I’m being nagged to provide a birthday and Christmas list, so….what is the funniest book you’ve ever read? Come on, I need some inspiration to drag me away from crime fiction.

Peter Kay’s autobiography…The hills are alive with the sound of laughter…a complete hoot!

Mil Millington writes some funny stuff…

In fact, if you want a taster:

http://www.thingsmygirlfriendandihavearguedabout.com

Frank Skinners autobiography had me crying with laughter.

Tom sharpe – riotous assembly. Its one of the few books that has me in tears and unable to breathe from laughing. Also ‘don’t tell mum I work on the rigs, she thinks I am a piano player in a whorehouse’ is also amazing

Tim Moore (e.g. French Revolutions) did it for me. Not everyone agrees though.

Saw the title and immediately thought of Wilt, read it over two days when I was a nipper.

The Ascent of Rum Doodle.

Or Milligan’s War Memoirs.

Robert rankin – the brentford trilogy, think are four or five of them.

The tim moore book is brilliant but didn’t make me totally crack up laughing

I read “Adolf Hitler: My part in his downfall” by Spike Milligan when I was about 13 and thought it was the funniest thing in the World.
Not sure if I would now.

Cosmic Banditos is high up there.

+1 The Ascent of Rum Doodle

Good omens for me.

Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace’s books, while not high brow provided lots of laughter. Often out loud on the bus.
A great book is A kind of intermacy, its a chick lit book, but after hearing the girls at work talk about it and how funny it is and clever. It was, not laugh out loud funny, but very clever and funny.

Cugel’s Saga – Jack Vance.

Even if you don’t feel the humour it’s a great story.

I bought a deaf friend of mine a cheese grater for Xmas one year
He phoned me up thanking me , and said it was the most violent book hem had ever read

I’ll get my coat………

I read that Tim Moore book and just thought he was a tool…..

Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

As a kid I can remember having to read a Prof Brainstawm book aloud in class, couldnt I was laughing so much, very very funny in a way that appealed to a 10 yr old.

Robert rankin – the brentford trilogy, think are four or five of them.

Seven, by my reckoning.

Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

Good man.

Really enjoying Tom Holt at the moment. The series starting with The Portable Door is tremendous.

If you like crime fiction but want something a bit lighter, Mike Carey’s Felix Castor novels are a blast.

“Around Ireland with a fridge” by Tony Hawkes.
+1 for Peter Kay, Tom Sharpe, Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace

I’ve recently read ‘The lost diaries of Adrian Mole’ and ‘ Adrian Mole and the weapons of mass destrucktion’ by Sue Townsend. Easy to read and very funny.

now I have to correct myself…*destruction 😉

Tom Sharpe for me. True genuis.

Christopher Brookmyre books are pretty good, doesn’t even take you away from crime fiction too!

Tom Sharpe for me. True genuis.

I found him hit and miss; though, I was rather young when I read them. I remember Wilt and The Throwback being particularly good.

Christopher Brookmyre books are pretty good, doesn’t even take you away from crime fiction too!

Wholeheartedly seconded, good call.

The Flashman books by George MacDonald Frazer are all hilarious and well written.

Ditto Tim Moore not being very funny. Quite good but hardly (meant to be) funny.

“Indecent Exposure” by Tom Sharpe, much better than his later efforts.

“Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K Jerome

Carl Hiassen (spp?) is an American version of Chris Brookmyre and a couple of his have been ok.

I read “Adolf Hitler: My part in his downfall” by Spike Milligan when I was about 13 and thought it was the funniest thing in the World.
Not sure if I would now.

Funnily enough that is exactly what came to my mind as well before I scrolled down and saw your post. Weird

Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy is brilliant but don’t try and read it all too quickly or you get tired of it. A bit like stuffing your face. It suited the radio format

Three Men in a Boat is a top read some amazingly funny passages.

Managed to get a first edition for my brothers’ 40th.

Magnus Mills – The Restraint of Beasts. Very funny.

spike milligan..puckoon

top IRA comedy

Ok. In order.

Peter Kay – the only book I have ever read that made me want to hunt someone down and smack them in the face. On a matter of principle I would never watch his particular brand of shite. Anyone that can happily admit to casual theft, then get his (not insubstantial) arse in his hands when someone has the temerity to loot his dressing room deserves all they can get. Silly fat ****.

Frank Skinner – yep. Very funny. Good Albion lad 😉

Tom Sharpe – good shout

Not read Tim Moore but will look it up….

Love Danny Wallace/Dave Gorman/Tony Hawkes

But the winner has to be…the mighty

BILL BRYSON

I’m sure you’ve all read them, but if not – look out for ‘Neither Here nor There’ and ‘Lost Continent’. The funniest, most heartwarming books I have ever read.

+1 for Rum Doodle.

And Spike Milligan – The Looney. Still cracks me up.

Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown books – especially The Van, also awesomely funny. The bit about the cat and the chip shop is a classic.

Also the Thick of It Book – Malcolm Tucker’s Missing Diary or whatever it’s called. Read it in massive check-in queues in Geneva Airport on 3 Jan this year. Was about the only person in the entire airport who was enjoying themselves I reckon.

“Around Ireland with a fridge” by Tony Hawkes.

Also playing tennis with the Moldova football team and one hit wonderland

Tom Holt “Expecting someone taller” or “Flying Dutch”

Hawks and Bryson certainly fit the bill for me.

Penguins stopped play, by Harry Thompson made me laugh and cry. Wonderful.

Flashman are funny, ’tis true, but hardly belly laugh material.

This is hilariously funny;

As is Modern Manners, by the same author.

Danny King’s ‘Diaries’ series is pretty funny, particularly the first (The Burglar Diaries) and the last (The Pornographer Diaries), probably because they’re based on his own experiences.
Some of Charlie Brooker’s collections of articles are worth a look, and I’d give Tim Moore a +0.5 (a good read but only a couple of laugh out loud bits).