no subject

[peteryoung]

OK, since my last post about The Education of Hyman Kaplan and Howard Jacobson's opinion that this is the funniest book ever, I've been wondering about other books that at any time may have been described as "the funniest book ever written".

The funniest book I ever recall reading was probably Cyra McFadden's brilliant The Serial (overdue for a re-read, no doubt). I've also seen Italo Svevo's Zeno's Conscience and Stella Gibbons's Cold Comfort Farm both described (and blurbed) as the funniest book ever written.

So what would be your own recommendations, in any genre?

Comments

[lamentables.livejournal.com]

Anthony Buckeridge's Jennings books make me laugh 'til I cry. I really don't know why. I have been banned from reading them in bed.

At the other end of the spectrum, I find Calvino's Cosmicomics profoundly funny, but it has never made me laugh.

[jamesb.livejournal.com]

I always laugh when I read Brentford Triangle or The Antipope by Rankin, Toby Frost and his space capt Smith book made me laugh lots. Confederacy of dunces is another and Spike Miligans war books. even now when I think of grenades positioned to enduce the populace to become more fit makes me laugh lots. although the quick fix to those injured is the best. Must find that now and read the passage again. Recently, I was given out to, by the wife for my laughing while reading Mark Fishlifter's writings in the last BW.

J

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Cold Comfort Farm really has stood the test of time pretty well.

Pratchett and Gaiman's Good Omens is fun but it's a long time since I've read it, not sure how well it will stand up to re-reading.

[replyhazy.livejournal.com]

Concur on CCF and also on Good Omens, which still makes me laugh.

I think the authors whose books I have laughed loudest at were Douglas Adams (HHG) and Christopher Moore (Practical Demonkeeping). Rankin's a bit hard to find around here but I know one of his books amused me no end. There are a few Pratchett novels I found funnier than others -- usually I find the witches and DEATH to be the characters that set me off.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

David Sedaris' books are very funny, and I also love Woody Allen's short stories for their humour.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Clive James' TV review collections, The Crystal Bucket and Visions Before Midnight. One of these contains a review of Blakes 7 that caused me to burst into public hysterical laughter while waiting for a bus in Canberra. (Horribly, James had managed to tune in the week of Harvest of Kairos.)