I dont really laugh when reading ..do you?

[Sidebeforeself]

Ive read so many “funny”books but I rarely laugh out loud. Im always disappointed when being told books are funny. Books by Woodhouse and Jerome K Jerome dont raise a smile even though I like them.

I think Ive only ever laughed at two books - Love, Nina and Where D’You Go Bernadette . I did laugh at Adam Kays first book but that was because real life is funny not because of his writing.

Anyone else like this?

I only laugh out loud reading Ross O’Carrol Kelly books. They are so good you want to tap the stranger beside you and share the joke. But that’s probably it for the LOLs.

Yes to Diary of a Nobody- the bit where his new trousers need taking up and he ends up in the office with someone calling 'Hornpipe!' at him as they're too short! Also Bob Mortimer and Daisy May Cooper's autobiogs

one of the joys of reading to children is laughing with them IMO. Mum & I also found the Bagthorpe saga hilarious too (Helen Cresswell, I think?).

another one I’d forgotten, but was reminded about on another thread, is Stuart Maconie’s ‘Cider with Roadies’. That creased me up too. ‘I’ve seen the wild dogs of Skem’ as a bumper sticker always makes me laugh.

I do laugh at funny books. Christopher Brookmyres books, The Tent the Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy, Bill Bryson, and Unruly by David Mitchell spring to mind.

DH never laughs at them. He's read a couple of the above, after hearing me laugh whilst reading, and doesn't seem see them the same way I do.

The Brookmyre book he claims is just a violent farce.

The Tent, the Bucket and Me - he felt it was made up , couldn't accept the stories were true events. I actually went camping in the 70s and can believe it.

I laughed out loud at a Bill Bryson book, and I crease up after a few concerted pages of '1066 and all that'. I can't remember whether I laughed out loud at 'Cold Comfort Farm' or not but I smile about many parts of it. Something narsty in the woodshed.

I liked The Tent, The Bucket and Me, until it got to the bit with the pencil and suddenly it wasn’t funny any more and I had to stop reading.

In our family we still say "paddle your own canute"

1066 is just brilliant.

Yes. I very rarely laugh out loud when reading. Maybe because the bulk of what's amusing is coming more from the cleverness of the writing, not a silliness of plot?

Seconded!

I was at school, aged 12, reading it on my knee in a very boring History lesson.
One chapter closes with Gerald's mother absolutely putting her foot down and strongly lecturing them all there is no way they are moving home again.

The next chapter starts with something like 'The new villa was painted pink'

I got the giggles and had to spend the rest of the lesson standing in the corridor outside the classroom then detention was spent writing an apologetic letter to the history teacher. 😂

I've cried at plenty of books. I find I smile at things I like in books but laughter is a rare thing for me - generally, I think. It's one of those things that gets me like an attack of hiccups. I have done a lot of little snorts reading comments on ongoing threads on here, quips from some very clever people - but if something in a book really catches me as funny I'm more likely to grin and want to read it to someone. I don't laugh at comedy either. I know when something is funny to me, but actually laughing is another thing. My other half laughs more than I do at the TV. I suspect I'm more prone to being thrown off course by things that annoy me, and I also think I have a weird sense of humour. My kid is the same. I do love it when something makes me laugh unexpectedly though, because of how rare it is. I absolutely adore the fruit game in Bob Mortimer's autobiography. I think about it often.

I came to Pratchett late, I always associated him with beardy hat types on public transport, but reading his child friendly ones to my son had me hooked. Then we stopped for some reason (trying to pick which one to read next I think!) so it's been a while... His books are so useful to me for sorting thoughts in my head. The witches have no hierarchy, oh no, except they absolutely do, and should have, because Granny W, obviously. I absent mindedly thought that I wanted to make a shamble for someone the other day until I remembered they aren't real.

I'm thinking Mort next... Can't decide.

I read Adrian Mole when I was younger than he was and all I remember are the bloody hat bells that he kept having to scribble over, and "I am of the second sex". His mum leaving his dad. I really didn't get it. I found it all sad.

He has such a huge back catalogue and some are better than others, I read them as a teen as my dad had them all and I was bored one day, but I read them none linearly. I personally prefer the City Watch books of them all (witches close second)

I read Night Watch without having read the several ones that come before it but it didn't suffer for not knowing the background of the characters, and it blew me away how detailed the world building is in that one, and all the City Watch books really. Amazing and funny characterisations, you'll find yourself applying alot of the wisdom of Sam Vimes in real life then remember oh he's not real 😆

I love the Tiffany Aching books, I sometimes think of a shambles as I live in the countryside and see snags of sheep's wool on fences :)

Thank you! I thought they would be dry for some reason so was avoiding, I'm so glad they're good. I'll have to hit the library again soon. If I start collecting his books as well I'll need to evict a house member.

Yes, if there is humour in it. Especially Terry Pratchett or Bill Bryson. However I was surprised that people said Cold comfort farm humourous or had it in t e text. I don't remember it! Must read again some time!

Other people on MN reading Cold Comfort Farm 🤣
Me reading it 😐

Same here.

Another Bill Bryson fan here. I remember an episode in his book about moving back to the US where he was left swinging from his attic without a ladder that left me in stitches.

I agree it's rare in books though.

The only book I have laughed out loud at is Ruth Jones By Your Side. It made me smile while reading it and also the occasional teary eye.

Another here who needs a re-read of Cold Comfort Farm. I don't remember it even being humorous let alone laughing out loud.

The first time I read Three Men in a Boat I couldn't breathe for laughing, especially the parts about cheese and Uncle Podger. Since then I've only found them slightly funny. I think you have to be in the mood!

😁It was the toilet paper part that really cracked me up. I'm sure you can remember that! 😂

I'm listening to this at the moment. I admit, I did not know she was an author. I'm loving it.

I have recently read Frank and Red and did LOL in a few places. The author has really got the measure of how young children's minds work. It's a very sweet story.

Oh absolutely😂😂
I thought the TV series was pretty decent too.

So glad to have found another fan. How far have you got?