View Full Version : Make Me Laugh
I like silly humor. There isn't enough silly literature and I want more. I loved Maddox's The Alphabet of Manliness, got a kick out of A Practical Guide to Racism, just finished reading Michael Ian Black's My Custom Van and now I'm looking for more.
Recommend me some stuff!
hoopymo
08-10-2008, 2:39 PM
Try "i hope they serve beer in hell", by max Tucker.
Chrono
08-10-2008, 6:51 PM
Misery by Stephen King
John Travolta
08-10-2008, 7:21 PM
Manufacturing Consent is just hilarious.
I'm already pretty familiar with Tucker Max. I've considered getting one of the CollegeHumor books, but I can't stand college jokes for more than 2-3 pages at a time.
Alcoholic
08-10-2008, 7:47 PM
I'm sure you've already been through Catch-22, and if not I hope you feel shamfeul. Also check out A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. He's less presidential than you'd think, and quite ridiculous.
Another good read, if you don't mind reading a play, is Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest", but that's pretty well known, so no surprise.
Letters From the Earth by Mark Twain. A piss-your-pants funny book written by the master of satire about humans and our hypocrisies about self and religion. If you happen to be a religious person who is easily offend, then don't read this. Other then that, read this book and laugh at the people who are so sensitive about there white Saviour and laugh your ass off. In a more current publication Stephen Colbert's I Am America and So Can You will in fact make you laugh to death.
Android
08-10-2008, 9:42 PM
Also check out A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.
I can't emphasize this point enough. Dunces is a truly hilarious book, it's sad Toole didn't get any appreciation until after he killed himself.
A Deodorizer of Dead Dogs: Another Collection of Great Stuff You Never Read in School by Ambrose Bierce is also worth checking out. Bierce was writing around the same time as Mark Twain but his themes were a little more dark. He's known as the black sheep of literature. He also wrote the satirical Devil's Dictionary where he gives his own alternative and humorous definitions for words.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce
Alcoholic
08-10-2008, 10:07 PM
I can't emphasize this point enough. Dunces is a truly hilarious book, it's sad Toole didn't get any appreciation until after he killed himself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrose_Bierce
I shit you not, that my cousin has an original transcript. Her grandmother was actually buddy-buddy with Toole down around the Loyola University area in Louisianna.
Relaps
08-10-2008, 10:56 PM
Dave Barry's books are pretty funny. I mean, Boogers, who doesn't love 'em?
Alcoholic
08-10-2008, 11:59 PM
Dave Barry is killer.
Also check out pretty much anything by David Sedaris. Personal favorites are Holidays on Ice and Naked, and I heard his newest is better than his previous books.
I thought I already posted this, but has anybody read The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgeman? He's got that goofy-but-serious style I really like. Not sure if the book follows that vain well (if at all), though.
Prawnatron
08-11-2008, 5:54 PM
Spike Milligan's Books are good, my friend has them all.
The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders is hilarious, though only 130 pages. My copy includes Saunders' series of short stories called In Persuasion Nation, I'm not sure if mine is a special edition or if that's just how it's sold but either way Saunders is a genius.
cRaaGz
08-12-2008, 4:35 AM
Try a few books by Chuck Palahnuik, apart from Fight CLub he has some good pulp fiction. The Diary comes to mind and the Lullaby.
Pieman
08-12-2008, 4:46 AM
I Am America (And So can You) By Stephen Colbert.
Balkothdr
08-12-2008, 9:55 AM
Dave Barry's books are pretty funny. I mean, Boogers, who doesn't love 'em?
I've read two of them and I love them, totally recommend them. Also, Tim Burtons The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories has a bunch of funny little poem/stories in it. Its really short, but some of the tales can make ya laugh.
Jallen
08-12-2008, 12:31 PM
The Zombie Survival Guide or World War Z by Max Brooks.
Written completely seriously, but they are hilarious.
Greger
08-12-2008, 1:36 PM
Those books aint really 'funny' in the sense that I think Matt is looking for, I do agree that they are good though.
You should check out Terry Pratchett - Good Omens Matt, it's great :)
Yeah, most of these suggestions are good, some of which I've already read, but I'm looking for goofy stupid stuff at the moment. If only Michael Ian Black would talk about other body parts besides his penis he's colored yellow with a Day-Glo marker...
Alcoholic
08-12-2008, 4:28 PM
Hm, just how stupid are you willing to get? REAL Ultimate Power: The Official ninja Book made me laugh out loud in class a few times when I was supposed to be doing psychological statistical analysis. I'm sure you've seen the website, but it's written in the guise of a 10 year old named Robert Hamburger (who is also listed as the author).
It's goofy and stupid, but not very clever except for the fact that if you read into it from the child's perspective, it's a surprisingly good book. I mean, not ridiculously meaningful, but it paints a good picture of the particular kids' mind and how he's treated. Come to think of it, I laughed, and then wanted to kill myself. Don't read it.
Riddlebox
08-12-2008, 5:48 PM
How to survive a Robot Uprising is pretty good. Humor is pretty dry though.
gizzalove
08-13-2008, 12:29 AM
Try looking though the humor section in your local bookstore.
The Darwin Awards are worth a chuckle.
docmartens
08-13-2008, 11:12 AM
Hm, just how stupid are you willing to get? REAL Ultimate Power: The Official ninja Book made me laugh out loud in class a few times when I was supposed to be doing psychological statistical analysis. I'm sure you've seen the website, but it's written in the guise of a 10 year old named Robert Hamburger (who is also listed as the author).
It's goofy and stupid, but not very clever except for the fact that if you read into it from the child's perspective, it's a surprisingly good book. I mean, not ridiculously meaningful, but it paints a good picture of the particular kids' mind and how he's treated. Come to think of it, I laughed, and then wanted to kill myself. Don't read it.
Read it. It's the funniest book ever written, bar none. I lauged out loud several times per page actually. It's great if you're into ninjas, even casually.
'When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops" and 'Napalm & Silly Putty' by George Carlin. Great reads if you're in a silly mood. I've had both books for over 2 years, and I still laugh like it's the first time I'm reading it.
Dodger
08-13-2008, 3:25 PM
Naked Pictures of Famous People- Jon Stewart
I actually already own 'When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops' and 'Brain Droppings.' Another Carlin book can't hurt. However, Jon Stewart's book is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks Dodger!
The World According to Garp has some really funny moments, as does The Third Policeman which is by Flann O'Brien.
Dodger
08-13-2008, 4:33 PM
No problem. I bought a couple years ago as a gift for a friend, but I wound up reading it before I gave it to them.
If comic books are okay with you, Dr. McNinja is some of the funniest shit I have ever read. You can read them online or buy the books.
www.drmcninja.com
Goblin Boy
08-16-2008, 3:33 AM
If you're a fan of The Onion, Our Dumb World is a good pick. You can open to any page and find something funny.
ZulieKat
08-16-2008, 8:35 PM
For some good mindless sort of humor, I like Christopher Moore. My favorites of his are "Bloodsucking Fiends" and "You Suck." They're pretty easy reads, and a little bit addicting even... I think I finished both within a few days.
Tastychainsaws
08-17-2008, 12:59 PM
Misery by Stephen King
I dunno I wouldn't say that was a laughing kinda book. It was one of those nod-your-head-and-day-damn kinda books.
But thanks to it I name at least one female character in any video game that allows me to, "Misery"
For some good mindless sort of humor, I like Christopher Moore. My favorites of his are "Bloodsucking Fiends" and "You Suck." They're pretty easy reads, and a little bit addicting even... I think I finished both within a few days.
Dammit, I was planning on posting this last week but I was TO'd. If you are looking for silly humor, like men sleeping with a blue hooker because they deep down always wanted to bang a smurf that would be a pretty good route to go. I just finished "You Suck"- read it in less that 24 hours (although I am not sure if I really liked it or not), and I just picked up "Lamb" by Mr. Moore as well. I would recommend these just because they aren't the typical "read the books by the guy who wrote fight club" or "I am america" suggestions.
I've been reading Naked Pictures of Famous People while out here on vacation. It's incredibly perfect. The collection of short, humorous essays is a great vehicle for humor, especially when written by a genius like Stewart. Carlin's books are sort of like that, but much more disjointed and random, which works as well.
Captiva
08-20-2008, 11:11 PM
Have you read any other books by Stewart? His humour is pretty entertaining overall.
I really liked the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon, it's about a kid with Asperger syndrome and how he deals with his parents getting a divorce. Has some serious moments, but also has the weird logic that makes you laugh.
For really weird abstract 'wtf' kind of read there is The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend. It's a juvenile book, but definitely has some weird insights.
Or; I Hate This Place: The Pessimist's Guide to Life by Jimmy and Gloria Fallon
Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me by Ben Karlin
abbey
08-21-2008, 12:11 AM
I'd suggest Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs. Every chapter is its own funny story so it's easy to read it casually.
The Amazon page for it describes it better than I can. (http://www.amazon.com/Possible-Side-Effects-Augusten-Burroughs/dp/0312315961)
I wouldn't suggest reading it in public, though. I got funny looks while I was reading it and trying not to laugh out loud in class.
Alcoholic
08-21-2008, 1:02 AM
Have you read any other books by Stewart? His humour is pretty entertaining overall.
I really liked the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon, it's about a kid with Asperger syndrome and how he deals with his parents getting a divorce. Has some serious moments, but also has the weird logic that makes you laugh.
For really weird abstract 'wtf' kind of read there is The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend. It's a juvenile book, but definitely has some weird insights.
Or; I Hate This Place: The Pessimist's Guide to Life by Jimmy and Gloria Fallon
Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me by Ben Karlin
Curious Indicent was great. Definitely check that out. Not a front-to-laugh-fest, but a fun, quick, easy read, with a generous sprinkling of ha-ha's.
badumpbumpbump
08-21-2008, 10:49 AM
Almost anything by Hunter S. Thompson will make you laugh. Read Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas and you'll laugh your ass off.
MistyTehMoose
08-21-2008, 9:32 PM
How come no one has mentioned Douglas Adams yet? He is a god.
Alcoholic
08-21-2008, 9:54 PM
How come no one has mentioned Douglas Adams yet? He is a god.
Yes, this. You can even get the entire Hitchiker's series in one beautiful leather-bound hardback edition, for around twenty bucks. Cheap and thrilling.
tunacake
08-21-2008, 10:28 PM
Yes, this. You can even get the entire Hitchiker's series in one beautiful leather-bound hardback edition, for around twenty bucks. Cheap and thrilling.
Just ordered it 2 days ago. 5 novels and a short story :hmm:
I just finished a book called "Youth in Revolt: The Journals of Nick Twisp" by C.D. Payne. It's about a 14 year old boy and the crazy things he does trying to lose his virginity and stuff. I thought it was pretty darn funny. You should give it a look see.
Curious Indicent was great. Definitely check that out. Not a front-to-laugh-fest, but a fun, quick, easy read, with a generous sprinkling of ha-ha's.
It's like the most depressing book in the universe. I nearly cried when he ran away to find his mum and she couldn't hug him. What is wrong with you people?
edit: Oh and I feel the need to repeat my George Saunders recommendation. He's amazing.
Alcoholic
08-25-2008, 9:38 AM
It's like the most depressing book in the universe. I nearly cried when he ran away to find his mum and she couldn't hug him. What is wrong with you people?
edit: Oh and I feel the need to repeat my George Saunders recommendation. He's amazing.
Oh, definitely, it's a sad book. I thought somewhere I posted a more detailed opinion of it, but believe me when I say that was an important detail of it. Believe.
Fluzz
08-25-2008, 10:30 AM
www.cracked.com has some very funny articles.
USER WAS PUT IN TIMEOUT FOR THIS POST. (http://forums.explosm.net/eventlog.php)
Reason: Cracked is a magazine. Not a book.
sinan90
08-25-2008, 6:51 PM
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers is what springs to mind at a book to make you laugh, I may edit some more in if I can think of anything else.
I thought I already posted this, but has anybody read The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgeman? He's got that goofy-but-serious style I really like. Not sure if the book follows that vain well (if at all), though.
I haven't read the whole thing yet, got halfway through (I'm at the hobo names now). He definitely has a goofy-but-serious style, as the book is supposed to be made up information by him. I'm not quite sure if I like the style of writing he does for the book though. I do find myself laughing at things sometimes, but I just don't get him at other times. If you look on somewhere like Amazon.com it has good reviews though, so I guess if you're a big John Hodgman fan you'll enjoy it.
I'm hoping Colbert's I Am America is pretty good (it's the next book I'm reading). Colbert is just amazing.
Alcoholic
08-25-2008, 9:14 PM
I haven't read the whole thing yet, got halfway through (I'm at the hobo names now). He definitely has a goofy-but-serious style, as the book is supposed to be made up information by him. I'm not quite sure if I like the style of writing he does for the book though. I do find myself laughing at things sometimes, but I just don't get him at other times. If you look on somewhere like Amazon.com it has good reviews though, so I guess if you're a big John Hodgman fan you'll enjoy it.
I'm hoping Colbert's I Am America is pretty good (it's the next book I'm reading). Colbert is just amazing.
You'll end up shaking your head and smiling, as well as laugh out loud. I went to a party down in Charlotte and the girls throwing it had the book sitting around. I ended up sitting reading several chapters from it instead of spending the extra time getting plastered. It was that good.
You'll end up shaking your head and smiling, as well as laugh out loud. I went to a party down in Charlotte and the girls throwing it had the book sitting around. I ended up sitting reading several chapters from it instead of spending the extra time getting plastered. It was that good.
Sweet! Can't wait to dive into this one!
Captiva
08-26-2008, 1:09 AM
You'll end up shaking your head and smiling, as well as laugh out loud. I went to a party down in Charlotte and the girls throwing it had the book sitting around. I ended up sitting reading several chapters from it instead of spending the extra time getting plastered. It was that good.
You had fun in Charlotte? I call shennanigans.
Curious Incident made me cry for nearly half the time I read it. I remember feeling like a fool in my class, reading after I finished my work, surreptitiously trying to get that ugly 'puffy-eyed-nose-running-tear-streaked' face not to show up. But at the same time, there were crazy comments that made me have to stifle laughter at inappropriate times.
Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan is pretty ridiculous. More weird facts and mildly weird side events that make it funny, while also very informative. It made me want to be a hobo in NYC with my own colony of attack rats.
Profane Methane
08-27-2008, 2:22 AM
I recommend Things snowball By Rich Hall. It's the Fictional Biography of Rich Hall, I've only read the start but it's pretty funny so far.
docmartens
08-28-2008, 11:10 PM
I am America and So Can You is pretty much the jokes he makes on his show, in text form. So that's either good or bad, but draw your own conclusions.
HappyPalooza
08-28-2008, 11:15 PM
I find John Swartzwelder's Frank Burly detective novels (http://www.kennydalebooks.com/) hilarious.
WongSifu
08-28-2008, 11:24 PM
As someone mentioned, A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series are excellent. The endings came out of nowhere, and made me laugh out loud, but it was a really satisfying and fitting end to the series
Also, I recommend John Dies at the End by David Wong. Dick jokes aplenty, there.
TuckerLOL
08-29-2008, 5:05 PM
JPod, by Douglas Coupland.
"Coupland returns, knowingly, to mine the dot-com territory of Microserfs (1996)—this time for slapstick. Young Ethan Jarlewski works long hours as a video-game developer in Vancouver, surfing the Internet for gore sites and having random conversations with co-workers on JPod, the cubicle hive where he works, where everyone's last name begins with J. Before Ethan can please the bosses and the marketing department (they want a turtle, based on a reality TV host, inserted into the game Ethan's been working on for months) or win the heart of co-worker Kaitlin, Ethan must help his mom bury a biker she's electrocuted in the family basement which houses her marijuana farm; give his dad, an actor desperately longing for a speaking part, yet another pep talk; feed the 20 illegal Chinese immigrants his brother has temporarily stored in Ethan's apartment; and pass downtime by trying to find a wrong digit in the first 100,000 places (printed on pages 383–406) of pi. Coupland's cultural name-dropping is predictable (Ikea, the Drudge Report, etc.), as is the device of bringing in a fictional Douglas Coupland to save Ethan's day more than once. But like an ace computer coder loaded up on junk food at 4 a.m., Coupland derives his satirical, spirited humor's energy from the silly, strung-together plot and thin characters. Call it Microserfs 2.0."
It's one of the best books I've read in a long while.
vBulletin® v3.6.8, Copyright ©2000-2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.