It does not matter if it is British/American/Australian/Indian.

NJ

[John Hall]

In article <Zn6ri.10989$***@newsfe20.lga>,
Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> writes:
>Thank you for replying. I am interested in funny novels without any
>bad language. It does not matter if it is British/American/Australian/
>Indian.

In addition to suggestions that others have already made, you could try
Leo Rosten's "The Education of Hyman Kaplan".
--
John Hall

"I am not young enough to know everything."
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

[Mike M]

On 29 Jul, 21:02, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
> I am interested in funny novels without any bad
> language.
>

What a bizarre request. Most of the really funny books seem to be
downright filthy (human nature, innit?) Several people have suggested
Tom Sharpe. You'd better stay away from those - they are (ahem) RUDE.

The book that most recently me laugh out loud was Three Men In A Boat
(Jerome K. Jerome). No bad language, either.

Mike M

[the Omrud]

In article <Zn6ri.10989$***@newsfe20.lga>, castellan2004-
***@yahoo.com says...
> Don Phillipson wrote:
> > "Neil Jones" <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:E85ri.12270$***@newsfe21.lga...
> >
> >> The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> >> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> >> authors or classic books that are funny?
> >
> > Tell us first whether you prefer American, British or
> > other funny novels. People who enjoy Thurber or S.J.
> > Perelman may not enjoy Roald Dahl or Evelyn Waugh.
> >
>
> Thank you for replying. I am interested in funny novels without any bad
> language. It does not matter if it is British/American/Australian/Indian.

Try Douglas Adams (he does sometimes invent his own swear words, but
they are not actually rude). I liked his two Dirk Gently novels.

--
David
=====

[Amethyst Deceiver]

the Omrud wrote:
> In article <Zn6ri.10989$***@newsfe20.lga>, castellan2004-
> ***@yahoo.com says...
>> Don Phillipson wrote:
>>> "Neil Jones" <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>> news:E85ri.12270$***@newsfe21.lga...
>>>
>>>> The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>>>> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other
>>>> good authors or classic books that are funny?
>>>
>>> Tell us first whether you prefer American, British or
>>> other funny novels. People who enjoy Thurber or S.J.
>>> Perelman may not enjoy Roald Dahl or Evelyn Waugh.
>>>
>>
>> Thank you for replying. I am interested in funny novels without any
>> bad language. It does not matter if it is
>> British/American/Australian/Indian.
>
> Try Douglas Adams (he does sometimes invent his own swear words, but
> they are not actually rude). I liked his two Dirk Gently novels.

Seconded. Also Terry Pratchett.
--
Linz
Wet Yorks via Cambridge, York, London and Watford
My accent may vary

[Toby A Inkster]

Neil Jones wrote:

> Thank you for replying. I am interested in funny novels without any bad
> language. It does not matter if it is British/American/Australian/Indian.

Roald Dahl's _The Vicar of Nibbleswick_ is quite possibly the funniest
book I've ever read.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS

demiblog 0.2.2 Released
http://tobyinkster.co.uk/blog/2007/07/29/demiblog-0.2.2/

[John Kane]

On Jul 29, 4:02 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Don Phillipson wrote:
> > "Neil Jones" <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >news:E85ri.12270$***@newsfe21.lga...
>
> >> The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> >> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> >> authors or classic books that are funny?
>
> > Tell us first whether you prefer American, British or
> > other funny novels. People who enjoy Thurber or S.J.
> > Perelman may not enjoy Roald Dahl or Evelyn Waugh.
>
> Thank you for replying. I am interested in funny novels without any bad
> language. It does not matter if it is British/American/Australian/Indian.
>
> NJ

Most of the Jerome K. Jerome books.

For light mystery reading the early Donald Westlake books are fun.

For rather funny but caustic social commentary Jane Eyre

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

John Kane, Kingston ON Canada

[tony cooper]

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:37:59 -0400, Neil Jones
<castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>list?
>
>Thank you in advance.

For something to be "funny", the reader must have some familiarity of
the subject. The reader has to know what is straight description and
what is humorous description.

If you are not an American, and don't know what is "normal" in
America, you might not be able to find the humor in an American
author's book. What we usually laugh at is when the boundaries of
"normal" are pushed.

It's very difficult to recommend a humorous author without know what
your background is.


--


Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

[John Briggs]

tony cooper wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:37:59 -0400, Neil Jones
> <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny
>> or comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G.
>> Wodehouse who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any
>> other good authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone
>> recommend such a list?
>>
>> Thank you in advance.
>
> For something to be "funny", the reader must have some familiarity of
> the subject. The reader has to know what is straight description and
> what is humorous description.
>
> If you are not an American, and don't know what is "normal" in
> America, you might not be able to find the humor in an American
> author's book. What we usually laugh at is when the boundaries of
> "normal" are pushed.
>
> It's very difficult to recommend a humorous author without know what
> your background is.

He's posting from (or through) the Mountain Time Zone - if that is a clue.
--
John Briggs

[j***@yahoo.com]

On Jul 29, 12:37 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
> comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
> list?
>
> Thank you in advance.

Like Wodehouse: Beerbohm's /Zuleika Dobson/? Robertson Davies'
"Salterton" trilogy? Dorothy Sayers (if you're willing to put up with
"detective interruptions")? The Grossmiths' /Diary of a Nobody/?

But I don't laugh at written humor very much. The only books that
have made me laugh at more than one place each (since I was a
teenager) are those of Spike Milligan's autobiography (which starts
with /Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall/) and those of Terry
Pratchett's Discworld series. For the latter, you have to be able to
enjoy fantasy (not the same kind as Wodehouse's). One of these days
I'm going to read Flann O'Brien.

Come to think of it, I've found several laughs each in some of Robert
Parker's Spenser novels, but they're primarily detective novels.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Neil Jones]

***@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Jul 29, 12:37 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>> comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>> authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>> list?
>>
>> Thank you in advance.
>
> Like Wodehouse: Beerbohm's /Zuleika Dobson/? Robertson Davies'
> "Salterton" trilogy? Dorothy Sayers (if you're willing to put up with
> "detective interruptions")? The Grossmiths' /Diary of a Nobody/?
>
> But I don't laugh at written humor very much. The only books that
> have made me laugh at more than one place each (since I was a
> teenager) are those of Spike Milligan's autobiography (which starts
> with /Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall/) and those of Terry
> Pratchett's Discworld series. For the latter, you have to be able to
> enjoy fantasy (not the same kind as Wodehouse's). One of these days
> I'm going to read Flann O'Brien.
>
> Come to think of it, I've found several laughs each in some of Robert
> Parker's Spenser novels, but they're primarily detective novels.
>

Thank you for this short list. I will check them out.

NJ

[Ben Shimmin]

[aue and aeu removed]

Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com>:
>>> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>>> comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>>> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>>> authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>>> list?

[...]

> Thank you for this short list. I will check them out.

Hector Hugh Monroe (better known as `Saki') is a little like Wodehouse --
particularly in that they both used recurring characters: as Wodehouse
gave us Bertie Wooster and Psmith, so with Saki we had Reginald and
Clovis -- and used to be very popular, though he isn't so widely read
these days, for whatever reason. I think Penguin possibly does a good
compendium of his works.

My favourite Saki quote has always been:

The cook was a good cook, as cooks go; and as good cooks go, she went.

I forget which story it's from; probably one of the Reginald ones.

Wikipedia has some quite useful lists of things; have you looked on there?

b.

--
<***@bas.me.uk> <URL:http://bas.me.uk/>
L'amour n'est pas pop.

[Robin Bignall]

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:32:15 -0700, "***@yahoo.com"
<***@yahoo.com> wrote:

>On Jul 29, 12:37 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>> comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>> authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>> list?
>>
>> Thank you in advance.
>
>Like Wodehouse: Beerbohm's /Zuleika Dobson/? Robertson Davies'
>"Salterton" trilogy? Dorothy Sayers (if you're willing to put up with
>"detective interruptions")? The Grossmiths' /Diary of a Nobody/?
>
>But I don't laugh at written humor very much. The only books that
>have made me laugh at more than one place each (since I was a
>teenager) are those of Spike Milligan's autobiography (which starts
>with /Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall/) and those of Terry
>Pratchett's Discworld series. For the latter, you have to be able to
>enjoy fantasy (not the same kind as Wodehouse's). One of these days
>I'm going to read Flann O'Brien.
>
>Come to think of it, I've found several laughs each in some of Robert
>Parker's Spenser novels, but they're primarily detective novels.

Have you noticed that Parker is having the heroes and heroines of his
different series meet up with each other? The female detective who
was married to the guy whose relatives are hoods has met up with, and
fallen for, the small-town sheriff who has a drink problem and an
ex-wife who can't help putting it about. Maybe they'll all get
together with Spenser and Hawk in some grand finale. Wouldn't that be
a hoot.
--
Robin Bignall
Herts, England

[j***@yahoo.com]

On Jul 29, 3:35 pm, Robin Bignall <***@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:32:15 -0700, "***@yahoo.com"
>
>
>
> <***@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >On Jul 29, 12:37 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
> >> comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> >> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> >> authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
> >> list?
>
> >> Thank you in advance.
>
> >Like Wodehouse: Beerbohm's /Zuleika Dobson/? Robertson Davies'
> >"Salterton" trilogy? Dorothy Sayers (if you're willing to put up with
> >"detective interruptions")? The Grossmiths' /Diary of a Nobody/?
>
> >But I don't laugh at written humor very much. The only books that
> >have made me laugh at more than one place each (since I was a
> >teenager) are those of Spike Milligan's autobiography (which starts
> >with /Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall/) and those of Terry
> >Pratchett's Discworld series. For the latter, you have to be able to
> >enjoy fantasy (not the same kind as Wodehouse's). One of these days
> >I'm going to read Flann O'Brien.
>
> >Come to think of it, I've found several laughs each in some of Robert
> >Parker's Spenser novels, but they're primarily detective novels.
>
> Have you noticed that Parker is having the heroes and heroines of his
> different series meet up with each other? The female detective who
> was married to the guy whose relatives are hoods has met up with, and
> fallen for, the small-town sheriff who has a drink problem and an
> ex-wife who can't help putting it about.

That would have been a spoiler for me if I'd been tempted to read the
Jesse Stone books (note for those without a program: he's a male small-
town sheriff), but for some reason I haven't.

Come to think of it, Parker's books are about the most unspoilable
detective stories around.

> Maybe they'll all get
> together with Spenser and Hawk in some grand finale. Wouldn't that be
> a hoot.

Well, considering what a disaster Parker committed in the one where
Spenser and all his good and formerly evil male friends take one side
in a shootout in a small Southwestern town, "hoot" might be just the
term.

By the way, as a resident of a small Southwestern town, I trust the
Boston atmosphere is more accurate.

On the subject of get-togethers, Sunny Randall's friend Spike got into
the TV versions of some of the Spenser novels, possibly to provide a
role for Parker's son the gay actor (not his son the gay dancer). The
things you learn working on Wikipedia articles.

See also Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, H. Rider Haggard, Gene Wolfe,
and probably lots of people who aren't coming to mind. Heck, Vladimir
Nabokov.

(Google's spearchucker flags "Wikipedia". Can we have a pool on how
long that lasts? It doesn't mind "Britannica".)

--
Jerry Friedman

[Robert Bannister]

***@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Jul 29, 12:37 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>>comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>>who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>>authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>>list?
>>
>>Thank you in advance.
>
>
> Like Wodehouse: Beerbohm's /Zuleika Dobson/? Robertson Davies'
> "Salterton" trilogy? Dorothy Sayers (if you're willing to put up with
> "detective interruptions")? The Grossmiths' /Diary of a Nobody/?
>
> But I don't laugh at written humor very much.

The only books I remember that made me laugh out loud were the first few
I read by Tom Sharpe and Terry Pratchett - oh, and maybe a couple by Tom
Holt. However, after the first couple of books, I found they would only
raise a smile. Perhaps you have to be in the right mood for actual laughter.


--
Rob Bannister

[Richard R. Hershberger]

On Jul 29, 3:32 pm, "***@yahoo.com"
<***@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Jul 29, 12:37 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
> > comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> > who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> > authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
> > list?
>
> > Thank you in advance.
>
> Like Wodehouse: Beerbohm's /Zuleika Dobson/? Robertson Davies'
> "Salterton" trilogy? Dorothy Sayers (if you're willing to put up with
> "detective interruptions")? The Grossmiths' /Diary of a Nobody/?
>
> But I don't laugh at written humor very much. The only books that
> have made me laugh at more than one place each (since I was a
> teenager) are those of Spike Milligan's autobiography (which starts
> with /Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall/) and those of Terry
> Pratchett's Discworld series. For the latter, you have to be able to
> enjoy fantasy (not the same kind as Wodehouse's). One of these days
> I'm going to read Flann O'Brien.
>
> Come to think of it, I've found several laughs each in some of Robert
> Parker's Spenser novels, but they're primarily detective novels.

My experience with Spike Milligan suggests that his humor is very
culture-specific. I (an American) picked one of his books up due to
repeated recommendations. I found it not so much un-funny as simply
incomprehensible. I have also never really gotten Pratchett's humor,
though I have many friends who adore him. Douglas Adams and Monty
Python are both favorites, so it isn't simply that I don't like
British humor/humour.

I have not seen anyone mention Donald Jack's Bandy Papers. I don't
feel the need to rip through the entire series, but one book every
year or two is quite amusing.

Do the Flashman books count as humo(u)r?

Richard R. Hershberger

[Robert Bannister]

Richard R. Hershberger wrote:


> Do the Flashman books count as humo(u)r?

I think so, though more of the smile variety than laugh out loud. Also,
you need a pretty comprehensive knowledge of history, literature and
even dirty songs (El Bulbul and Ivan) to get all the jokes, so I find
some of the humour is spoilt as my brain tries to access almost-erased
memories of some obscure fact.

--
Rob Bannister

[j***@yahoo.com]

On Jul 30, 9:40 am, "Richard R. Hershberger" <***@acme.com> wrote:
> On Jul 29, 3:32 pm, "***@yahoo.com"
>
>
>
> <***@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > On Jul 29, 12:37 pm, Neil Jones <castellan2004-***@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
> > > comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> > > who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> > > authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
> > > list?
>
> > > Thank you in advance.
>
> > Like Wodehouse: Beerbohm's /Zuleika Dobson/? Robertson Davies'
> > "Salterton" trilogy? Dorothy Sayers (if you're willing to put up with
> > "detective interruptions")? The Grossmiths' /Diary of a Nobody/?
>
> > But I don't laugh at written humor very much. The only books that
> > have made me laugh at more than one place each (since I was a
> > teenager) are those of Spike Milligan's autobiography (which starts
> > with /Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall/) and those of Terry
> > Pratchett's Discworld series. For the latter, you have to be able to
> > enjoy fantasy (not the same kind as Wodehouse's). One of these days
> > I'm going to read Flann O'Brien.
>
> > Come to think of it, I've found several laughs each in some of Robert
> > Parker's Spenser novels, but they're primarily detective novels.
>
> My experience with Spike Milligan suggests that his humor is very
> culture-specific. I (an American) picked one of his books up due to
> repeated recommendations. I found it not so much un-funny as simply
> incomprehensible. I have also never really gotten Pratchett's humor,
> though I have many friends who adore him. Douglas Adams and Monty
> Python are both favorites, so it isn't simply that I don't like
> British humor/humour.

I think that suggests that Milligan (and Pratchett) aren't necessarily
culture-specific, just that your sense of humor differs from mine and
some others'.

> I have not seen anyone mention Donald Jack's Bandy Papers. I don't
> feel the need to rip through the entire series, but one book every
> year or two is quite amusing.
...

Hm.

--
Jerry Friedman

[Owain]

Neil Jones wrote:
> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
> comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
> who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
> authors or classic books that are funny?

"Diary of a Nobody" - the story of Mr Pooter, a clerk acutely conscious
of his social position. It's out of copyright, so you can get it online
legally.
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1026

Owain

[Oleg Lego]

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:37:59 -0400, Neil Jones posted:

>
>I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>list?
>
>Thank you in advance.

_The World According to Garp_ by John Irving

_Catch 22_ by Joseph Heller

_Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ (and its sequels) by Douglas Adams

_Sydney's Comet_ by Brian Herbert

Of these, the first one may have some "bad language". The rest do not.

[tony cooper]

On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:37:55 -0600, Oleg Lego <***@atatatat.com>
wrote:

>On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:37:59 -0400, Neil Jones posted:
>
>>
>>I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>>comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>>who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>>authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>>list?
>>
>>Thank you in advance.
>
>_The World According to Garp_ by John Irving
>
>_Catch 22_ by Joseph Heller
>
>_Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ (and its sequels) by Douglas Adams
>
>_Sydney's Comet_ by Brian Herbert
>
>Of these, the first one may have some "bad language". The rest do not.

Carl Hiaasen makes me laugh out loud, but his books don't have what
I'd consider to be universal appeal. Catch 22 is atop my all-time
list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache books. Irving makes me smile once
in a while, but Hotel New Hampshire left me cold.


--


Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

[Oleg Lego]

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:22:21 -0400, tony cooper posted:

>On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 21:37:55 -0600, Oleg Lego <***@atatatat.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:37:59 -0400, Neil Jones posted:
>>
>>>
>>>I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>>>comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>>>who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>>>authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>>>list?
>>>
>>>Thank you in advance.
>>
>>_The World According to Garp_ by John Irving
>>
>>_Catch 22_ by Joseph Heller
>>
>>_Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ (and its sequels) by Douglas Adams
>>
>>_Sydney's Comet_ by Brian Herbert
>>
>>Of these, the first one may have some "bad language". The rest do not.
>
>Carl Hiaasen makes me laugh out loud, but his books don't have what
>I'd consider to be universal appeal. Catch 22 is atop my all-time
>list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache books. Irving makes me smile once
>in a while, but Hotel New Hampshire left me cold.

I agree. I could not get vary far into _Hotel New Hampshire_/

[Peter Moylan]

Oleg Lego wrote:
> On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:22:21 -0400, tony cooper posted:

>> Catch 22 is atop my all-time list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache
>> books. Irving makes me smile once in a while, but Hotel New
>> Hampshire left me cold.
>
> I agree. I could not get vary far into _Hotel New Hampshire_/

I'd go further. He's one of those authors - there have been many of them
- who wrote one excellent book, and then a whole lot of rubbish.

When I first read Catch-22, probably about 40 years ago, I ranked it as
one of the best books I'd ever read. The film of the book was also good.
(And from me, that's high praise. Usually I hate films based on books
I've liked.) About two years ago I read the book again, and that time I
found it pretty good, but not really laugh-inducing. Perhaps you had to
read it in the right era.

Certainly you have to be the sort of person who can handle a mixture of
comedy and tragedy. I can appreciate black humour, but not everyone can.
M*A*S*H was similar in that respect. Another book that can make you
laugh and cry at the same time is "The Good Soldier Svejk".

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org
For an e-mail address, see my web page.

[Oleg Lego]

On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:56:46 +1000, Peter Moylan posted:

>Oleg Lego wrote:
>> On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:22:21 -0400, tony cooper posted:
>
>>> Catch 22 is atop my all-time list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache
>>> books. Irving makes me smile once in a while, but Hotel New
>>> Hampshire left me cold.
>>
>> I agree. I could not get vary far into _Hotel New Hampshire_/
>
>I'd go further. He's one of those authors - there have been many of them
>- who wrote one excellent book, and then a whole lot of rubbish.
>
>When I first read Catch-22, probably about 40 years ago, I ranked it as
>one of the best books I'd ever read. The film of the book was also good.
>(And from me, that's high praise.

I was quite disappointed in the film. It seemed to me that they left
out at least 80% of the book.

> Usually I hate films based on books
>I've liked.) About two years ago I read the book again, and that time I
>found it pretty good, but not really laugh-inducing. Perhaps you had to
>read it in the right era.

Well, as with any humour, I think the rereading is never as good
because the element of surprise is gone.

>Certainly you have to be the sort of person who can handle a mixture of
>comedy and tragedy. I can appreciate black humour, but not everyone can.
>M*A*S*H was similar in that respect. Another book that can make you
>laugh and cry at the same time is "The Good Soldier Svejk".

[Richard Maurer]

Peter Moylan wrote:
When I first read Catch-22, probably about 40 years ago,
I ranked it as one of the best books I'd ever read.
The film of the book was also good. (And from me,
that's high praise. Usually I hate films based on books
I've liked.) About two years ago I read the book again,
and that time I found it pretty good, but not really
laugh-inducing. Perhaps you had to read it in the right era.


A factor in making the era right was that there was nothing
like it in the decade before, just hundreds of stories about
heroic efforts [1]. Afterwards there were hundreds of books
and movies treating the dark comedy insanities of war and
bad leadership. When the book came out all that was
a big surprise, which helps in the inducing of laughs.
As with many wonderful things, it would be hard for
someone encountering them decades later to appreciate
that pre-nothingness.

It is funny how 90% of the humor in previous eras,
those more than 70 years ago, is not funny anymore.


[1] Although it would not totally surprise me if
someone in aue names some relevant books.

-- ---------------------------------------------
Richard Maurer To reply, remove half
Sunnyvale, California of a homonym of a synonym for also.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Toby A Inkster]

tony cooper wrote:

> Catch 22 is atop my all-time list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache books.

Really? Although I very much enjoyed it, I didn't find it laugh-out-loud
funny.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS

demiblog 0.2.2 Released
http://tobyinkster.co.uk/blog/2007/07/29/demiblog-0.2.2/

[tony cooper]

On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:00:44 +0100, Toby A Inkster
<***@tobyinkster.co.uk> wrote:

>tony cooper wrote:
>
>> Catch 22 is atop my all-time list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache books.
>
>Really? Although I very much enjoyed it, I didn't find it laugh-out-loud
>funny.

Yeah, really. No exaggeration. When I was reading it for the first
time I had to set it aside and compose myself at times.
--


Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

[Oleg Lego]

On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:00:44 +0100, Toby A Inkster posted:

>tony cooper wrote:
>
>> Catch 22 is atop my all-time list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache books.
>
>Really? Although I very much enjoyed it, I didn't find it laugh-out-loud
>funny.

Side-splitting comes to mind. What a wealth of characters and skewed
ways of looking at things.

[Robert Bannister]

Toby A Inkster wrote:

> tony cooper wrote:
>
>
>>Catch 22 is atop my all-time list of laugh-until-my-cheeks-ache books.
>
>
> Really? Although I very much enjoyed it, I didn't find it laugh-out-loud
> funny.
>

My problem was: so many people had told me how funny it was that I was
disappointed.

--
Rob Bannister

[R H Draney]

Oleg Lego filted:
>
>On Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:37:59 -0400, Neil Jones posted:
>
>>I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny or
>>comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G. Wodehouse
>>who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any other good
>>authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone recommend such a
>>list?
>
>_Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ (and its sequels) by Douglas Adams

And others not in the same series...the "Dirk Gently" books make nice companion
pieces to the "Hitchhiker" volumes....

I've been known to laugh out loud reading books by Rudy Rucker and Somtow
Sucharitkul....

A humorous American author much admired in alt.usage.english was H Allen
Smith...those earlier writers referenced in his seminal "Low Man on a Totem
Pole" are generally amusing as well, authors such as James Thurber, HL Mencken,
Robert Benchley, Ambrose Bierce and Ring Lardner...not everything the older
group wrote was funny, so choose from among their works with care....r


--
"You got Schadenfreude on my Weltanschauung!"
"You got Weltanschauung in my Schadenfreude!"

[John Ramsay]

Neil Jones wrote:

>
> I am interested in reading novels or books in general that are funny
> or comedy inclined. The only funny author that I know is P.G.
> Wodehouse who makes fun of the mistakes of the rich. Are there any
> other good authors or classic books that are funny? Could anyone
> recommend such a list?
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> NJ

If you're going to go and get the books anyway. Just
try the humour section in a local library or bookstore.

Lots of classic humour books online for free - anything from
Aristophanes to the complete comedies of Shakespeare.