Funniest book please? I need some more laughing therapy!

G

Godfather

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Hi,

some time ago I raised the question of funniest movies ever and I thank so much the forum for the list of movies we discussed.

But as I still believe in laughing therapy a lot in healing any illness/problem I was wondering if anyone of you might suggest me some books (novels, bios, etc) that can make laugh please.

My favourite one (even if it's quite dated but it's only in italian, so sorry!): Bar Sport by Stefano Benni. And unfortunately I believe that it would lose lots of attractiveness if it would be translated in English sorry due to the particular local "hard to translate" language and metaphors... :(

Thank you for any input on this subject!
 
I always enjoyed Tom Sharpe's comic novels - the Wilt series in particular & his two early novels taking the mickey out of South Africa's apartheid regime - riotous assembly & indecent exposure.
 
I enjoyed a couple of books by the late Pete McCarthy (McCarthy's Bar and The Road to McCarthy).
 
Ceist Beag said:
I enjoyed a couple of books by the late Pete McCarthy (McCarthy's Bar and The Road to McCarthy).
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I would also recommend those, especially the first one

Another very funny series is the Driving Over Lemons series by Chris Stewart, which is about how the author decides to emigrate to Andalucia from England, where he buys a derelict farm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Driving-Over-Lemons-Optimist-Andalucia/dp/0953522709

If you like sport I found Fatty Batter very very funny. You don't have to like cricket to enjoy this book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fatty-Batter-cricket-saved-ruined/dp/0091901510/
 
I found The Ask by Sam Lipsyte very funny
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ask-Sam-Lipsyte/dp/1906964572/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333104995&sr=8-1

And David Sedaris is very funny too, though my version of funny and yours could be miles apart.
 
DB74 said:
Really! You never heard of Dom Joly.

The book is very good too actually. It's not all funny though. Some of the chapter on Cambodia is a bit disturbing TBH.
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eh no, why, is he very famous? I dont really watch tv so I often wouldnt know who various 'famous' people are.

Yes, the chapter on Cambodia is disturbing, but there is still dark humour, although I realise not everyone is into that kind of thing. I loved the North Korea chapter.
 
One hundred reasons why I hate the office by Malcolm Bradbury always cheers me up. He is just spot on about all those stupid pointless things that go on in everyday office life.
 
1) The world according to Garp 2) Adrian Mole and the weapons of mass destruction. Laugh out loud moments both of them.
 
Some of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series - especially the early ones - are very good.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman made me laugh out loud.

But the one Id really recommend is calvin and hobbes, you can buy omnibus's on amazon and honestly I sometimes have to put it down and gather myself together Im laughing so hard at Hobbes expressions. It is so good - a real gem.

I hope you find your cure.
cas.
 
a bit populist but the Ross O'Carroll Kelly series is generally great - especially the earlier ones, great laugh out loud moments.

Pies & Prejudice - In search of the North. Stuart Maconie - great if you like reading about En-ger-land, probably more interesting than funny funny, a bit like the Bill Bryson stuff, but plenty laughs at the same time.

I also like autobiographies of comedians.
Paul O'Grady (Lily Savage), both books well worth it
Peter Kay - first 2 were good. Recent one (The book that not a book book) is pure dross, avoid at all costs.
Dara O'Brian - tickling the english - not an autobiagraphy but an account of a tour with witty observational humour - you'll enjoy it.

Again these are not comic fiction but have that "feel good"/often funny characteristic.
 
I read http://www.amazon.com/The-Commissars-Report-Martyn-Burke/dp/1587215144 (The Commissars Report) by Martyn Burke years ago and it was both funny and touching (I was going to say poignant but I don't know how to spell it)
 
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