2 posts tagged “funny”
One of the readers on I Will Dare asked me to list some 'good humor' books.
So here’s a list of books that I found funny. I am only covering fiction here, which is hard because I find that not a lot of books are funny, at least not funny on purpose. As for nonfiction if you can’t find the funny in David Sedaris or Sarah Vowell or (as much as it pains me to say it) some of Chuck Klosterman’s stuff, well I can’t help you.
Syrup and Jennifer Government by Max Barry
It’s been a long, long, long time since I read Syrup,
maybe 10 or so years. I know that I have it in hardcover and it might
have come out in the mid to late nineties. However, I do remember that
it’s a funny as hell look at marketing and the absurdity behind the
advertising and marketing world. Which brings me to Jennifer Government which takes the marketing-crazy world of Syrup a step further where the entire planet is run by marketers. It’s hilarious.
Microserfs and JPod by Douglas Coupland
I’ve been a Coupland fan since my early 20s. In fact, I named my computer Jed because Dan, the narrator of Microserfs, uses it as a password. I think over the years Microserfs
has gotten even funnier than it was originally. Why? Because it’s so
dated now and it’s funny to read what characters think about “the
information superhighway.”
Jpod was often dubbed as a follow-up or sequel to Microserfs, I am not sure why. Maybe because it also takes place in a software company. But that’s where the similarity ends. Jpod is a weird, funny exercise in absurdity with only a little bit in common with reality. Probably one of my top four favorite Coupland books.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
This book often makes my top ten list of favorite books of all time.
Why? Because it has that delicious combination of funny and moving that
is so rare in a lot of the books I read. I mean, come on a couple who
purposely breeds their kids to be circus freaks is hilarious. Learning
that even circus freaks are complex people, moving. It’s like a
double-plus win win here.
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters by Mark Dunn
I’ve written about Ella Minnow Pea before, you can read about it here.
Happiness by Will Ferguson
A self-help books cures unhappiness, depression, cynicism, calamity ensues, and it’s really quite funny.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
A 15-year-old autistic boy decides to solve the murder of Wellington,
his neighbor’s poodle. While it could have been really easy for Haddon
to fall into the trap of being sentimental or condescending towards his
autistic narrator, he manages to avoid both and in the process creates
a complex character whose view of the world is unflinching in its
honesty, and when done right honesty is quite humorous.
The Hotel New Hampshire and The World According to Garp by John Irving
If you haven’t read either of these books I pity you and the empty spot
in your soul where these books would go. No amount of words can even
begin to explain the beauty, complexity, and humor found in these
Irving novels.
A month or so back, Grumbles and I were teasing a few of the Voxy guys about making them homemade, super-sugary Valentines. I can't even remember how the argument started, it was probably Hotrod's fault. It usually is. Anyway, all I really remember is that I proclaimed my love for Valentine's day against the boos and hisses of the more cynical members of my neighborhood. Anyway, so yes, I made some extra-special Valentines for the nay-sayers. I am sure it will melt their crusty, crunch, black-black hearts. Because, well, how could you not love Valentine's like these?
