# Recommend me some humor/dramedy/slice of life novels! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208 "2010-02-24T01:27:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/1 "2010-02-24T01:27:51Z")
As I’ve grown older, I’ve found myself reading mostly non-fiction (Current Events, Biographies, Economics), after a life time of fiction (SciFi, Mystery, Thrillers). Yet all that non-fiction can really be a downer. ESPECIALLY economics and current events these days! So, I like to sneak in a little fiction between my non-fictions to keep me from jumping off a bridge! I read The Road, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Water For Elephants, and The Kite Runner. Still thinking of slitting my wrists. Then I discovered a sub-genre of books I think can be called Slice of Life novels. Funny, but with heart. The comedy is usually dry, and somewhat sarcastic. If I could compare it to a film, it would be something like Royal Tenenbaums or Almost Famous. Hip and vibrant. Such books I have found include: _Drink, Play, F@#$_, \* This Is Where I Leave You\*, \*Then We Came to The End _, \* Book of Joe_, _Shopgirl_, _The Pleasure of My Company_, and _New Bedlam_. It is tough to know who to ask for recs along these lines, because it is a hard to define sub-genre. I open it up to the Dope! ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/2 "2010-02-24T13:21:47Z")
**Story of my Life** by Jay McInerny. Very short and easy to read, contains lots of good jokes. Hardly any plot to speak of, but a great, comical ‘slice of life’ short novel that doesn’t out-stay its welcome. **Good As Gold** by Joseph Heller. ‘Catch-22’ became a phenomenon, as well all know. The follow-up, ‘Something Happened’, was intentionally very slow and ponderous because that was part of the joke. This turned off a lot of Heller fans, so they never tried this, his third outing. Very under-rated. Slimmer and punchier than either of his previous efforts, with lots of good jokes, plenty of brilliant Heller observation, glorious linguistic acrobatics as only Heller could deliver, and an ingenious structure. Very easy to enjoy. You might also like the classic short stories of Damon Runyon, and the short stories of Truman Capote as featured in compilations such as **Music For Chameleons**. ---
**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 24, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/3 "2010-02-24T14:11:51Z")
I’m going to mention some of the books/authors I thought of upon seeing the thread title, even though, now that I read the OP, I see that some of them aren’t quite what you’re asking for: not hip, sarcastic, or modern enough. Still, all of the following have both humor and heart, they’re character-driven rather than plot-driven, about everyday events rather than momentous ones, “realistic” rather than genre fiction, and I enjoyed reading them: **Garrison Keillor** is quite a good novelist. My favorite of his is _Wobegon Boy_. **Anne Tyler** writes “slice of life” type novels. _Saint Maybe_ is my favorite of hers, but other people have different favorites. **Robertson Davies** ’s early novels (i.e. those that make up the _Salterton Trilogy_) aren’t his greatest, but they are his lightest and funniest, and everything he’s written is good. **Clyde Edgerton** is hit-or-miss but can be very good, as in _Walking Across Egypt_ (and its sequel, _Killer Diller_). After hearing enough other Dopers recommend Richard Russo’s _Straight Man_, I read it and enjoyed it. Mark Haddon’s _The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime_ is an interesting read. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/4 "2010-02-24T15:04:42Z")
We have pretty similar tastes, I have read several Jonathan Tropper books and liked Shopgirl and Then We Came to the End. Maybe some Nick Hornby? I loved High Fidelity. You might like Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell (it’s a little over the top to be slice of life, but I thought it was funny). I also loved Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman. I hope there are lots of good suggestions, because I also like this sub genre! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/5 "2010-02-24T15:13:10Z")
Bill Bryson’s books, any of them, are a lovely stroll. ---
**Author:** ![powerjacob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@powerjacob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/powerjacob)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/6 "2010-02-24T15:15:47Z")
I like A. J. Jacobs. His books aren’t fiction but are funny and informative due to the nature of his curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/7 "2010-02-24T15:17:50Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Bill Bryson’s books, any of them, are a lovely stroll. Exactly who I came in to mention. A good fit for the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/8 "2010-02-24T15:31:19Z")
For a complete departure from the sane world, you might try a book by Christopher Moore, such as **Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal** , or **Island of the Sequined Love Nun.** They’re. . .different. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/9 "2010-02-24T16:18:14Z")
Sounds like some good recs. Thanks everyone! > [@Glory](#): > > We have pretty similar tastes, I have read several Jonathan Tropper books and liked Shopgirl and Then We Came to the End. > > Maybe some Nick Hornby? I loved High Fidelity. You might like Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell (it’s a little over the top to be slice of life, but I thought it was funny). I also loved Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman. > > I hope there are lots of good suggestions, because I also like this sub genre! Very helpful. I had indentified _Beat the Reaper_ as a possible read. I also felt like Hornby would be a good fit, but I hate reading a book AFTER I’ve seen the film, and I so many of his have been adapted (I can think of three I have seen and I enjoyed them). I’ll look into Grossman. ETA: **Glory** , if you haven’t- check out Steve Martin’s other novella, **The Pleasure of My Company.** , I liked it better even than Shopgirl. I also recommend Martin’s autobiography _Born Standing Up_, if you are interested in nonfiction. Treat yourself to the audiobook version on these two. Among the few times audio is probably better than the printed version. Martin read them, naturally. ---
**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 24, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/10 "2010-02-24T17:24:24Z")
> [@Glory](#): > > Maybe some Nick Hornby? Oh yeah—good call! I forgot about Nick. > [@middleman](#): > > ETA: **Glory** , if you haven’t- check out Steve Martin’s other novella, **The Pleasure of My Company.** , I liked it better even than Shopgirl. I also recommend Martin’s autobiography _Born Standing Up_, if you are interested in nonfiction. Treat yourself to the audiobook version on these two. Among the few times audio is probably better than the printed version. Martin read them, naturally. Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/11 "2010-02-24T19:42:01Z")
Three books by one of my favorite writers are back in print. Start with [The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread](http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Thing-Since-Sliced-Bread/dp/0061452963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267039981&sr=1-1) by Don Robertson. \*"On a quiet autumn afternoon in 1944, nine-year-old Morris Bird III decides to visit a friend who lives on the other side of town. So he grabs the handle of his red wagon and, with his little sister in tow, begins an incredible pilgrimage across Cleveland . . . and out of childhood forever. Set against the backdrop of one of the worst industrial disasters in American history, Don Robertson’s enduring, beloved masterwork is a remarkable story of destiny, bravery, and responsibility, as fresh and relevant as when it first appeared in print."\* In a funnier vein but also a bit on the dark side, I liked [The Comedy Writer](http://www.amazon.com/Comedy-Writer-Peter-Farrelly/dp/0385490526) by Peter Farrelly. Nobody does “slice of life” better than Stewart O’Nan. Try [Last Night at the Lobster](http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-Lobster-Stewart-ONan/dp/0670018279), and then _Wish You Were Here_ and _The Speed Queen_. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/12 "2010-02-24T22:26:33Z")
How about something light? [Night of the Avenging Blowfish: A Novel of Covert Operations, Love, and Luncheon Meat](http://www.amazon.com/Night-Avenging-Blowfish-Operations-Luncheon/dp/1565120507). OR maybe something a little strange: [I, JFK](http://www.amazon.com/I-Jfk-Robert-Mayer/dp/0312923406) - an ‘AUTObiography’ of John F Kennedy written 25 years AFTER his assassination. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/13 "2010-02-24T22:30:00Z")
No discussion of comical novels is complete without a mention of **A Confederacy of Dunces**. Easily the funniest book I have read. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/14 "2010-02-25T22:30:41Z")
[Good Omens](http://www.amazon.com/Good-Omens-Accurate-Prophecies-Nutter/dp/0060853972/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267136760&sr=8-8) is a fun read. [Gil’s All Fright Diner](http://www.amazon.com/Gils-All-Fright-Diner-Martinez/dp/0765350017/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267136886&sr=1-5) surprised me. [Population 485](http://www.amazon.com/Population-485-P-S-Michael-Perry/dp/0061363502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267136960&sr=1-1) is a slice of life written by a paramedic in a small community. I adored this book. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/15 "2010-02-25T22:32:16Z")
[The Good, good pig.](http://www.amazon.com/Good-Pig-Extraordinary-Christopher-Hogwood/dp/0345496094/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267137072&sr=1-1) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/16 "2010-02-25T23:09:15Z")
[Douglas Coupland](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Coupland) is good for that sort of thing. Start with [_Generation X._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X:_Tales_for_an_Accelerated_Culture) The marginal blurbs alone will tickle you. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-some-humor-dramedy-slice-of-life-novels/530208/17 "2010-02-25T23:29:44Z")
Any of David Sedaris’s books. Portnoy’s Complaint. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.