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For me, it would have to be many of Raold Dahl's works -- The Witches and George's Marvelous Medicine and his re-writing fairy tales in nonsense verse. Years ago, I couldn't read one of Richard Scarry's children's books to little ones for laughing so hard at Bunnykins and his family as they readied the house for company.
Others might include: Fanny Flagg's works; A Confederacy of Dunces; the works of Richard Armour (It All Started With . . . series -- my personal favorites include the spoofs of US History and Shakespeare). I have a small book of limericks that belonged to my grandparents that I treasure, and the silly verse of Archy, the cockroach, and his cat friend by Don Wilson.
2 books by Australian writers immediately spring to mind.
Icing On The Damper ~ Marie Mahood
Shantaram ~ Gregory David Roberts
Both books had me laughing so hard I cried and then I cried because they were sad as well.
Icing On The Damper is about an Australian family, city slickers that packed up and went to live in the outback. In places it is hysterically funny and an excellent read.
Shantaram is about the author who escaped maximum security prison here in Melbourne and headed to India to work in the slums as a medic. He also ran guns with the Indian maffia and had countless other adventures, the subject of which is currently being made into a movie starring Johnny Depp (due for release in 2009) and I cannot wait for it to come out.
For me, it would have to be many of Raold Dahl's works -- The Witches and George's Marvelous Medicine and his re-writing fairy tales in nonsense verse. Years ago, I couldn't read one of Richard Scarry's children's books to little ones for laughing so hard at Bunnykins and his family as they readied the house for company.
Others might include: Fanny Flagg's works; A Confederacy of Dunces; the works of Richard Armour (It All Started With . . . series -- my personal favorites include the spoofs of US History and Shakespeare). I have a small book of limericks that belonged to my grandparents that I treasure, and the silly verse of Archy, the cockroach, and his cat friend by Don Wilson.
I know I'll think of others.
What about you, my fellow readers?
Not so much specific books as authors - anything by Wodehouse (I think I've recounted that incident already!) and anything by Douglas Adams.
This is an obscure little one - it's not a novel at all it's just a little gift book, but it never fails to cheer me up. It's called the Little Book of Wrong Shui, by Rohann Candappa. It takes the mickey out of Feng Shui books, but it's just brilliant. Like:
Don't put your dining chairs and table in the same room or they will inevitably hatch plots against you and your pets.
I could go on quoting it forever if I had the book. It's genius.
Rules Britannia (http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/minisites/rules/about.html - broken link)
[Thanks for making me go and find that site - I've just noticed he's done an autobiography so I'm off to Amazon! I'll let you know if it makes me laugh to hyperventilation point ]
For me, it would have to be many of Raold Dahl's works -- The Witches
Others might include: Fanny Flagg's works; A Confederacy of Dunces; the works of Richard Armour (It All Started With . . . series -- my personal favorites include the spoofs of US History and Shakespeare). I have a small book of limericks that belonged to my grandparents that I treasure, and the silly verse of Archy, the cockroach, and his cat friend by Don Wilson.
I know I'll think of others.
What about you, my fellow readers?
Roald Dahl always seemed bitter to me, not so much funny. But I love Ignatius!
mehitabel...Don Marquis
The following have made me cry with laughter:
As a little kid - the Eloise books. Beverly Cleary. Kids' poems, limericks, Ogden Nash. Too many funny children's books to remember! And illustrations lend so much. The earlier Peanuts collections. AA Milne, though maybe not cry.
The crowning glory of 1960s kid reading, MAD MAGAZINE!!!!
Its older brother in the early 70s - National Lampoon.
When I was about ten I ran across Patrick Dennis. My mother brought home The Joyous Season first one day when I was sick, and I laughed so hard I fell off the sofa. In short order Auntie Mame and Around the World With... First Lady.... a real kid sensibility on that guy, bless his heart.
Jean Kerr. Shirley Jackson's two books "about" her kids. Cheaper by the Dozen.
Around the same time the insanely funny Penrod, then all the Booth Tarkington I could take. Uncle Sid Perelman. Thurber. BENCHLEY. If you're a girl of a certain age, Dorothy Parker. Woollcott. A Girl Like I. George Ade!!! The Peck's Bad Boy books. To a degree, Ring Lardner.
PG Wodehouse. I know there are a lot more funny British authors... a book called 1066 And All That.
Mark Twain. Hunter Thompson.
Once you've learned to read critically it's rare to fall under a spell again, to the point of laughing out loud. I know there are a million funny writers writing now but I can't think of a one. I laughed at A Walk in the Woods. Essayists, short-piece authors... oh, David Sedaris. James Wolcott in Vanity Fair. Some sports writers. There's a really funny guy, David Rakoff, who used to do acerbic pieces for This American Life.
Great thread idea, RDS. Back later!
Last edited by delusianne; 05-07-2008 at 08:00 AM..
Not only did I discover a lot of us are laughing at the same selections, but I also picked up some new authors/works to check-out for myself. You Guys rock, and read. (Sounds like a poster for the public libraries.)
I overlooked a lot of the British writers, it seems, as well as one of my personal longtime favorites -- Mark Twain. The kids used to get a big kick out of Hal Holbrook's routines when I taught American Lit years ago, and given I still have the tapes, I'll listen to them, myself, sometimes.
I seem to have missed out on Dave Sedaris. Isn't he also a NC author?
I admit to never ever having read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy created by Douglas Adams, but I've seen the movie and played the computerised (text) adventure game which I found hilarious. And I do like Douglas Adams' quotes which are not only funny, but also philosophical.
I also have always liked William Goldman's The Princess Bride, but have to admit again that I've never read the novel.
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), the title is Naked! It was a riot. 
