Need cheering up...

OY

Just finished Shelleys Frankenstien...not a whole load of laughs. It has put me in a melancholy mood. Any suggestions for a feel good book to read next. A comedy would be nice. Or something that does not involve page after page of misery, anguish and pain.
Despite the mood it has invoked in me i do recommend it. It is well written and moving in parts. Plus completely different from teh Brannagh movie a while back.
If nobody comes good i will dig out my old Clavin and Hobbes...that might do the trick!

eclectichoney

Try Death and the penguin perhaps....relatively short, blackly funny and very very cute (the parts with the penguin) of the diceman by luke rhinehart is very funny too.

pork99

"Barcelona Plates" and "The Dog Catcher" by Alexei Sayle

Robbo

Flann O'Briens "The Third Policeman" or Spike Milligans "Puckoon".

Spunj

I highly recommend Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything"

You won't be sad, or disappointed

OY

Cheers guys.
Will take this list with me to the store when i go to buy a bok next and check them out...

karma kabbage

While you're there you should pick up 'The Meaning Of Liff' by Douglas Adams (and some other guy). Not so much for a feel good read, but for when you may need some feel good installemnts. Just a few sentiments will get that smile badk on your face!

Merrion

There's some good stuff in "The Salmon of Doubt", also by Douglas Adams. Worth looking out for.

pork99

"Facts and Fancies" by Armando Iannucci

sceptre

Spunj wrote:

I highly recommend Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything"

You won't be sad, or disappointed

Read it and liked it as I have most of Bryson's stuff. For a good laugh though, I'd recommend "Notes From A Big Country" instead. "A Short History of nearly Everything" wasn't nearly as funny (it wasn't supposed to be)

alleepally

If you want a good laugh read The Orange Mocha-chip Frappucino Years by 'Ross O Kelly Carroll'. He's the fictional character who appears in the Sunday Tribune. I can honestly say I haven't laughed as hard reading something before.

There's one particular piece where Ross and his friends go over to a recording of Blind Date in England to support another of their friends appearing on the show. I was reading this bit in a busy spot and let out the loudest and hardest laugh I got all sorts of funny looks.

It is very light reading and you would get through it in an afternoon but the laughs you'll get will get the old happy hormones running through your system in no time!

pork99

1. "Well Remembered Days" by Arthur Mathews. I nearly choked laughing at this.

2. "GUBU Nation" by Damian Corless which I'm reading at the moment. This book proves that satire is sometimes redundant and that to Irish people "Father Ted" is a not comedy but a social-realist drama.

grumpytrousers

I highly recommend Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything"

Seconded, although I'd have to concur with Sceptre in that it wasn't really a funny book, unless you're the type who thinks that atoms are, well, an utter hoot!

If you want maximum laughs Bryson, my own particular favourites have to be The Lost Continent, or Notes from a Small Country, the latter being a book that we had to take from my dad when he was in hospital, as his constant laughter meant his stitches wouldn't heal quick enough

*edit*

oh - and may i add, of course, anything by PG Wodehouse involving. Might take a day or so to get into his 'world' but a day or so of reading Jeeves and Bertie and you'll be cheered up no end. And looking for another book of a similar ilk

Brerrabbit

I'd recommend "Are you Dave Groman?" by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace; The funniest thing I have EVER read, and kind of, to quote the blurb, "Life affirming" in some vague sense. I bought it last year, lent it to a friend, who lent it to another friend, etc, I just got it back last week. also as was mentioned above, the orange mocha choca chip years (Or whatever the name is) is hilarious (Unless you're from D4 that is ) I remember reading it on the DART (DORT) one day and three girls from Donnybrook, whose mannerisms, accents etc. were STRAIGHT out of the book, I started laughing so much I had to get of the train.

That being said, you can't go wrong with Calvin and Hobbes!

grumpytrousers

I'd recommend "Are you Dave Groman?" by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace;

Danny Wallace - Gormans sidekick - wrote a book last year called Join Me. If you want the whole life affirming McGubbins, then i suggest that. It's the true story of a man (Danny himself) who decided to set up a Karma Army devoted to little more than carrying out Random Acts of Kindness every Friday. For more you could, of course Join him anyway irrespective of whether you've read the book or not!

Twistedlilkitty

Brerrabbit wrote:

I'd recommend "Are you Dave Groman?" by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace; The funniest thing I have EVER read, and kind of, to quote the blurb, "Life affirming" in some vague sense.

Seconded that is a fantastic book, i laughed a lot and in public like a loon over it. Its a lil bit of a slow burner but give it time.
I recommend "he died with a felafel in his hand" by john birmingham...if you have ever shared a house its very funny.

karma kabbage

Merrion wrote:

There's some good stuff in "The Salmon of Doubt", also by Douglas Adams. Worth looking out for.

Ok, I admit that I do cry easily, but all the same I wouldn't recommend this a feel good book as we know it'll never be finished. It's very bittersweet knowing this is the unfinished work of a really talented man.

Purely essential for any Douglas Adams fan though

voltamadan

LOL i love the way i saw this and was gonna say Bryson and I'd been beaten to it by like a million other guys! Happy and inspiring stuff! (his books i mean)

OY

Hey...just thought i would tell you guys that i suck!

In the end i took absolutely none of any of your advice and read Bish Fish (Wallace), The Andromeda Strain (crichton) and having finished them am now onto Cannery Row (Stienbeck).

Sorry! But i will keep an eye out for the books mentioned here! It is one of those things that make you realise how many great books are out there that need to be read. A good thought i think!
Cheers!

pork99

Any of the Ross O'Carroll Kelly books - you have to be Irish, ideally from D4 to get the humour though - roysh?

da_deadman

I should really get some of those Ross O'Carroll Kelly books, since I just moved into D4. And i want to laugh at my new neighbours

After reading the real Frankenstein book, I would recommend Spike Milliagan's version of Frankenstein. It's quite funny, especially after reading the original, even if it is not Spike's funniest book.

Of course, 'Calvin and Hobbes', 'Garfield', 'Hagar the Horrible', and 'Beetle Bailey' are great books for a quick read and a laugh.

Piste

Try going to a school full of people straight out of the Ross O Carroll-Kelly books! (I even think we're mentioned a few times)

grumpytrousers

"Cider with Roadies" by Stuart Maconie.

You probably know his mug from all those "I Love <whatever>" on BBC but this account of growing up in the North of England and his love of pop music is just a hoot from start to finish....found meself laughing away while using public transport while reading this....