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Thread: The funniest book or story you can remember

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    The funniest book or story you can remember

    A good book can make us cry, laugh or think or sometimes all the three at the same time.
    This forum is very serious these days, so I was trying to remember the funny stories and the comedies I read. Sometimes the whole book is funny, sometimes you have a serious story but with some very funny characters in it, like in Dickens, for example, or in Cervantes.
    So please share your favorite funny story or comedy with us and tell us why it made you laugh.
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-09-2016 at 08:51 PM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    Maybe YesNo's Avatar
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    The one that comes to mind is Anita Loos's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". The movie got high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, but I think the book is far better.

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    Registered User bounty's Avatar
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    no one makes me laugh in writing like Patrick McManus, who is one of my favorite authors. his books are collections of true, but probably somewhat embellished short stories tied together by virtue of that he's the central character and his friends and relations are guests throughout.

    the first book of his I read was called "the night the bear ate goombaw" and the story of the title is one of the chapters in the book. its about his going camping when he was little with a friends family, and he got up in the middle of the night to urinate. instead of a sleeping bag, he had been sleeping in a big fur coat, and everyone in the camp confused him for a bear in their midst. of course terror ensues, but the writing of it is hilarious.

    his phrasing and timing, from a humor perspective, are excellent, and the experiences he's had in life give him a wealth of comedic material from which to draw.

    if you have spent any time in the out of doors as a kid or adult, I cannot recommend him enough.

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    Card-carrying Medievalist Lokasenna's Avatar
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    It's not high art by any measure, but Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman remains my most re-read novel, and still makes me laugh out loud with every reading.

    There are so many truly funny authors out there, though, that it feels hard to cherry-pick just a few, or to make comparisons between very different styles: the riotous and filthily funny farces of Ben Jonson are miles removed from the glorious sarcasm and sharp wit of Jane Austen, but both can make me howl with laughter.
    "I should only believe in a God that would know how to dance. And when I saw my devil, I found him serious, thorough, profound, solemn: he was the spirit of gravity- through him all things fall. Not by wrath, but by laughter, do we slay. Come, let us slay the spirit of gravity!" - Nietzsche

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ScumbagSteve View Post
    I must say that Charles Dickens is not really coming on to me as outspoken funny. This writer, like the movie director Ingmar Bergman, made me have nightmares...and I still wonder why, for their books/scripts are humorless and super-boring. Even nature films with Sir David Attenborough as a voice-over have more humor than these books and films. I certainly can relate to Don Quixote...it contains funny elements, ahead of its time, even. But black humor, also a form of humor which cannot be denied, stems from dark deep pains, and is merely the symptom of the latter, to overcome it...like biting on the same piece of wood that will replace your leg while your leg is being cut off. Irony and ****. I despise people who do not like music and humor. They are robots to me.
    A very interesting post, Steve. Maybe your sensibility relates more to the nightmarish aspects of Dickens and Bergman, which are indeed very pronounced in both authors. It is curious that you name them together. Allthough I often cry with laughter at Dickens, Bergman represents for me more the nightmare than the humour. But I agree with you: humour and specially irony stem from a very human necessity of overcome pain and suffering.
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-11-2016 at 06:47 AM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by YesNo View Post
    The one that comes to mind is Anita Loos's "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". The movie got high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, but I think the book is far better.
    Thanks for your post. I believe I saw this comedy, Yes/No, but I didn´t know it was made after a book.
    Here is the link to it:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentle...es_%28novel%29
    It seems to be an intelligent parody of the myth of Lorelei. I confess I lost the count of the men involved with this Lorelei.
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 05-16-2016 at 10:42 PM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bounty View Post
    no one makes me laugh in writing like Patrick McManus, who is one of my favorite authors. his books are collections of true, but probably somewhat embellished short stories tied together by virtue of that he's the central character and his friends and relations are guests throughout.

    the first book of his I read was called "the night the bear ate goombaw" and the story of the title is one of the chapters in the book. its about his going camping when he was little with a friends family, and he got up in the middle of the night to urinate. instead of a sleeping bag, he had been sleeping in a big fur coat, and everyone in the camp confused him for a bear in their midst. of course terror ensues, but the writing of it is hilarious.

    his phrasing and timing, from a humor perspective, are excellent, and the experiences he's had in life give him a wealth of comedic material from which to draw.

    if you have spent any time in the out of doors as a kid or adult, I cannot recommend him enough.
    I have already learnt a lot from you, bounty, and I am going to have a look at this author. I never heard about him but he seems to be hilarious.
    Somehow your post made me remember the funny animal/family stories of Gerald Durrell, an English author and zoologist? who moved with his family from England to Greece. His most known and very funny book is: "My family and other animals".
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-11-2016 at 07:05 AM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lokasenna View Post
    It's not high art by any measure, but Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman remains my most re-read novel, and still makes me laugh out loud with every reading.

    There are so many truly funny authors out there, though, that it feels hard to cherry-pick just a few, or to make comparisons between very different styles: the riotous and filthily funny farces of Ben Jonson are miles removed from the glorious sarcasm and sharp wit of Jane Austen, but both can make me howl with laughter.
    I shall look for this novel, I never heard about it, Lokasenna.
    You are right, there are so many different styles of humour and irony, which appeal to the also different tastes of the readers. I also love Jane Austens sarcasm and the few plays of Ben Johnson I have read.
    Here is the wikipedia link to it:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Omens
    A funny end of times novel written in the more blissfull period, when the prophecies foresaw only one Antichrist.
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-11-2016 at 04:07 PM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    Registered User bounty's Avatar
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    ive got my family and other animals danik, as well as his "encounters with animals"---maybe i'll pick one of 'em up soon.

    in the meantime, boy, if you end up reading McManus, I hope you will let me know but I half wonder how culturally and gender bound his stories might be?

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    Bounty, in some of G. Durrels books you will find episodes from other books repeated. I don´t think that so nice, but as I am a great animal lover and the money went into his animal foundation.... I just did a quick research and learned that he is already died. Here you are:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Durrell.
    I´ll certainly let you know about Mc Mannus. I was wondering about this very Irish name. By the way, not boy neither guy.
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-11-2016 at 08:36 AM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    Registered User bounty's Avatar
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    I think I have some james herriot books where that occurs. I wonder if that's a matter of publisher's decisions outside the realm of control of the author.

    took a quick peek at the wiki site (thank you)---I admire people like that.

    being an animal lover, have you read all of his (herriot's) books? they are amongst the few books ive read more than once.

    I think a lot of mccmanus' appeal is in the settings---he's always out hunting, fishing, camping, guiding, playing in the woods, etc---things that we mostly associate with male activities.

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    A confederacy of dunces - James Kennedy Toole

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bounty View Post
    I think I have some james herriot books where that occurs. I wonder if that's a matter of publisher's decisions outside the realm of control of the author.

    took a quick peek at the wiki site (thank you)---I admire people like that.

    being an animal lover, have you read all of his (herriot's) books? they are amongst the few books ive read more than once.

    I think a lot of mccmanus' appeal is in the settings---he's always out hunting, fishing, camping, guiding, playing in the woods, etc---things that we mostly associate with male activities.
    I think I must have read some of them. I took a peek at wiki and the titles of his novels ring a familiar bell though I don´t remember reading them.
    I probably found them at the best library we had in São Paulo for English literature. Some years later it was deactivated to make room for the PCs.
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-11-2016 at 03:48 PM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tonywalt View Post
    A confederacy of dunces - James Kennedy Toole
    That sounds good, Tony. I'm adding some wiki information for those that are interested.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Confederacy_of_Dunces
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-11-2016 at 04:21 PM.
    "I seemed to have sensed also from an early age that some of my experiences as a reader would change me more as a person than would many an event in the world where I sat and read. "
    Gerald Murnane, Tamarisk Row

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    Registered User North Star's Avatar
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    Will Cuppy's How to Become Extinct should fit the zoological humour section.

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