Can anyone recommend a decent funny book?

[dalek]

I fabcy something that makes me laugh - or at least chuckle - any suggestions?

TIA
x

[lemonaid]

What kind of thing normally makes you chuckle?

Mmmm... how about a Bill Bryson?

[dalek]

Don't know really - liked prayer for owen meaney and pleasant vices but don't usually like chick-lit - seriously overdosed on it in my twenties. Liked Bill Bryson's notes on a small island.

Sorry - I'm a bit crap really.

Off to read DD a story - will check in in about half an hour

[lemonaid]

If you liked Notes From A Small Island you'd probably enjoy his others, too.

Good Omens (Gaiman / Pratchett) is good (and funny).

[DaphneHarvey]

THE VAN by Roddy Doyle.

[rantinghousewife]

Pratchett's Mort is laugh out loud funny! Agree lemonaid

[AnnabelCaramel]

Spike Milligan's war diaries

[nell12]

Janet Evanovich is an American crime writer. She has written a series of books about a crap hapless bounty hunter named Stephanie Plum. There are 13 to choose from so far, all make me LOL.

[Othersideofthechannel]

Bill Bryson is one of the few writers that has me laughing out loud. The Thunderbolt Kid is hilarious but it's not fiction.

[constancereader]

Yes, The Bill Bryson is hilarious, the funniest book I have read in ages. Also think The Van was very good.

[tizzwhizz]

Ben Eltons books can be good fun.

[puffylovett]

janet evanovitch has me ROFL

and the shopaholic series ALWAYS guarnateed to cheer me up if you can bear to go back to chick lit

[Elasticwoman]

Dalek - I enjoyed Prayer for Owen Meany but it didn't make me laugh.

For a laugh read
jane austen
p g wodehouse
Nancy Mitford (eg Pursuit of Love, Love in a Cold Climate)
Bridget jones diary - Helen Fielding
etc

and avoid like the plague:

Dostoyevsky
Thomas Hardy (although there are one or two well camouflaged gags in the dialogue)
Ian McEwan.

[keziah]

I really laughed at "This Book Will Save Your Life" by A.M Homes. It's the one with the doughnuts on the front that's been on offer in whsmith etc. I also love Danny Wallace "Join Me" and "Yes Man", but sense of humour is pretty individual I suppose!

[magaddict]

I am reading 'A spot of bother' by Mark Haddon, which is fantastic and - in places - hilarious.

[magaddict]

I am reading 'A spot of bother' by Mark Haddon, which is fantastic and - in places - hilarious.

[BellaBear]

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, if you like books generally as it has lots of literary references and is very very funny

[Kathyis6incheshigh]

Some children's fiction is hilarious at the moment - try:
any of the Clarice Bean books by Lauren Child
Holes by Louis Sachar
Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce

[ZZMum]

mark haddon funniest book I have ever read still laughing about it now..

[lemonaid]

Oh yes to Danny Wallace. Although ideally read Are You Dave Gorman? first, which is cowritten by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace and explains what happened before the events of Join Me start.

[mandymac]

Another vote for Bill Bryson and Spike Milligan here.

[margoandjerry]

Diary of a Provincial Lady by EM Delafield

Is a lovely diary of a put upon wife and mother and her aspirations to improve her home life and have her children behave well and have a nice tidy house and impress the neighbours. All very current but written in the 20s or thereabouts. It's actually charming and lovely to read if you are feeling a bit off.

It's a kind of Bridget Jones for married pre war types! Same neuroses, same self-deprecating style.

[gomez]

Anything by Christopher Brookmyre - kinda, dry blackish humour but very funny!

[snowleopard]

Jenny Eclair's two novels made me laugh out loud. They are packaged like chick lit but actually they're quite dark - but very funny too.

[bookwormmum]

Diary of a Nobody is quite amusing and so are 3 men in a boat/on a bummel if you like Victorian-type humour.