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Looking for a real laugh out loud book for my brother's Christmas present. Any recommendations?
Tom Sharpe - riotous assembly is a good start. I nearly got kicked into the spare room for reading it in bed
I thought the Wilt series was probably the best Tom Sharpe outings I've read. Though it was a long old time ago that I read them so might've been a bit young for some of them. I enjoyed The Throwback too. TBH though, I'd take Tom Holt over Tom Sharpe.
There's the classics of course, Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett. Robert Rankin is one of my favourite authors. Recently discovered Jasper Fforde and am enjoying what I've read so far immensely.
So far he's read all of Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin, the Wilt books,and Douglas Adams. Will have a look at Jasper Fforde as I've never even heard of him?
"Dont't tell Mum I work on the rigs, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse" had me properly laughing on the daily train commute.
This is not a drill, just another wonder full day on the rigs, is another one by the same authir
Adolf Hitler My Part in his Downfall - Spike Milligan
"Dont't tell Mum I work on the rigs, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse" had me properly laughing on the daily train commute.
I saw the thread title and came here to post the same thing.
Genuine laugh out loud stuff!
101 use for a dead cat.
[url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B019CGXPJ0/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o01_?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ]The Cyclist Who Went Out In The Cold[/url]
This made oi larf and it's about cycling. Dooblewin 🙂
Anything PG Wodehouse although it may be considered a bit Jacob Rees Mogg these days.
Danny Baker's autobiography has it's moments.
Adam Kay - This is Going to Hurt. Brilliant. Moved me from laughing out loud to tears within the course of a page. Mainly funny though.
Jasper Ffordeis superb.
However, Jeeves FTW!
Tibor Fischer does some good stuff, also Kinky Friedman.
+1 for Danny Baker, especially if you don't listen to his show (and so already know half of the stories).
Jonathan Coe - What A Carve Up.
Scathing satire of 1980s privatisation. Very relevant and probably the most laugh-out-loud funny book I've read.
Either or both of the Alan Partridge autobiographies (I, Partridge and Nomad)
for later.
Jasper Ffordes Nursery Crime books are good as is The Perpetual Astonishment of Jonathan Fairfax by Christopher Shelvin.
If it’s not novels you’re after The Timewaster Letters are brilliant. Sort of a pre internet emails from an arsehole. Universally challenged is a good laugh too. It’s just a compilation of mad answers people have given on game shows. A lot better than it sounds
The Last Days of Disco. David F Ross. Very very funny.
Te restraint of beasts - Magnus Mills
Dark comedy, brilliant, read a few of his other things too and always enjoyed them, but not as much as this (perhaps something to do with relating to the fencing!).
I found Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel surprisingly funny. 'Call me Risley' 😆
John Scalzi - Redshirts if he likes science fiction.
If he's familiar with Ireland at all, the Ross O'Carroll Kelly books are superb
+1 for the Spike Milligan. Laugh-out-loud funny.
APF
The Chronicles of Clovis - Saki.
Classic short stories from the golden age of satire. Cracks me up anyway. Free to read online at Gutenberg Project
The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. Jonas Jonasson.
I could describe it but it would ruin it other than to say it begins with exactly what it says in the title.
I don't know anyone who has picked it up and not liked it.
Saki! Yes!
Must go back and read some again.
Catch-22 or The Choirboys
+1 for the Spike Milligan. Laugh-out-loud funny.
Though the later books in the series do go into his depression and PTSD.
Recently read the Disaster Artist, bit topical since the films just out, but it gave me some serious guffaws in places.
Timewaster letters by 'robin cooper'
That's a book now? I followed the website for months.
+1 for S. Milligan but also, if he doesn't mind mixing up a modicum of tragedy with slightly hysterical self recognition, without the buffer of cosy middle class cushioning, then "The ginger Man" by Donleavy.
He'll either laugh uproariously or go into a terminal decline.
Magnus Mill's stuff is only funny if you're living that life.
"Restraint of Beasts" is a very good read but by the time you're playing darts in a Local pub it's far too late.
The Amateurs by John Niven was good
Some great recommendations there so thank you everyone.
He's read most of Spike Milligan's stuff but I might buy the 'dont tell mum I work on the rigs' books. In fact I think I might buy them for myself? There also seem to be a couple of junior doctor books throwing light on the lighter side of hospital life which might be amusing?
Both partridge books. And catch 22 was hilarious years ago. Been a while though.
Stuart lee is very funny. But risky as a present.
Hitman Anderson and the meaning of it all.
Absolutely bonkers.
The author
Has others too just as funny.
The one about the pensioner who legs it from the home is mental.
I bought Frankie Boyle's first book ("My Shit Life So Far", I think it is?) on the back of seeing someone helplessly laughing out loud on a train reading it, and it had the same effect on me.
Have read a couple of Ffordes, think they funny and very clever if not quite laugh out loud material, funniest Milligan for me was the second one, "Rommel? Gunner Who?". Recently read "Fighter Pilot" by Mac Tucker, and that had some genuine LOL moments, if he likes flying.
It must be 30+years since I read this book ..but I can remember laughing until my sides hurt in places ..must get another copy ..
David Niven ..'The Moon's A Balloon'
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5566958
Two funniest i've read in a long time..
"Look at me, Look at me" by Dom Joly
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Look-ME-Dom-Joly/dp/0747577609
"War reporting for cowards" Chris Ayres
https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Reporting-Cowards-Chris-Ayres/dp/0719560020
So far he's read all of Terry Pratchett, Robert Rankin, the Wilt books,and Douglas Adams.
Has he read [i]all[/i] of Robert Rankin?
https://robert-rankin.myshopify.com/products/the-abominable-showman
Decline & Fall and Vile Bodies by Waugh (but may fall into the same Jacob Rees-Mogg assessment of Wodehouse above).
I'm currently reading The Sellout by Paul Beatty. Not sure TBH - biting satire, yes, but as laugh out loud as promised? No.
'Confessions of Zeno' by Italo Svevo. Very funny book and the first chapter is just on giving up smoking, raw and hilarious. He was a mate/student of James Joyce.
It's a touch niche, in that you need to like cricket, appreciate Aussie humour and ideally have played the game too, but if you fit those boxes the 2 books by The Grade Cricketer are absolutely hilarious.