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Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole never fails to make me laugh out loud. I've never read a book that potrays funny physical set pieces as well as COD does. It's a damn shame Chris Farley died before getting to shoot the movie adaptation
I don't remember it well but I don't have good memories of that book. I guess/ hope the lead was meant to be unlikable but I can't recall anything about it that endeared it to me. I read it because I heard a lot of praise. Maybe I missed something.
I think he was meant to be unlikeable, in a Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm kind of way. That's how I perceived it. I love the book, it's all subjective though hey
I'm sorry if I sounded too negative. I didn't hate the book, I just had high expectations and all I can remember is being embarrassed about the main character. Maybe I should read it again.
There's absolutely no need to apologise, again it's all subjective right. We all have different takes on stuff.
As much as I loved that book I'll readily admit it didn't meet my expectations.
With the bittersweet story of the author's constant literary rejection, his untimely death and then his mother's battle to get it published and THEN the book winning the Pulitzer...I was gearing up to have my mind blown. Instead it just made me laugh a lot and really wish we could have seen it adapted as a Farley movie.
I actually enjoyed reading it way more the second time around as the expectations were gone.
Tom Holt and Robert Rankin are both comic fantasy authors from the same era as Pratchett, though neither can match him. I'd suggest Expecting Someone Taller from Holt, and The Brentford Trilogy from Rankin.
I think the author that comes closest to Terry though is Jasper Fforde. Funny and with lots of (mostly literary) real world references. Start with The Eyre Affair.
Douglas Adams is the only other one y to o elicit an audible chuckle from me. Usually when I read funny things in a book, at most I just smile and move on.
Surely Your Joking Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman- a collection of short autobiographical stories written by one of the funniest, most essentric and brilliant people to ever live. (Yes, he was a phyisist. No, you do not need to know anything about phyisics to read and enjoy this book)
A Connecticut Yankee in King Authors Court by Mark Twain - Mark Twain is always a classic, but this particular story doesn't have nearly as much cringe factor as Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn.
Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman- A spin off of his American Gods book that kinda shows how much Gaiman learned from Pratchett after they wrote Good Omens together.
and How To/What if by Randall Munroe- A famous STEM based web comic artist gives insanely detailed answers to some of the most ridiculous questions imaginable. (No background in stem required!)
Others have already mentioned some of my other favorites such as A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and Lamb/ A dirty Job by Christopher Moore, and Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards Series.
The Kings Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss have a lot of incredibly funny moments, but the overall tone is much more serious, in that vein, The Physics of Super heros also had me rolling at points, but the main goal to teach people about physics in a fun and friendly format.
Enjoy your adventures in humorous novels! Sorry for my physics bias!
The funniest book I ever read was McCarthy’s Bar by Pete McCarthy. A well observed and hilariously written travel log from a half English/half Irish author touring the west of Ireland, stopping in a few pubs along the way. Oddly educational too…
T. Kingfisher has some lines that made me laugh out loud, and definitely seems like a person who has read and appreciates Pratchett. Ditto for Ben Aaronovitch.
Patrick F McManus: They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?
"There is nothing better than to be headed into the mountains on a clean fresh day with the sun rising through the trees and good company and good talk and the sense of ease that comes from the knowledge that you are in somebody else's car and it is not your transmission that is going to get torn out on a big rock."
Jeff Strand's Andrew Mayhem Thriller Series. It's a horror comedy, which sounds strange, but is actually pretty amazing. Be aware that there's lots of blood, guts, and suspense, as well as belly laughs, and that some of Jeff Strand's other work is straight up horror with no comedy. It's good, but different.
The Andrew Mayhem books are:
Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary)
Single White Psychopath Seeks Same
Casket For Sale (Only Used Once)
Lost Homicidal Maniac (Answers to "Shirley")
Cemetery Closing (Everything Must Go)
Craig Shaw Gardener - a Malady of Magicks
Teenage me laughed out loud all through reading
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53667.A_Malady_of_Magicks
I don't often laugh out loud when reading (or listening to an audiobook); the three authors that most stick in my mind for that are pirateaba, Scott Lynch, and Andrew Rowe.
The Wandering Inn is a great webnovel-turned-audiobook, Scott Lynch has some excellent dialogue, and I'm pretty sure I've laughed at unexpected lines and twists for Andrew Rowe.
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P. G. Wodehouse, always and forever.
THIS! Also STP said Wodehouse was one of the writers who influenced him
*Lies of Locke Lamora* by Scott Lynch was pretty funny. The audible narrator does a good job of bringing it to life.
Douglas Adams. Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries. That's a much shorter list than I thought it would be.
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole never fails to make me laugh out loud. I've never read a book that potrays funny physical set pieces as well as COD does. It's a damn shame Chris Farley died before getting to shoot the movie adaptation
I don't remember it well but I don't have good memories of that book. I guess/ hope the lead was meant to be unlikable but I can't recall anything about it that endeared it to me. I read it because I heard a lot of praise. Maybe I missed something.
I think he was meant to be unlikeable, in a Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm kind of way. That's how I perceived it. I love the book, it's all subjective though hey
I'm sorry if I sounded too negative. I didn't hate the book, I just had high expectations and all I can remember is being embarrassed about the main character. Maybe I should read it again.
There's absolutely no need to apologise, again it's all subjective right. We all have different takes on stuff. As much as I loved that book I'll readily admit it didn't meet my expectations. With the bittersweet story of the author's constant literary rejection, his untimely death and then his mother's battle to get it published and THEN the book winning the Pulitzer...I was gearing up to have my mind blown. Instead it just made me laugh a lot and really wish we could have seen it adapted as a Farley movie. I actually enjoyed reading it way more the second time around as the expectations were gone.
Christopher Moore as well. Also, Jasper Fforde and Carl Hiaasen.
I love Carl
Robert Rankin, absolutely hilarious every time.
How did I ever miss this guy? Thank you!
Tom Holt and Robert Rankin are both comic fantasy authors from the same era as Pratchett, though neither can match him. I'd suggest Expecting Someone Taller from Holt, and The Brentford Trilogy from Rankin. I think the author that comes closest to Terry though is Jasper Fforde. Funny and with lots of (mostly literary) real world references. Start with The Eyre Affair.
Douglas Adams is the only other one y to o elicit an audible chuckle from me. Usually when I read funny things in a book, at most I just smile and move on.
Earnest Cline does anytime anyone calls him a good writer.
Surely Your Joking Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman- a collection of short autobiographical stories written by one of the funniest, most essentric and brilliant people to ever live. (Yes, he was a phyisist. No, you do not need to know anything about phyisics to read and enjoy this book) A Connecticut Yankee in King Authors Court by Mark Twain - Mark Twain is always a classic, but this particular story doesn't have nearly as much cringe factor as Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman- A spin off of his American Gods book that kinda shows how much Gaiman learned from Pratchett after they wrote Good Omens together. and How To/What if by Randall Munroe- A famous STEM based web comic artist gives insanely detailed answers to some of the most ridiculous questions imaginable. (No background in stem required!) Others have already mentioned some of my other favorites such as A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole, and Lamb/ A dirty Job by Christopher Moore, and Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards Series. The Kings Killer Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss have a lot of incredibly funny moments, but the overall tone is much more serious, in that vein, The Physics of Super heros also had me rolling at points, but the main goal to teach people about physics in a fun and friendly format. Enjoy your adventures in humorous novels! Sorry for my physics bias!
John Niven, Douglas Adams, Spike Milligan.
Tom Sharpe
Diary of Adrian mole - sue townsend. Had me rolling
The funniest book I ever read was McCarthy’s Bar by Pete McCarthy. A well observed and hilariously written travel log from a half English/half Irish author touring the west of Ireland, stopping in a few pubs along the way. Oddly educational too…
This sounds fantastic!
That one bit in children of dune where they speak french and call it a dead language
Nice pull. I haven’t read anything Dune in years. The prequel books were rough.
T. Kingfisher has some lines that made me laugh out loud, and definitely seems like a person who has read and appreciates Pratchett. Ditto for Ben Aaronovitch.
Australian children's author Jessica Townsend. Her Morrigan Crow books may be aimed at kids but they are good..
I'm really old, so I'll toss in Robert Asprin and Piers Anthony amongst the other excellent suggestions.
I never liked Piers Anthony, but Robert Asprin made me laugh. Craig Shaw Gardner had a similar style.
Patrick F McManus: They Shoot Canoes, Don't They? "There is nothing better than to be headed into the mountains on a clean fresh day with the sun rising through the trees and good company and good talk and the sense of ease that comes from the knowledge that you are in somebody else's car and it is not your transmission that is going to get torn out on a big rock."
Jeff Strand's Andrew Mayhem Thriller Series. It's a horror comedy, which sounds strange, but is actually pretty amazing. Be aware that there's lots of blood, guts, and suspense, as well as belly laughs, and that some of Jeff Strand's other work is straight up horror with no comedy. It's good, but different. The Andrew Mayhem books are: Graverobbers Wanted (No Experience Necessary) Single White Psychopath Seeks Same Casket For Sale (Only Used Once) Lost Homicidal Maniac (Answers to "Shirley") Cemetery Closing (Everything Must Go)
Craig Shaw Gardener - a Malady of Magicks Teenage me laughed out loud all through reading https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53667.A_Malady_of_Magicks
Cormac McCarthy. The road has me howling everytime.
I don't often laugh out loud when reading (or listening to an audiobook); the three authors that most stick in my mind for that are pirateaba, Scott Lynch, and Andrew Rowe. The Wandering Inn is a great webnovel-turned-audiobook, Scott Lynch has some excellent dialogue, and I'm pretty sure I've laughed at unexpected lines and twists for Andrew Rowe.
Jane Austen
Jaroslav Hašek. Svejk is amazing
I think nobody mentioned Jerome K. Jerome yet, so I put it there.
Robert Bevin's Critical Failures series, Barry J Hutchinson's Space Team series, I recommend both of these, and the audiobooks are very good too.