The Funniest Fiction Novel

[rkomar]

Originally Posted by carld

A Fine and Pleasant Misery by Patrick F. McManus is probably the funniest book I've ever read. It's a fictionalized account, so probably doesn't really qualify, but it's funny as hell.

McManus' regular stories in Field and Stream magazine kept me renewing my subscription long after I lost interest in the factual articles. Their editor, Ed Zern, was also funny, but using dry wit rather than McManus' slapstick style. Here's a great quote of Zern's:

Although written many years ago, Lady Chatterley's Lover has just been reissued by the Grove Press, and this pictorial account of the day-to-day life of an English gamekeeper is full of considerable interest to outdoor minded readers, as it contains many passages on pheasant-raising, the apprehending of poachers, ways to control vermin, and other chores and duties of the professional gamekeeper. Unfortunately, one is obliged to wade through many pages of extraneous material in order to discover and savour those sidelights on the management of a midland shooting estate, and in this reviewer's opinion the book cannot take the place of J. R. Miller's "Practical Gamekeeping."
-- Ed Zern, "Field and Stream" (Nov. 1959)

[gpc127]

John O'Grady is fun and the others too.

However A SENTIMENTAL BLOKE by C J Dennis is very perceptive and very funny. It is in rhyme which some might find off putting but if you read nothing else in it read where he takes his sweetheart Doreen to see Hamlet, just wonderful.

A children's book sort of but both funny and poinigant is MIDNITE by Randolph Stow.

On this thread's recommendations I read Bridge of Birds, the Illumanatus Trilogy and Blood Sucking Fiends. I enjoyed all of them. Many thanks.

Still hard to beat CATCH 22. Amazing how humour and sadness go together.

Ah, another war comedy . . . GOOD SOLDIER SCHWEIK by J Hasek should not be forgotten.

cheers

grant

[SteveEisenberg]

I began two books based on recommendations in this thread:

Originally Posted by Jozawun

Time for some Australiana:
The daddy of them all, Lennie Lower Here's Luck.

Started out funny, but I think the characters are too unlikable, and the gags too repetitive, for me to finish it.

Originally Posted by BenG

Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis

Thank you, thank you! Just terrific. Even the dated jokes are hilarious. No sustained plot, which is fine with me. Wonderful ending.

And I have to give a nod to the musicalization:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilV5K8tw_6o

[Lynx-lynx]

Just finished Skios by Michael Frayn.

A comedy of modern day manners set on the Greek island of Skios.

Quite enjoyable - probably around 7.5 out of 10 in my humour ratings.

A much better read (imo) in this sort of farce genre is James Hamilton-Paterson in the following 3 books:

Cooking with Fernet Branca

Amazing Disgrace

Rancid Pansies

Enjoy!!

[Jozawun]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

I began two books based on recommendations in this thread:


Started out funny, but I think the characters are too unlikable, and the gags too repetitive, for me to finish it.


Thank you, thank you! Just terrific. Even the dated jokes are hilarious. No sustained plot, which is fine with me. Wonderful ending.

And I have to give a nod to the musicalization:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilV5K8tw_6o

Gosh, what's not to like about Jack Gudgeon?