What's the funniest book you ever read? I am guessing this is going to depend on your country of birth, and even a specific part of your country of birth. Possibly your sense of humour plays a big part in it too.
For years, people would tell me that Jerome K Jerome's, 'Three Men in a Boat' was the funniest book ever written in the English language, and I thought that this was just something people felt they had to say.
When I got round to reading it, I found that almost every paragraph had me laughing out loud. The funniest part to me was the recounting of an uncle hanging a painting on the wall.
Strangely, half way through their boat trip the three men have to pull the body of a drowned young woman from the river and they later discover that she had deliberately taken her own life. I think she had been jilted. I began by looking for humour in this chapter, but eventually realised that this was probably a real event - as was the boat trip - and not funny at all.
I tried reading the sequel 'Three Men on a Bummel', but it was not nearly so good. He may have only had one really good book in him.
Like 'The Diary of a Nobody', it was written in Edwardian times, but unlike the three men, Mr Pooter was created by Germans living in England.
ReplyDeleteI read your blog regularly but haven't commented until today.
ReplyDeleteMy father read this book to us as children in the '50's. It is, indeed, the funniest book ever. We would all gather round my dad in anticipation and excitement. I remember pleading with him to read "Uncle Podger hanging the picture" over and over again. Happy memories.
Children would love it I am sure.
DeleteAny books by Peter Tinniswood make me laugh.
ReplyDeleteDid he write books? I have heard all the radio drama (Uncle Mort, etc) and I love him for those. A way with words which bordered on the surreal.
DeleteWinston is another favourite.
DeleteYes he wrote quite a look of books, especially about Cricket. I loved Uncle Mort in I Didn't You Cared.
Delete..I Didn't Know You Cared. Sorry.
DeleteI miss Tinniswood. I have sporadic email contact with Nick Warburton, playwright, who wrote the wonderful 'On Mardle Fen' - my all time favourite radio drama series.
DeleteIt is not a genre I have ever got into Tom - I can't say I haveever read a book that I thought was funny. Must really try Three Men in a Boat.
ReplyDeleteYou might like it Weave.
DeleteI am a bit like Weave on this. However I did recently read Adam Kay's This is Going to Hurt", the diaries of a junior doctor. I laughed out loud from beginning to end. He later gave up being a doctor and became a comedian. I also laughed at The Twits by Roald Dahl when I bought a copy for the illustrations and ended up reading the story. I felt cheated that I hadn't had books like that when I was a child. And David Sadaris essays Me Talk Pretty One Day is also very funny as you can imagine. I have never read Three Men in Boat but saw a tv adaptation which was funny.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I just noticed the heading to the post is "comic novels".
DeleteI love David Sedaris but I never liked Roald Dahl.
DeleteI only bought it for the Quentin Blake illustrations and then found it quite funny. I subsequently read his life story, particularly his early years and time in the RAF. Charity shops often put it in the children's section because they see his name and assume it is a children's book. It isn't. It is two slim volumes. I recommend it if you ever see it.
DeleteI have heard his autobiography. I used to see him in Bath. He was about 6' 8" tall.
DeleteAugustus Carp by Henry Howarth Bashford . If you don't know it already you are in for a real treat .Your prompt made me hunt the shelves for it .Struck lucky only when I had reached the fourteenth shelf but have it now and am going to reward myself with a reread .It is very deadpan and very laugh out loud funny .
ReplyDeleteThanks. I will look out for it.
DeleteI just bought it.
DeleteIt was first published anonymously and it is actually Sir Henry who was amongst other things physician to king George , wrote for the Lancet and was medical adviser to the treasury .I think this book is where he lets of steam .Once you have read it I shall want to know if you think "tus" is better than "tin".This is one of the ways aficionado's make themselves known to one another .You will see what I mean .I envy you your first read. Just give it a chance , it will reward you .
DeleteCan't wait...
DeleteI was only thinking to myself yesterday that my Mapp & Lucia set were a great tonic when times are grey. Less rollicking laughter and more general amusement, but will always lift the spirits. 3 Men has been on my list for ages but maybe it's time to go hunting for it ... I hadn't realised The Pooters were a German invention.
ReplyDeleteGeorge and Weedon Grossmith wrote Diary of a Nobody. A double act.
DeleteI had a copy for some time but I assumed they were English with Germanic names.
DeleteI don't know how many times I've read 'Cold Comfort Farm', but I've just finished reading it yet again. I took it to read in my doctor's waiting room; which was a big mistake!
ReplyDeleteYes, that's another good one.
DeleteThe book was translated into Hebrew and I read it somewhere in the 1960s, very much loved here.
ReplyDeleteWas it? I am pleased (and surprised) to hear that.
DeleteP.G. Wodehouse makes me laugh if I'm in the right mood. Someone mentioned David Sedaris. With the upcoming holidays I highly recommend his "Holidays on Ice".
ReplyDeleteI am in two minds about PG Wodehouse.
DeleteBe careful Jennifer, you came close to having to say my name but you side-stepped it well. It may not always be that easy..
DeleteI love this book, not least because I used to have smooth fox terriers. JKJ has described their character perfectly. It's basically a book about friendship with many laugh-out-loud riffs. Nothing has changed with our railway system!
ReplyDelete