Suggestions for the next read on "Satirical and/or comic writing"

[Adrian]

Hi,

Time for another BGO Bookgroup read on Satirical and/or comic writing. Please nominate a book you'd like us all to read. If you don't have a suggestion but do like the sound of a book nominated by someone else, please do say so as these are a great help in choosing the six books to go forward to the vote off.

Voting will start in a week, so away we go!

[Minxminnie]

I'd like to suggest Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm: it narrowly missed out on being chosen for One Hit Wonders.

[tagesmann]

I'd like to suggest Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm: it narrowly missed out on being chosen for One Hit Wonders.Second.

[Grammath]

I'd happily settle for "Cold Comfort Farm" too, but feel this list would be incomplete without the option to vote for something by the top hole P. G. Wodehouse, despite Stephen Fry's observation that with Wodehouse 'you don’t analyse such sunlit perfection, you just bask in its warmth and splendour.'

Of the dozens of fine novels I could choose from, I'm going to nominate "Right Ho, Jeeves", since a copy happens to be on my shelves at home as part of a larger Jeeves & Wooster omnibus I own. It should be a fine introduction to PGW's lovably bonkers world.

Gussie Fink-Nottle's knowledge of the common newt is unparalleled. Drop him in a pond of newts and his behaviour will be exemplary, but introduce him to a girl and watch him turn pink, yammer, and suddenly stampede for great open spaces. Even with Madeline Bassett, who feels that the stars are God's daisy chain, his tongue is tied in reef-knots. And his chum Tuppy Glossop isn't getting on much better with Madeline's delectable friend Angela. With so many broken hearts lying about him, Bertie Wooster can't sit idly by. The happiness of a pal - two pals, in fact - is at stake. But somehow Bertie's best-laid plans land everyone in the soup, and so it's just as well that Jeeves is ever at hand to apply his bulging brains to the problems of young love.

[Jeremy DEagle]

I suppose someone should suggest Catch-22, even though I despise it.

[Adrian]

I'm going to suggest Lucky Jim, by Kingsley Amis. I read Scoop a while back and it was pretty good.

[Hazel]

Of the dozens of fine novels I could choose from, I'm going to nominate "Right Ho, Jeeves", since a copy happens to be on my shelves at home Seconded, because I too have it languishing on the shelves.

[Barblue]

I suppose someone should suggest Catch-22, even though I despise it.That seems a really odd reason to suggest it JDE. Can't say I fancy it myself either.

On the other hand I've been meaning to try P.G. Wodehouse for ages, so Right Ho! Jeeves, gets my vote.

[Flingo]

I'm currently listening to Cold Comfort Farm - it isn't working too well as an audio book for me (I've listened to 5 of the 8 disks and have very little clue as to what is happening!).

I would also like to second the idea to NOT nominate Catch-22 as that is in my list of worst books!

I would like to nominate a comedy though:
The Killing Joke by Anthony Horowitz (it is a book for grown-ups, promise!).

When Guy Fletcher protests at a feeble joke he overhears in his grotty local pub, he finds himself headbutted and struck by an idea in quick succession. Is it possible to trace a joke all the way back to its original source? Guy's meandering trail leads him to a humourless Hungarian dentist, a hyperactive troupe of Boy Scouts, a group of giggling grave-diggers and half a dozen undercover detectives. And there are some pretty odd things happening along the way. Guy is sure he's being followed by a sinister Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman. He has an unfortunate accident on a banana skin. And there's a fly in his soup. Guy is on the verge of discovering something very unpleasant. Making jokes is no laughing matter ...

[Phoebus]

I'd like to recommend William Sutcliffe's Are You Experienced?. It's about a student who takes a year out before going to university in order to go back-packing. I couldn't stop laughing, I managed to develop a six pack by the end of the book.

Just look at the reviews, which speak for themselves:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Are-You-Experienced-William-Sutcliffe/dp/0140272658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219002377&sr=8-1


Phoebus

[Jenmcd]

My TBR pile is far too serious - of what is there I would like to suggest The Rotters Club by Jonathan Coe, on the basis that I plan to read it before the year is out anyway and that I loved What A Carve Up!

I also have a copy of Lucky Jim so would be happy with that or Wodehouse as I have very fond memories of the Fry/Laurie TV series.

[tagesmann]

Not many suggestions this time but perhaps we should vote anyway.

[megustaleer]

Poll now up.
This thread is closed.