Looking for a really funny book- funny haha not funny peculiar !

[macherie]

Need a bit of light relief - what book made you laugh out loud?

[badgermonkey]

Three Men in a Boat - the one book I recommend to everyone!

Or Bill Bryson - Notes from a Small Island is fab.

[janeite]

I have two words for you -
Bill Bryson.

[cocolepew]

Bill Bryson, Spike Milligans war years books, Carl Haissen (sp?) and Janet Evanovitch.

[francagoestohollywood]

PG Wodehouse. Anything with Jeeves.

[cocolepew]

Oh and Harlan Corben and Nelson De Mille.

[tiredemma]

Peter Kay

I must look at these Bill Bryson books- what are they about?

[cocolepew]

Most of them are travel books, his last was about his childhood,

[janeite]

Ooh - Peter Kay makes my skin crawl and I really can't find him amusing in any way.

Because of that, I'm not sure whether I should tell you about Bill bryson, as he is a totally different kind of funny to the way Kay is 'allegedly' funny. Sorry!

Bryson writes mainly travel books but also books of 'essays' or articles on anything and everything. He is just so lovely and personable and self-deprecating and has the ability to sum up in one word the feelings/history/concept he is discussing in a way which makes you shoot coffee out of your mouth at totally inopportune moments. I would happily marry the man!

[Mintyy]

What you need is The Barrytown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle, and I'd suggest you start with The Van. Honestly, they are cracking .

[janeite]

Imagine Rowan Atkinson saying 'Bob' and then multiply it to novel-length - that is Bill Bryson!

[AnarchyAunt]

Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About by Mil Millington?

Janet Evanovich is fab and v funny.

[EachPeachPearMum]

Bill Bryson ... hands off Janeite! even the 'leg raising farts' bit when he gets back home after his tour of UK...

Magnus Mills
Jasper Fforde
Terry Pratchett
all pretty funny- I do like Pratchett. Fforde more punnery, Mills v dark

[macherie]

Think dh has some bill bryson, must have a look.

I had totally forgotten about jeeves, oh I used to love those books. Saw a dvd somewhere of the series with stephen fry and hugh laurie. That one one of my favourite ever series, hilarious and so stylish.

Great suggestions thanks, any more?

[missingtheaction]

marian keyes, always makes me laugh

[Poppity]

Agree with all the above, although not the Peter Kay autobiography, I thought that was disappointing.

Also, most things by Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers, Dirk Gently), the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett (really surprised me) and Good Omens (written with Neil Gaimen)are hilarious and very easy reading.

[tiredemma]

Oh yes-
The Van, The Snapper & The Commitments by Roddy Doyle- all hilarious

[janeite]

Ooh yes to Hitchhikers' Guide.

I chuckle at Evelyn Waugh as well but it is rather dark.

[Poppity]

Oh, and Tom Sharpe

[macherie]

Roddy Doyle is v v funny, have lots of his in a box somewhere.

Dcs love his childrens books too.

Poppity, yourself and dh have obv have that same sense of humour, he loves those writers!

[snigger]

Absolutely concur with Bryson - A Walk In The Woods :

"What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die, of course. Literally shit myself lifeless. I would blow my sphincter out my backside like one of those unrolling paper streamers you get at children?s parties ? I daresay it would even give a merry toot ? and bleed to a messy death in my sleeping bag"

I laughed till I shamed myself in a trainful of strangers over the heads of this very quote.

[ellingwoman]

Ha! If anyone's going to have Bill it's me!!!!

I've actually touched him so we're practically married anyway. And he had a streaming cold at the time and I wasn't repulsed. Now THAT's love.

[zanz1bar]

Why has no one mentioned 'Mapp and Lucia' yet.

If you like MN you will love Mapp and Lucia.

[janeite]

Get you with your 'touching' - Bill and I have been spiritually connected for at least fifteen years. He just doesn't quite know it yet.

[Poppity]

Gerald Durrell is fall on the floor laughing too!

[littlelamb]

3 men in a boat
anything by David Sedaris, and absolutely Bill Bryson. There are bits of Notes from a Big Country that made me fear for my bladder control