# Please recommend some comedic novels **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 17, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883 "2008-01-17T17:14:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meltdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Meltdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meltdown)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/1 "2008-01-17T17:14:23Z")
My wife just finished reading a bunch of Dennis Lehane novels, and is just about finishing up “The Kite Runner.” She liked them all, but for her next book, she says she doesn’t want to read about anyone dying or getting abused. She’s specifically looking for something that will make her laugh. I’m not much of a reader, so I thought I’d ask for some suggestions. A few restrictions – she dislikes fantasy and science fiction. So Douglas Adams, for example, is out. Also, she’s interested in novels rather than collections of short stories, articles, etc. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/2 "2008-01-17T17:21:08Z")
If she isn’t afraid of catching teh gay, anything by [Robert Rodi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Rodi). ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/3 "2008-01-17T17:28:06Z")
Kinky Friedman’s mysteries. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/4 "2008-01-17T17:30:28Z")
Comedic columnist Dave Barry has written two novels: _Tricky Business_ and _Big Trouble_. Obviously, it helps that I normally find him highly amusing anyway, but both of these books had spots where I was laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe! ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/5 "2008-01-17T17:37:30Z")
Your friend could do much worse than P.G. Wodehouse, in particular the Jeeves & Wooster novels, in more particular still (IMHO) _The Code of the Woosters_ (others on this board may recommend other Jeeves & Wooster novels or even Wodehouse novels featuring characters other than Jeeves & Wooster, and they are quite welcome to do so). ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/6 "2008-01-17T17:40:54Z")
Under the Net by Iris Murdoch ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/7 "2008-01-17T17:43:33Z")
_Lucky Jim_ by Kingsley Amis. It’s a little sexist, but if she can get by that it’s pretty damn funny. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/8 "2008-01-17T17:50:34Z")
Most of these are comic crime/thriller/mystery novels, but I recommend them highly. Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana Donald E. Westlake’s Dortmunder novels Thomas Perry’s Island and Metzger’s Dog Ross Thomas’ Chinaman’s Chance and others Keith Snyder’s Coffin’s Got the Dead Guy Inside Just about any Carl Hiassen ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/9 "2008-01-17T18:04:16Z")
Tim Dorsey. Serge Storms is the funniest serial killer ever. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/10 "2008-01-17T18:26:49Z")
_The Straight Man_ by Richard Russo and _A Walk in the Woods_ by Bill Bryson both had me Laughing Out Loud. In Public. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/11 "2008-01-17T18:31:41Z")
Dave Barry’s already been mentioned, but I’d like to point out that he has several books that aren’t collections of his short pieces (although they aren’t novels, either). **Dave Barry Does Japan** , for instance, is hilarious. I’d recommemnd Christopher Moore’s work, but there’s an element of fantasy in each of them, even in **Island of the Sequined Love Nun**. But I recommend them highly ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/12 "2008-01-17T18:31:55Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] _The Straight Man_ by Richard Russo and _A Walk in the Woods_ by Bill Bryson both had me Laughing Out Loud. In Public. [/QUOTE] Funny, but I’m a big fan of Russo, and **Straight Man** is my least fave of his books. _(Well, not LOL.IP funny…)_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/13 "2008-01-17T18:35:42Z")
[QUOTE=Gordon Urquhart] Your friend could do much worse than P.G. Wodehouse, in particular the Jeeves & Wooster novels, in more particular still (IMHO) _The Code of the Woosters_ (others on this board may recommend other Jeeves & Wooster novels or even Wodehouse novels featuring characters other than Jeeves & Wooster, and they are quite welcome to do so). [/QUOTE] I second this recommendation. Wodehouse is my favorite author, and I think most anyone would agree that his Jeeves and Wooster novels are generally his best. My favorite (right now) is _The Mating Season_. Sarah Caudwell’s mystery novels are also very funny. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/14 "2008-01-17T19:11:35Z")
[QUOTE=Gordon Urquhart] Your friend could do much worse than P.G. Wodehouse, in particular the Jeeves & Wooster novels, in more particular still (IMHO) _The Code of the Woosters_ (others on this board may recommend other Jeeves & Wooster novels or even Wodehouse novels featuring characters other than Jeeves & Wooster, and they are quite welcome to do so). [/QUOTE] I third this. I was listening to an audiobook of _The Code of the Woosters_ at the gym, and had to get off the Stairmaster, I was laughing so hard! The whole tone of the novels are so light and frothy too, it would be excellent after the other novels that you mention. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/15 "2008-01-17T19:23:45Z")
Christopher Buckley’s stuff is great (humorous takes on DC): Thank You for Smoking Little Green Men > **[Thank You for Smoking: A Novel: Buckley, Christopher: 9780812976526: Amazon.com:...](https://www.amazon.com/Thank-You-Smoking-Christopher-Buckley/dp/0812976525)** > > Thank You for Smoking: A Novel \[Buckley, Christopher\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Thank You for Smoking: A Novel ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/16 "2008-01-17T20:09:59Z")
This is my favorite laugh-out-loud read. [e by Matthew Beaumont](http://www.amazon.com/e-Matthew-Beaumont/dp/B000HIV0FY/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200600486&sr=1-1). It’s a year in the life of a London advertising agency through emails of it’s employees. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/17 "2008-01-17T20:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I’d recommemnd Christopher Moore’s work, but there’s an element of fantasy in each of them, even in **Island of the Sequined Love Nun**. But I recommend them highly [/QUOTE] I love Christopher Moore’s books. My all time favorite is **Lamb, The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal** ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/18 "2008-01-17T20:31:26Z")
Jasper Fforde. Start with “The Eyre Affair.” ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/19 "2008-01-17T20:33:34Z")
I was going to suggest “Good Omens” by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, but if she doesn’t like fantasy, that probably won’t work. Still, it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. If she likes British-style humo(u)r, I heartily recommend [“The Gun Seller”](http://www.amazon.com/Gun-Seller-Hugh-Laurie/dp/067102082X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200601941&sr=8-1) by Hugh Laurie (yes, Dr. House). It’s a spy novel written in a very droll, comedic style. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2008, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883/20 "2008-01-17T20:53:35Z")
[The Other Schulman](http://www.amazon.com/Other-Shulman-Novel-Alan-Zweibel/dp/081297283X/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200603146&sr=8-1) by [Alan Zweibel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cJ3HX_ZLZY&eurl=http://paulharrisonline.blogspot.com/2007/10/alan-zweibel.html), one of the original writers for SNL and creator of Roseanne Roseannadanna & Emily Litella. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-recommend-some-comedic-novels/433883.md?page=2)