Humour Books > T Humour Books > C

Advantages: Easy to read, Witty
Disadvantages: Far too long for a book on this topic

Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed reading this book. I opened the cover and expected to find a series of shallow (and wholly uninteresting) encounters between people I was likely to deem shallow and wholly uninteresting. Instead, I found the backpage reviewers comment of "Jane Austen with a Martini" to be blindingly appropriate. This book is a good read for anyone who enjoys traditional women's fiction or indeed, the wry humour of Jane Austen ...
...goes far to bridging the gap between the two genres. It follows the story of the young protagonist, Janey Wilcox, lingerie model through her rise and rise through the ranks of the famous and superficial. Through her marriage to the highly 'appropriate' (and far too nice for her), Selden Rose, her sexual exploits as she uses her explosive good looks to get exactly what she wants and to her eventual (and much applauded) downfall, flat on her pretty, ... Read review

Advantages: Hilarious, varied, cheaply available, even has drawings!
Disadvantages: Too short - but there's a second volume!

...Cooper (real name Robert Popper, the man behind some of Look Around you with Simon Pegg and scripter of Series 3 of Peep Show with Radio 4's Mitchell and Webb) is a man of considerable spare time. To help pass the hours he writes letters to member organizations, rotary clubs, airlines and other venerable organs with bizzarre, nonsensical requests, or just to waste their time with crazed inventions he has made and wishes to share with a rightly disinterested ...
...[End of Correspondence] stamp when the organization simply no longer responds to his absurd and increasingly mental missives. Some of the most outstanding letters include a noise reducing machine known as the Imsimil Berati-Lahn (this made me cackle for a good hour), a machine that harvests mustard from wasps (Waspard!) and an offer to supply Beef Scarecrows (later corrected to 'Beel'!) to a Gardening Centre. And wait til you see the drawings that ... Read review

Advantages: VERY fUNNY.
Disadvantages: None.

Rising Damp. Written by Eric Chappell. You will laugh out loud. Eric Chappell. ~~~~~~~~ Originally working for the gas board, Eric quit his job and took to writing. His first play was 'The Banana Box'. This was a moderate success and coincidentally starred Leonard Rossiter, Frances de la Tour and Don Warrington. Points of interest, in the banana box the landlord was actually called Rooksby. Philip was already a tenant with his own flat. Eric ...
...get away?" Rising Damp Episodes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Pilot episode was aired on the 2nd Sept 1974. Pilot episode - The New Tenant. Philip arrives and moves in, eventually, with Alan. This was a huge hit and Rising Damp was commissioned instantly. Series one ran from 13th Dec 1974 till 17th Jan 1975. Series one. ~~~~~~~ Episode 1. - Black Magic. Philip bangs on floor with his spear and Ruth magically appears at the door. Episode 2. - A Night ... Read review

Advantages: Funny in places
Disadvantages: Lacks consistency

...aware of Jeremy Clarkson through the excellent TV programme Top Gear, a show that is not just for petrol heads as it is also one of the funniest programmes on TV as well given some of the stunts and challenges they do. In the show he is the arrogant, opinionated alpha male with a hearty dislike of Europe, foxes, anything environmentally friendly and French cars. Oh and political correctness. In addition to his TV work he also writes a newspaper column ...
...Apart from the toilet reading on offer at my sister house this was the first Clarkson book that I have read and I was interested to see if the humour generated on Top Gear could be translated into the written word. The book itself is made up of a series of short, two or three page, rants or observations on a myriad of topics that stretch from the opening page discussion of an additional public holiday to such varied topics as the joys of the circus, ... Read review

Advantages: Funny and an interesting continuation of the Rincewind story.
Disadvantages: Not quite as good as the other Discworld books and a little short.

...is a demon in disguise Eric commands him to grant him three wishes; to be ruler of the world, to meet the most beautiful woman in all of history and to be immortal. Unfortunately for Eric, Rincewind is hardly a wizard let alone a Demon. But under threat of being sent to back to some Dungeon Dimension Rincewind tries his best to grant his new "Master's" wishes... Although things don't quite go according to plans. Like all Pratchett's Discworld books, ...
...(even to the extent that the title of the book actually has the name Faust crossed out above the "new title" of Eric) but also parodies greek epics, mayan culture and even hell itself. I enjoyed this book, although I don't think it is quite up to the standard of the other Discworld books I have read so far but it does provide an answer to what happened to Rincewind after the events of Sourcery. Even though its not as good as the other Discworld ... Read review