5 Reasons It’s Impossible to Find Funny Books

[mpd123]

for me justin halpern - s**t my dad says, had me in tears of laughter on the train that i had to stop reading it as i was getting funny looks from other passengers.

again it is a matter of personal taste,but some things are universally funny e.g farting in a car full of friends (or is that just me?)

mick

[dee_can]

Like a lot of you, I don't really find what is supposed to be obviously funny to be funny to me. I like clever humour, sarcastic humour at times, too.

I borrowed the ebook, 'This is Where I Leave You' by Jonathan Tropper, from the public library, and found myself laughing out loud while reading it. I found his humour to be right up my alley. I recommend it. And, I want to read more by him.

[Apache]

The first time I read Blood Sucking Fiends: A Love Story by Christopher Moore I was laughing out loud and had tears in my eyes. My wife thought I was nuts and could not believe my behavior while I was reading this book.
Maybe it was me because I could relate to some of the incidents in the book. I howled during the Turkey Bowling passages because I have done that. If you want to know what Turkey Bowling is read the book.
Then I had my wife read it and she howled too. So it was not just me.
Apache

[SilverBear]

I think it may be hard to write a "funny" book because every author has her/his own sense of humour --and so does every reader.

That may be why the "canister" approach to humour often works: load up your cannon with all sizes of chunks of various deadly kinds of stuff, and it'll spread laughter to various classes of public standing at various distances from your own position.

In film "Blazing Saddles" was mentioned. Mel Brooks was certainly a perennial warrior with, and a prime example of using the canister shot approach. Some scenes a retarded ten year old would find dumb, IMO. But I must confess to nearly choking to death at least twice during Robin Hood: Men in Tights (Eating while watching --dangerous!)

In books, I get the same reaction to the old classic. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome.
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People who have tried it, tell me that a clear conscience makes you very happy and contented; but a full stomach does the business quite as well, and is cheaper, and more easily obtained. --JKJ

[JennW82]

It is NOT impossible to find funny reads.

Try "Sexcessful Failures" by Dave Glenn, and "My Horizontal Life" by Chelsea Handler!

A friend of mine let me borrow them, and (no joke) I finished them both by the end of the week. Trust me, you have to read these if you have any sense of humor.

[twowheels]

I completely agree with the recommendation to read Christopher Moore for funny books. Douglass Adams (also already alluded to) is even funner, IMO, and still my all time favorite for humor.

Edit: Oh, and how did I forget to mention the legendary Samuel Langhorne Clemens? This story had me rolling: http://www.bikereader.com/contributors/misc/taming.html

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

Humor is highly subjective. Take the list of funny books at the end of that article. "The long dark tea-time of the soul," was wretched in my humble opinion. Yet I couldn't stop laughing while reading "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" (same author, same style, some of the same characters). I also tend to prefer children's literature because the authors tend to take a "laugh with" approach. I never understood why people think that laughing at others, particularly in difficult circumstances, is funny. Of course, the majority of adults would beg to differ. :/

Was it Joan Collins who said humor is largely made up of other peoples pain or something similar

Helen

[Frogman297]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Was it Joan Collins who said humor is largely made up of other peoples pain or something similar

Helen

Haha true. 'Not Enough Education to Perform' is a hilarious book which epitomises this.

[Geralt]

I laughed out loud reading Discworld #2, part on Cohan the Barbarian.

Spoiler:

'Yesh,' said Cohen, and sighed. Thatsh right, boy. I'm a lifetime in my own legend.'

'Gosh,' said Rincewind. 'How old are you, exactly?'

'Eighty-sheven.'

'But you were the greatest!' said Bethan. 'Bards still sing songs about you.'

Cohen shrugged, and gave a little yelp of pain.

'I never get any royaltiesh,' he said. He looked moodily at the snow. That'sh the shaga of my life. Eighty yearsh in the bushiness and what have I got to show for it? Backache, pilesh, bad digeshtion and a hundred different recipesh for shoop. Shoop! I hate shoop!'

Bethan's forehead wrinkled. 'Shoop?'

'Soup,' explained Rincewind.

Yeah, shoop,' said Cohen, miserably. 'It'sh my teeths, you shee. No-one takes you sheriously when you've got no teeths, they shay “Shit down by the fire, grandad, and have shome shoo—” Cohen looked sharply at Rincewind. That'sh a nashty cough you have there, boy.'

Infact, I laughed so much, it intrigued my fiance to the point where I convinced him to listen to Discworld books with me. I consider that a win, as he is not a reader.

Also I highly recommend Shit my dad says. Skip the show though, that sucks. Just go for the book.


Oh and Terry Pratchett's and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens was pretty funny too, but in a different parody sort of way. That book makes fun of everything. Britain, USA, religion, fast food corporations, etc. But if you're one of those stuck up types, or maybe a conservative nut :P, you will get offended. But in my mind, that is just one more bonus, haha.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by sgraffwriter

Funny, to me, is more relevant in the form of visual media for some reason. I don't often laugh when I read things that are funny, but when I hear them said out loud or see them (in the form of physical comedy, for example), then I find myself laughing.

Have you ever laughed your socks off at a youtube fail movie, and then tried to make others laugh TELLING them about it? Doesn't work.

[DiapDealer]

I read funny books all the time (and I almost never read blurbs).

[Nabodita]

Well, satire really works for me... beyond that, I enjoy witty repartee but those are really hard to come by. Frankly, I agree with the OP. I rarely find a "funny" book funny.

I suppose I'm spoilt by my reading choices as a child: "Yes Minister" has kept me entertained over the years and stands out as an all time favourite for me. Also, Tom Sharpe is a must read. Honestly. If you haven't read Tom Sharpe, you've missed something. Start with "Wilt"... I almost had a bathroom accident I was laughing so hard. Of course, if you go back and read it a second time, its still funny, but then you realise Sharpe is ripping the establishment to shreds.

[Catlady]

I generally like humor in small doses--a little comic relief to break the tension in a suspenseful story, for example.

[speakingtohe]

I'm happy with mildly amusing, witty, or better. I've laughed out loud at maybe 4 books in 60 years of reading. I only remember three, so I am thinking 3 is the number.

Humour adds to a book, but overdone or constant one liners can be a detraction for me as well.

I have been reading a couple of Martha Grimes books lately and they exhibit a gentle humour throughout with a good story which I find irresistible.

I have a list of over 700 authors I am 90% sure I will enjoy any book they write and I am currently reading a book by a new to me author which is keeping me interested. Humour is not the main criteria for me. Over all it is a bonus (very big bonus).

Helen

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by apbschmitz

A lot of work that's intended to be funny leaves me cold, whereas a book like The Last Werewolf, which surely wasn't intended to be humorous in that Dave Barry-ish way, strikes me as deeply comical. It's more in the lightness of approach, the ridiculousness of the premise.

Oh, yeah, I loved The Last Werewolf and there were bits that made me chuckle.

As far as authors who can make me laugh out loud, Christopher Moore and Carl Hiaasen come to mind.