# What is your favourite funny novel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [March 14, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832 "2024-03-14T13:43:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/1 "2024-03-14T13:43:04Z")
This NYT free article had me questioning what my favourite funny novel is. They give their 22 opinions. I’ve only read six of them, and have never even seen or heard of many of their recommendations. > **[22 of the Funniest Novels Since ‘Catch-22’](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/14/books/funny-novels-humor.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ck0.A8j-.M4FV8vCCamw1&smid=url-share)** > > Because we could all use a laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/2 "2024-03-14T14:04:40Z")
Saw that and had a similar reaction. For me? _Cryptonomicon_ or any earlier Christopher Moore, especially _Dirty Job_. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/3 "2024-03-14T14:12:30Z")
Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/4 "2024-03-14T14:15:22Z")
_The Spellman Files_ by Lisa Lutz ---
**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:** [March 14, 2024, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/5 "2024-03-14T14:16:26Z")
The Milagro Beanfield War - John Nichols ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/6 "2024-03-14T14:22:05Z")
I might have to say _Good Omens_. It’s written by Prachett and Gaiman. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/7 "2024-03-14T14:25:22Z")
I’m thinking _Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy_ for me. Douglas Adams of course. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/8 "2024-03-14T14:27:28Z")
Dave Barry’s _Big Trouble,_ and the movie Barry Sonnenfeld made from it. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/9 "2024-03-14T14:28:48Z")
> [@Tride](#): > > Saw that and had a similar reaction. For me? _Cryptonomicon_ or any earlier Christopher Moore, especially _Dirty Job_. “[Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamb:_The_Gospel_According_to_Biff,_Christ%27s_Childhood_Pal)” is my Christopher Moore nominee, but to each their own. I’ve read a couple of Grady Hendrix’s novels recently, and he seems to play in the same space as Christopher Moore, if you’re looking for a new author. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/10 "2024-03-14T14:31:45Z")
Summer of '42, by Herman Raucher. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/11 "2024-03-14T14:45:32Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I’m thinking _Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy_ for me. > Douglas Adams of course. Came here to say this. H2G2 is as close as I get to a holy text. Even got a tattoo of the logo on my shoulder. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/12 "2024-03-14T14:49:00Z")
It’s hard to beat HHG. Before Google, there was Tricia Macmillan. But was she an English trillion or an American one? ---
**Author:** ![dirtball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dirtball/32/18772_2.png) [@dirtball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dirtball)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/13 "2024-03-14T15:08:13Z")
Longtime fan here of _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_ by Hunter Thompson. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/14 "2024-03-14T15:09:08Z")
> [@Tride](#): > > any earlier Christopher Moore Agree. The other cool thing is that there is also [Christopher **G.** Moore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_G._Moore) who writes detective novels set in Thailand featuring Vincent Calvino. Years ago I was looking for some funny Christopher Moore books to read. I stumbled across the other Moore and really liked his books. I emailed him and we chatted back and forth for a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/15 "2024-03-14T15:45:31Z")
I recommend _Thank You for Smoking_ by Christopher Buckley. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/16 "2024-03-14T15:56:25Z")
_Light House: A Triffle_ by William Monahan ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/17 "2024-03-14T15:56:25Z")
More a collection of short stories but all the books by Patrick McManus. I have a signed first edition of The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/18 "2024-03-14T15:59:05Z")
First one to come to mind is Tim Dorsey’s _Triggerfish Twist_, but several of the Serge Storms books are right up there. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2024, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/19 "2024-03-14T16:08:03Z")
**Bored of the Rings** , if you count parody. I agree with **Trode** about early Christopher Moore. The first one of his I read was **The Stupidest Angel: A Tale of Christmas Terror**. Even though I had never read his earlier novels (most of which were referenced in it), it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2024, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832/20 "2024-03-14T16:11:22Z")
In addition to Adams and Moore, I enjoy A. Lee Martinez’s books. And Connie Willis’s **To Say Nothing Of The Dog**. And Roger Zelazny’s **A Night In Lonesome October** in which Jack the Ripper is our hero. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favourite-funny-novel/998832.md?page=2)