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Original poster

Which books made you laugh out loud?

86 replies

Sonilaa · 16/05/2010 10:40

  • Water method man - John Irving
  • The Little Mole Who Knew it Was None of His Business -
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ResurrectionByChocolate · 26/05/2011 21:51

'Billy Liar' by Keith Waterhouse

Deaddei · 26/05/2011 16:43

Prayer for Owen MEany
The camping book- the tent, bucket and me.

piebald · 26/05/2011 16:42

Stargazing is good
A prayer for owen meany by john irving
Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum books

TiraMissYou · 24/12/2010 22:29

Starter for Ten - David Nicholls
Kinky Freidmans Crime Club - ascerbic texan jewish new yorker country singing slueth..

Gemjar · 24/12/2010 11:48

Catch 22 also
and A Confederacy of Dunces

ensure · 24/12/2010 11:42

Jonathan Coe's early books are the only ones I can think of to really have made me properly laugh.

ipredicttrouble · 23/12/2010 20:10

Another vote for Catch 22

deaddei · 12/12/2010 08:33

The tent, the bucket and me- pure genius about family camping holidays in the 1970's,

Ceasnake · 10/12/2010 23:43

Bill Bryson. I now longer read his books in public, having done both the 'hide your face in the book, shoulders heaving' and the more subtle 'twist your mouth like you're in a gurning competition in a vain attempt to stop laughing' type thing.

Also, not a novelist but the marvellous Charlie Brooker sometimes has me bent double with laughter over his columns.

MrsGuyOfChristmasBorn · 10/12/2010 17:27

Franks Skinner's autobiog, and his book about his revival tour. Never saw him when he was in his heyday, probably a good thing as don't think I would ahve liked his stand-up persona, but he is very erudite, and writes incredibly funnily (he also has a column in the Times on Fridays which I avidly look forward to)

clumber · 10/12/2010 17:22

EF Benson - Mapp and Lucia + prequels/sequels.

Makes you cringe and laugh at the same time.

BitOfFun · 10/12/2010 17:10

I laugh reading lots of Christopher Brookmyre novels, and the Simon Hoggart round robin compilations are pretty hilarious.

Slubberdegullion · 10/12/2010 17:05

McCarthy's Bar
The Road Road to McCarthy

I remember reading them by a pool in Greece with tears of mirth streaming down my face with the staff giving me a Hmm.

Bill Bryson pretty good too. I loved A Walk in the Woods best.

detachandtrustyourself · 10/12/2010 16:55

I must get that Paul O'Grady book leo35!

Leo35 · 10/12/2010 13:56

Think I am going to lower the tone here! I loved Paul O'Grady's autibiography At My Mother's Knee and other low joints.

Brilliant on dialogue amongst women, and set pieces such as his first day at school or while is he a Court Clerk. Really looking forward to the follow up.

I read this sometimes during the long night feeds with DS2, and would be shaking with laughter. Cheered me up no end at 3.30am!

GrimmaTheNome · 09/12/2010 20:57

Ooh, I was wondering what to read to DD next after I finished the swallows& amazons series, My Family and Other Animals could be perfect!

lalalonglegs · 09/12/2010 20:52

Anything by PGWodehouse; "Will This Do" by Auberon Waugh; the first couple of chapters of "My Booky Wook" Blush

Endeavour · 09/12/2010 20:19

Terry Prattchet and Doughlas Adams
However does reading some of the stuff in the daily newspapers, and what politicians get up to after hours on Wikileaks count? :)

blinder · 09/12/2010 20:10

PG Wodehouse makes me CRY with laughter.

amateurmum · 09/12/2010 20:08

Yes to Bill Bryson

Also - My Family and Other Animals (Gerald Durrell) - both when I read it as a teenager and now reading it to my ds - it makes him laugh too.

MerryMarigold · 09/12/2010 20:02

Virtually every John Irving book as lot of laugh out loud moments.

panettoinydog · 09/12/2010 20:00

Molesworth

CDMforever · 09/12/2010 19:59

LOVE Jasper Fforde

Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz - fab!

KangarooCaught · 06/12/2010 22:35

Jasper Fforde - Thursday Next series, although like the Nursery Division ones too.

Stephanie Plum series, agree about especially the first few

Carl Haissen

Gerviase Phinn/Finn?

When I was younger, Tom Sharpe

anniegancanny · 06/12/2010 22:26

that is one of the funniest books I have ever read - you can almost hear his voice when you read it.