# Recommend me a funny book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 25, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778 "2002-07-25T15:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rmbnxs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b9e5f3/32.png) [@rmbnxs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rmbnxs)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/41 "2003-02-16T08:51:01Z")
> [@](#): > > I am looking for a really funny, fiction book - I mean LOL funny. Any suggestions? _The Holy Bible_. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/42 "2003-02-16T09:06:18Z")
Another vote for P. G. Wodehouse. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/43 "2003-02-16T11:16:20Z")
I’ll third Patrick McManus. And the _Fletch_ novels are all very funny. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/44 "2003-02-16T12:25:46Z")
Here are two books that made me laugh out so loud in the subway that people started asking me about them: _Round Ireland with a Fridge_ by Tony Hawks _Out in the Woods_ by Bill Bryson. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/45 "2003-02-16T13:00:29Z")
There’s a trilogy (actually more but the first 3 are the only good ones) of books by an author named Donald Jack Three Cheers For Me That’s Me In The Middle It’s Me Again Winners of the Stephen Leacock Award For Humour (Canada’s Literary Humour Award) Also… anything by Stephen Leacock is pretty good too… they named a humour award after him. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/46 "2003-02-16T13:39:33Z")
A lot of my favorites have already been mentioned, including Terry Pratchett, who I’m happily discovering, and old favorites, Douglas Adams, P.G. Wodehouse, and Donald E. Westlake. I’ll also recommend Robert Lynn Asprin’s _Phule’s Company_, and Harry Harrison’s _Stainless Steel Rat_ books. Finally, I’ve got to put in a plug for a good book by a better friend, William H. Keith, Jr.'s _Diplomatic Act_. He wrote it before the movie _Galaxy Quest_ was written, although it’s got a similar plot. His aliens are better, and there’s a hilarious scene in which an alien is reading the thoughts of a human being and a golden retriever and trying to figure out which one’s the sentient one. No, I’m not just throwing in this plug because he lets me hang out in his hot tub. Enjoy! CJ ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/47 "2003-02-16T14:08:54Z")
No one’s mentioned my all-time favorite, **Straight Man** by Richard Russo. I’ll second Bill Bryson’s **Walk in the Woods** and umpteenth David Sedaris. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/48 "2003-02-16T14:38:14Z")
Tobacco road, Erskine Caldwell, Very funny and very sad. ---
**Author:** ![cookeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@cookeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cookeze)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/49 "2003-02-16T14:51:49Z")
The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols. ---
**Author:** ![Rie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a6a055/32.png) [@Rie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rie)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/50 "2003-02-16T15:10:39Z")
His books aren’t fiction, but I always get a good laugh out of **Bill Bryson**. I’d recommend starting with “In a Sunburned Country”. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/51 "2003-02-16T15:13:23Z")
**A Confederacy of Dunces** by Ignacious Reilly. Will make you laugh your ass off, in a psuedo-affluent kind of way. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/52 "2003-02-16T17:43:22Z")
For a truly funny romance novel, pick up Barbara Metzger. Unfortunately, I doubt you’ll be able to find her _tour de force_, **A Loyal Companion** > [@](#): > > “To be a good sheepdog you have to outthink a sheep. I take that back - a _rock_ can outthink a sheep. You have to think _for_ a sheep.” Jude Devereaux can also be quite funny, although she’s rather lightweight. Of hers, **The Raider** is my favorite book for general hilarity, and **Mountain Laurel** has one of the funniest sex scenes that I’ve ever read. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/53 "2003-02-16T19:07:35Z")
I can’t believe this thread has made it to the second page without anyone mentioning Lewis Carroll’s _Alice_ books. Funniest work of fiction ever written. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/54 "2003-02-16T22:55:46Z")
I’m currently reading _Good Omens_, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, and it’s pretty good. It’s compared to Douglas Adams by a lot of the critics featured on the cover and flyleaf. I’ll third _Catch 22_, and whatever _High Fidelity_. I remember Christopher Moore’s _The Lust Lizard of Meloncholy Grove_ being pretty good when I read it last year. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/55 "2003-02-16T23:04:08Z")
**Me Talk Pretty One Day** had me laughing out loud, but most of David Sedaris’ other stuff just leaves me feeling vaguely depressed, for some reason. His descriptions of his sister Amy is the funniest stuff in his books. And I think “You Can’t Kill the Rooster” is one of the best, and funniest, pieces of writing I’ve ever seen. My favorite writer is **Roy Blount, Jr.** ; I’ve been in tears after reading some of his stuff, either laughing or crying or both. To me, he’s the quintessential southern writer, a guy who gets off on whiskey, women, etymologies, scansion, gravy, fishing, and the bizarre. My favorite book of his is **Now, Where Were We?** but it’s hard to find. His one novel, **First Hubby** , I didn’t like so much, but it’s not bad. He definitely works best in essay/short story format. ---
**Author:** ![Fibber\_McGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@Fibber\_McGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fibber_McGee)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/56 "2003-02-16T23:05:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Orange Skinner \* > \*\* > I remember Christopher Moore’s _The Lust Lizard of Meloncholy Grove_ being pretty good when I read it last year. \*\* Is _Lust Lizard_ the only thing of Moore’s you read? Because it’s easily the least of his books. It’s also a sort-of sequel to his first book _Practical Demonkeeping_. ---
**Author:** ![birdboy2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@birdboy2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/birdboy2000)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/57 "2003-02-16T23:23:21Z")
Well, I’ll 38th Hitchhiker’s guide and Discworld books, but I will also nominate kendermore, an absolutely hilarious dragonlancce book, due to the zaniness of kender society. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/58 "2003-02-16T23:51:10Z")
I will second, third, thrity-ninth may of what has been posted. I am going to add and suggest if you want to laugh out loud, that you try [The Geographer](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1891262017/qid=1045439092/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-7431976-7221708?v=glance&s=books) By Jim Riva. Note, don’t bother to look for this book at your local book store, Jim self published it. The link above is to Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/59 "2003-02-16T23:58:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Phlosphr \* > \*\ ***A Confederacy of Dunces** by Ignacious Reilly. Will make you laugh your ass off, in a psuedo-affluent kind of way. \*\* Great book! Ignatius J. Reilly is the main character. The author is **John Kennedy Toole**. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778/60 "2003-02-17T00:24:22Z")
I’ll third _Catch 22_. Specifically recommend _Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul_. Reading those books involved the frustrating procedure of reading a passage, laughing so hard that I lost my place, reading down to find my place only to start laughing again without being able to read anything new. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-funny-book/120778.md?page=4)