Books that made you laugh out loud?

[Yorkshire-Seagull]

Not read any Tom Sharpe so time for a try I think. Any recommendations on a particular book to start with, or is Riotous Assembly a good a start as any?

Wilt is exceptionally good. The 4 sequals tail off in quality, but the first one is an absolute joy.

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gamain.

This.

Along with any book by Robert Rankin and the Discworld series of novels by Terry Pratchett.

 

[W.C.]

The Liar by Stephen Fry

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

Starter For Ten by David Nicholls. It's hilarious!

 

[Uter]

Another vote for "I, Partridge" from me. My wife actually banned me from reading it in bed, because my laughing kept her awake.

 

[MattBackHome]

Catch 22 probably did when I read it - but that was a long time ago.

This x a million. Funniest book I've read.

 

[brakespear]

Bill Bryson books have made me laugh out loud on trains, trams, metro etc...

This, some of his writing is so funny you just have to keep re-reading it. And 'Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid' is my favourite book ever.

edit: ah yes, me also for the Milligan war memoirs too. And 'Chronicles of Bargepole' by Michael Bywater.

 

[Gwylan]

Oh, and I will add 'The Dalkey Archive', and 'The Third Policeman' by Flann O'Brien. These satirical surreal Irish novels are real comedy classics.

This. I was crying with laughter reading The Third Policeman. Add The Poor Mouth to this too - the bloke was a genius.

I remember being unable to read Three Men in a Boat aloud at school as I was laughing too much.

But, as others have said, can't think of any book funnier than Catch-22

 

[Godstar]

Bill Bryson is a good call, but for a real bellylaugh i find pretty much any fictional novel by Kurt Vonnegut usually does the trick!!

 

[fire&skill]

As previously mentioned, 'Unreliable Memoirs' caused me great embarrassment on a beach in Portugal in 1987 and I now adopt the Partridge/Ponder method of ordering/condiment gathering mentioned in 'I, Partridge'

 

[Common as Mook]

Another classic example of a book being far better than a film. Wilt, the book was superb. Wilt, the film was utter shite.

Absolutely. The film was gash in extremis.

 

[Hillian1]

Anything by Tom Sharpe. Good old fashioned British farce.

This.

Wilt was one of the funniest books ever.

Blot on the landscape was right up there also.

 

[Worthingite]

E by Matt Beaumont

If you've ever worked in an office (or more specifically an ad agency) you will relate to this.

That and "The book, The Film, The T Shirt" by Matt Beaumont, very good, very sharp author

Personally I loved the Charlie Brooker article compendium books - Screen Burn, Dawn of the Dumb and The Hell of it All are not safe to take on public transport

Have also just read the Year in the Merde series by Stephen Clarke

Also, anything by John O'Farrell gets my vote

 

[Flex Your Head]

I bloody love Robert Rankin’s books, especially as a lot of them are set in or around Brighton, but none more so than this one – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brightonomicon
Surreal lunacy and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny.

 

[Stat Brother]

As said, Timewasters.
The Hour - Michael Hutchison
Gladys Protteroe Football Genius - Simon Cheatham

Anything by Tony Hawks, (not the skateboarder) I'm surprised he's not been mentioned yet.

 

[Yorkshire-Seagull]

I'll include Dave Gorman's first couple of books (Are You Dave Gorman, Googlewack Adventure), as well as Danny Wallace's Join Me & Yes Man. All excellent.

 

[wag chaser]

McCarthys travels and Road to McCarthy by former Brighton resident Pete McCarthy who is sadly no longer with us.
Brilliantly written and both very funny

 

[SeagullinExile]

Red Dwarf:Better than Life - (Rob)Grant(Doug)Naylor

Good read, far better than the show! (and a very good audio book narrated by Chris Barrie by the way)

 

[ChilternGull]

Sideways by Rex Pickett. If you thought the film was funny then the book is 10 times more so. Only book that has made me laugh out aloud. Only book to use the word "carnage" when describing a golf round.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Sideways by Rex Pickett. If you thought the film was funny then the book is 10 times more so. Only book that has made me laugh out aloud. Only book to use the word "carnage" when describing a golf round.

You aint seen me play golf