Page 2 of 8 FirstFirst 1234567 ... LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 108

Thread: The funniest book or story you can remember

  1. #16
    Alea iacta est. mortalterror's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    LA
    Posts
    1,914
    Blog Entries
    39
    Catch 22 and Huckleberry Finn are the two funniest books I've ever read.
    "So-Crates: The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing." "That's us, dude!"- Bill and Ted
    "This ain't over."- Charles Bronson
    Feed the Hungry!

  2. #17
    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Beyond nowhere
    Posts
    11,067
    Blog Entries
    2
    Quote Originally Posted by North Star View Post
    Will Cuppy's How to Become Extinct should fit the zoological humour section.
    I like his acid humour. It fits not only the zoological section. And the theme of species extinction is very up to date. I was surprised that the book was published in 1941.
    Some quotes by Will Cuppy:
    https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Will_Cuppy
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-11-2016 at 10:53 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

  3. #18
    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Beyond nowhere
    Posts
    11,067
    Blog Entries
    2
    Quote Originally Posted by mortalterror View Post
    Catch 22 and Huckleberry Finn are the two funniest books I've ever read.
    Thanks, m.t.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22
    Seems to be a great and complex war novel.
    "The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. And don't you forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live" That´s so up to date!
    There is a Brazilian saying that summes up for me the meaning of Catch 22-"If you run the beast will catch you, if you don´t the beast will eat you"
    As for Huckleberry Finn it's one of my favorites too!
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-12-2016 at 10:01 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

  4. #19
    Registered User North Star's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    1,040
    I see there's already a twenty-five pager on this subject:
    http://www.online-literature.com/for...Book-Ever-Read

  5. #20
    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Beyond nowhere
    Posts
    11,067
    Blog Entries
    2
    Thanks for posting the link, North Star.
    Being new at the forum I didn´t know about it or I would simply have posted on it.
    Anyway the new thread makes a nice sequel to it.
    "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

  6. #21
    Skol'er of Thinkery The Comedian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    where the cold wind blows
    Posts
    3,919
    Blog Entries
    81
    Holy Cow! I LOVE McManus. I remember my dad reading his stories to me as a kid. I have every book of his that he ever published. They are the funniest thing. I'm shocked and enthused that someone else shares the same affection for his work.

    brother C
    “Oh crap”
    -- Hellboy

  7. #22
    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Beyond nowhere
    Posts
    11,067
    Blog Entries
    2
    That's fine Comedian.
    Here are some links on Mc Manus for those who want some more information about him:
    http://www.sandpointonline.com/sandp...ckMcManus.html
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_F._McManus
    "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

  8. #23
    Registered User DATo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    393
    I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned Don Quixote by Cervantes.

  9. #24
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Posts
    9
    Heartburn by Nora Ephron. The novel is about how a woman copes when her husband has an affair and leaves her. It is witty and self deprecating with some wonderful New York one-liners.

  10. #25
    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Beyond nowhere
    Posts
    11,067
    Blog Entries
    2
    Quote Originally Posted by DATo View Post
    I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned Don Quixote by Cervantes.
    It´s one of my favorites. Also Cervantes shorter stories contain funny elements.
    About Cervantes and his Exemplary Stories:
    http://www.ems.kcl.ac.uk/content/pub/b031.html
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-22-2016 at 02:18 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

  11. #26
    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Beyond nowhere
    Posts
    11,067
    Blog Entries
    2
    Quote Originally Posted by JudyM View Post
    Heartburn by Nora Ephron. The novel is about how a woman copes when her husband has an affair and leaves her. It is witty and self deprecating with some wonderful New York one-liners.
    Some information about this autobiographycal novel:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartburn_%28novel%29
    "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

  12. #27
    Registered User bounty's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    3,402
    Quote Originally Posted by The Comedian View Post
    Holy Cow! I LOVE McManus. I remember my dad reading his stories to me as a kid. I have every book of his that he ever published. They are the funniest thing. I'm shocked and enthused that someone else shares the same affection for his work.

    brother C
    smiles...likewise brother C! and I even say things like "holy cow!" too!

  13. #28
    Maybe YesNo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Near Chicago, Illinois USA
    Posts
    9,420
    Blog Entries
    2
    I picked up three books by Erma Bombeck at a library book sale and started reading "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank". It was written in the 70's and is still entertaining.

  14. #29
    On the road, but not! Danik 2016's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Beyond nowhere
    Posts
    11,067
    Blog Entries
    2
    Some links about Erma Brombeck:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erma_Bombeck
    There is a film to "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank". The film seems to be entertaining indeed.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5niTqttuqjs
    Last edited by Danik 2016; 04-22-2016 at 10:18 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

  15. #30
    Registered User 108 fountains's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Falls Church, Virginia
    Posts
    608
    Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye contains a lot of humor. Some of it appeals to me; some doesn't.

    I came across Our Admirable Betty by Jeffery Farnol quite by accident. The characters are quaint, but funny, and the main character, Betty, is very engaging.

    Shakespeare has a lot of good comedic moments; I think the funniest of the comedies is The Taming of the Shrew; the movie starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton is EXCELLENT.

    But the funniest book I have ever read is Dickens' Pickwick Papers. It starts off kinda slow (you could even skip the first chapter altogether and not miss a thing), but it gets better as it goes along. The last half had me laughing out loud several times. There are many memorable scenes, but my favorite is in Chapter 33 when Sam Weller requests his father's advice and comments on a valentine that he has just written

    '"Lovely creetur,"' repeated Sam.

    ''Tain't in poetry, is it?' interposed his father.

    'No, no,' replied Sam.

    'Wery glad to hear it,' said Mr. Weller. 'Poetry's unnat'ral; no
    man ever talked poetry 'cept a beadle on boxin'-day, or Warren's
    blackin', or Rowland's oil, or some of them low fellows; never
    you let yourself down to talk poetry, my boy. Begin agin, Sammy.'

    Mr. Weller resumed his pipe with critical solemnity, and Sam
    once more commenced, and read as follows:

    '"Lovely creetur I feel myself a damned--"'

    'That ain't proper,' said Mr. Weller, taking his pipe from his mouth.

    'No; it ain't "damned,"' observed Sam, holding the letter up
    to the light, 'it's "shamed," there's a blot there--"I feel myself
    ashamed."'

    'Wery good,' said Mr. Weller. 'Go on.'

    '"Feel myself ashamed, and completely cir--' I forget what
    this here word is,' said Sam, scratching his head with the pen,
    in vain attempts to remember.

    'Why don't you look at it, then?' inquired Mr. Weller.

    'So I am a-lookin' at it,' replied Sam, 'but there's another blot.
    Here's a "c," and a "i," and a "d."'

    'Circumwented, p'raps,' suggested Mr. Weller.

    'No, it ain't that,' said Sam, '"circumscribed"; that's it.'

    'That ain't as good a word as "circumwented," Sammy,' said
    Mr. Weller gravely.

    'Think not?' said Sam.

    'Nothin' like it,' replied his father.

    'But don't you think it means more?' inquired Sam.

    'Vell p'raps it's a more tenderer word,' said Mr. Weller, after
    a few moments' reflection. 'Go on, Sammy.'

    ...and it just keeps going.
    A just conception of life is too large a thing to grasp during the short interval of passing through it.
    Thomas Hardy

Page 2 of 8 FirstFirst 1234567 ... LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Funniest Book Ever Read
    By mono in forum General Literature
    Replies: 363
    Last Post: 04-14-2016, 10:53 AM
  2. Anybody remember this story?
    By Sinppu in forum Christie, agatha
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 12-13-2015, 06:07 AM
  3. The Funniest Book I’ve Read in Years
    By Hawkman in forum Write a Book Review
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 05-20-2013, 04:52 PM
  4. Can't remember the name of a story
    By doogie012 in forum General Literature
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 02-04-2009, 04:43 PM
  5. trying to remember story name & author
    By outofcuriosity in forum General Literature
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 05-08-2007, 12:30 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •