Funny books

[SmugglersHaunt]

I need a laugh. I’m trying to find novels that are actually funny. So many of them say ‘hilarious’ etc on the cover, then…aren’t.

I’m reading a Nina Stibbe at the moment but it’s not really doing anything for me. Any suggestions please! 🙏

Gold by Dan Rhodes - his writing might be a bit of an acquired taste but some of the pub scenes in this are very funny.

Nigel Williams - ever tried him?

Adrian Mole books - all except the very last one.

Not a novel but Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson is laugh out loud funny.

Good recommendation.

For me, the two funniest writers in the English language are Evelyn Waugh and P G Wodehouse. I would recommend listening to them on audio (they were made to be read out loud). The first half of Waugh's Decline and Fall is the funniest thing ever written (John Betjeman said that when Waugh read it to him he knew he'd never hear anything funnier).

I would also recommend reading both of them out loud when no one is at home – especially Wodehouse. For me, Right Ho Jeeves is his best book. If you can get Bertie Wooster's sweet, idiotic voice in your head, it's better than Prozac. There is a scene in which one of the characters has to give prizes out at the local school. He's nervous, so gets drunk, which obviously causes problems. Read that scene out loud and you'll die laughing.

Cold Comfort Farm never fails to cheer me up.

And also, of course, E.F. Benson's Lucia books.

Completely agree with this!

Diary of a Nobody is a great favourite of mine.

DH rates Ben Elton’s books.

The tent, the bucket and me, by Emma Kennedy.

Going by all the threads on here, I would say 'SPARE' seems to be quite funny and popular at the moment lol :)

I was away recently and had read all my books. Was desperate for something to read and picked up Past Mortem, Ben Elton. I laughed so much - not a book I would normally read.

Terry Pratchett does it for me.

ATM I'm reading History by Miles Jupp and it's quite funny.

Does PG Wodehouse float your boat?

Miss Pettigrew lives for a day by Winifred Watson. I love this book, have read it so many times. It makes me smile all the way through.

I second @JoonT 's recommendations. Just delightful, bloody funny feel good books.
And actually Decline and Fall has quite the undercurrent also.

Bill Bryson's books for me are also laugh out loud funny. I think I nearly herniated myself trying to stifle laughter on a train once while reading A Walk in the Woods. Super!

Billy Bryson and there were some books I read years ago about a couple who owned Siamese cats, can’t remember the author think she was Doreen someone. Adventures of a school inspector Gervaise Phinn I think it was.

Agree with others, Bill Bryson books are laugh out loud funny, Terry Pritchett is also very funny, especially his earlier books, witches abroad , moving pictures, guards guards etc

I love Adrian mole books. They still make me laugh out loud. I read a really naff book that was so silly it made me laugh. I'll see if I can find out what it was. Agatha raisin are quite funny

Forgot Jodi Taylor, time police books especially

This one and also the sweetpea series

Experiences of an Irish RM - and Further Experiences of an Irish RM by E OE Somerville and Martin Ross ( second cousins I think - oh and women.)

Wonderful and hilarious.

Agree, especially Good Omens - I burst out laughing on the first page.

The funniest books I've ever read are:

'The sound of laughter' by Peter Kay
Trust me I'm a (Junior) Doctor by max Pemberton &
This is going to hurt by Adam Kay

All three had me screaming laughing, especially Peter Kay! Omg

Unreliable Memoirs - Clive James
My Uncle Oswald - Roald Dahl

Both hilarious.