Funniest Book Ever?

[Whickerman]

My choice would be 'Round Ireland With a Fridge' - what's the funniest book you've read?

[mycats]

Bill Bryson - "Notes from a big country"
Makes me roar with laughter, I love most of his books, but this is one of his best.
Or
"Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" first and best in series
OR
"And to my nephew Albert I leave the island What I won of Fatty Hagan in a Poker Game" very, very funny!!

[waiglet]

I'm reading Penguins Stopped Play at the moment and it's very funny. Even non-cricket fans would laugh out loud I reckon.

[flip-flop]

I tend to find books based on experience and observations are funnier than comedy fiction, and therefore I found Round Ireland With a Fridge was hilarious, as were his other two.

Bill Bryson is also excellent and (my personal favourite) anything by Jeremy Clarkson. The World According to Clarkson is laugh out loud funny - many an embarrasing moment on the beach last year with me bursting in to laughter.

[whiffey]

Not really books, but any of the Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, or The Office, TV scripts.

[Pippa68]

'Adolf Hitler ~ My Part In His Downfall' by Spike Milligan never fails to make me chortle..as does 'Spike Milligans' Letters' edited by Norma Farnes.

The Adrian Mole diaries were also very amusing, in my opinion :o)

[Quizmonkey]

A A Gill has written two superb novels: Sap Rising and Starcrossed - both absolutely and outrageously hilarious. Clive James' Unreliable Memoirs and Alan Bennett's Untold Stories and Writing Home are all very funny but in a much gentler way. Agree with the first Hitchhiker's too.

[Smiffy]

I agree with all the books mentioned so far but top of my list will have to be 'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

[Joe Shmoe]

The Portable Door By Tom Holt . It is very funny , quirky , impossible but believable, but most of all different to anything else I have read . Look it up on amazon.co.uk . Not one bad review. :-D

[rockyracoon]

Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry probably, but anything else by him, and Tom Sharpe (who is the daddy of funny books), Carl Hiaasen and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels.

[JustSia]

I am stuck between HHGTG, Three Men in a Boat, and Stop The Ride I Want To Get Off. The last one has one of the best prison stories ever, where this old geezer gets his wife to smuggle some expensive gear to him in a condom, which he sticks up his ... but puts the finger through it and this pure opium oil runs down his legs and all these lads start rolling joints by wiping the oil off his legs. Tell you what I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard.

S.

[imd123]

Like Rockyraccoon Stephen Fry's auto Moab is my Washpot is very good and Ricky Tomlinson's Ricky.

[maxi29]

Three men in a boat reduced me to such helpless laughter that I was unable to continue reading out loud (this was during an English lesson at school) but I'd have to say that A diary of a nobody makes me laugh even more. I first read it when I was 12 and have read it every year since - it will always keep me entertained.

[Hellion]

I agree, anything by Bill Bryson and RockyRacoon I SO agree with you about the Stephanie Plum books, I'm always recommending them on AB.

I also loved 'Travel with Boogie' by Mark Wallington, absolutely hilarious see here http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0099782618/qid=1150366300/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_3_9/202-2539169-5419003

[mccfluff]

i loved round ireland with a fridge, also maureen lipmans autobiogs, terry pratchett - mort and good omens being amongst the fave's. anything by billy connolly

[raysparx]

Like pippa I enjoyed the Spike milligan books, also Welsh Fargo by Harry secombe, I am just re-reading all of Tom Sharpes they are great.

[rockyracoon]

I've just ordered Round Ireland With A Fridge from my library. I have to see if I'll find it as funny as you lot

[SaxyJag]

Agent Z and the Penguin from Mars, by Mark Haddon (he of 'Dog in the Night' fame).

Also, Louise Rennison's 'Confessions of Georgia Nicholson' books.

[Whickerman]

RockyRacoon - you won't be disappointed. The mad thing about it is that it all happened - he had regular radio slots and the owner of the hostel in Wexford is an aquaintance of mine. I suppose it just takes someone with Tony Hawke's talent to write it well.