If you like reading Jonathan Coe, who else do you really love?

[pruners]

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Clicked eagerly on this thread as I'm desperate to find something that can make me laugh like Jonathan Coe-- I find most 'humourous' writing deeply unfunny. As I'm a miserable git. Will definitely be checking out some of these recommendations, only others I can think of are classics everyone's probably already read: Evelyn Waugh (especially Scoop and The Loved One) and Cold Comfort Farm.

Not Jonathan Coe-ish I don't think, but I've just been laughing out loud at Charlotte Mendelson's When We Were Bad - fabulous and delicious.

Well, none of these is especially "like" Coe but I like him and also enjoy:

Douglas Coupland
Iain Banks
Ian McEwan
David Nicholls
Rhidian Brook
Graham Swift
William Sutcliffe

I like Hilary Mantel, also Patrick Gale,

And Iain Banks, thanks for reminding me Unquiet...

Paul Auster is my fave! i have loads i could lend you! boyd is good too.

atonement is not a good intro to mcewan try enduring love or chessel beach.

I read this years ago, but it's stuck with me, which is quite unusual. It's quirky and dark. Definitely closer to House of Sleep or Dwarves of Death than the political/historical Coe books.

Did anyone else find The Closed Circle as diappointing as I did?

do you all buy books or do you go to the library?

I am in buying mode but dh tuts at every package

but I do not have time to go to the library

i am more of a library person atm. library is about 3 mins from my front door so no excuse. it is nice to own a book though.

well my library is about a 5 min walk from my house but I never get the chance to go in

I have a wonderous Gothic one I can view from my window here so may investigate that for leisurely lunchtimes at work

David Mitchell occurred to me after I switched the computer off last night. Black Swan Green is great for Englishness/the trials of being an adolescent boy. And I loved Cloud Atlas.

Neither of those much like What A Carve Up! though... in fact, I am struggling to think of any that are!

+1 vote for Douglas Coupland, although I know he's not to everyone's taste. I haven't actually read the two most recent, and all the reviews I read of the Gum Thief were not complimentary.

What about David Lodge?

I have had to switch out of buying mode now that I have used up my bumper Amazon voucher

@ SheherazadeG.

do go to the library oo. you can pick things up just cos you like the cover and discover allsorts of things.

sorry sue, where is your library

marina you have a treat in store if you've never read any barbara trapido - she's wonderful.

lots of good suggestions here. am racking my brains for different ones to add....

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pruners - LOL at Polost | ere ! (An' eez wahf, See-ree Oostvette?)

I once met a French guy who was raving about a famous British band called "Les Bay-at-less". I couldn't for the life of me make out who he meant. Not until he looked shocked and said, "You not know? Poll Mac-arrrt-nay? Jonnnne Lenn-on?!"

Polostere . I was once buttonholed by someone who wanted me to explain some Lodcol lyrics...Perfect Skin?
I told you about spotting Les Nains de la Mort in a bookshop in Lille, Jonathan Coe is definitely accepte over in France
How Far Can You Go is my fave David Lodge

No, no , no....I'm not getting it... spill!

It took me a good three hours... but he has been mentioned elsewhere on this thread

Don't get Lodcol though....

Fab thread for ideas, thanks!
Love Jonathan Coe, even liked his latest. Fave I think is The House of Sleep, but all so different.
As for other stuff I like, a lot of what is listed... Donna Tartt, Ian McEwan, Jonathan Frantzen, but also like Barbara Vine, Anne Tyler.
Just now reading Random Acts of Heroic Love which I'm thoroughly enjoying.

don't know if they're in any way similar but i do love coe (house of sleep is my fave by some way) and also esther freud (e.g. peerless flats) and tove jansson's adult books too. mark steele is the only author i can think of that makes me lol.

House of Sleep definitely my favourite, but that may be partly because it was the first I ever read. Maybe I should go back to it and re-read.

I think he's giving a reading at work later this year, presumably in connection with paperback promo for the latest. Fingers crossed.

Ah, now I got Lodcol immediately!

Have finally understood Polost|ere - was put off by where the break was

Don't like his stuff though, at least what little I've read- I can't stand when authours are in their own books! Martin Amis 'Money' springs to mind as being incredibly frustrating- just sod off- if people want to read about YOU they'll read a biography or autobiography. [grr]

My favourites are
Haruki Murakami
Doug Coupland
David Mitchell
Paul Hoeg
Daniel Pennac
Julian Barnes
Mantel

All other Louis de Bernieres than captain corelli...

David Lodge! Forgotten about him. 'How Far Can You Go' is one of my favourite books.

To some extent 'What a Carve Up' reminded me of Tom Sharpe (with bells on) when I first read it .

I think David Lodge has had a bit of a sabbatical after that nasty Henry James coincidence a year or two ago (which reminds me, I still haven't actually read the Year of Henry James).

I think I still like Changing Places best. But it's close.