Humour Books > F Humour Books

Advantages: Interesting characters, unique story telling, oh and... well, just about everything!
Disadvantages: Might ruin the movie for you, but I doubt that.

Rarely does one get the chance to first enjoy the movie and then afterwards read the book and enjoy it just as much. This is one of those rare occasions, and I'm pleased to review it. Let me start off by saying that I found the movie to be enchanting, with believable characters, an interesting plot and great acting. What I realized only after reading the book was that the movie was only the tip of the iceberg. This just may mean that those who read ...
...I think I got it right - movie first, book afterwards. Fannie Flagg has put tons of charm in this book, without letting it get sappy or sentimental. This is a major achievement, especially when we recall that some of the issues addressed here can be very controversial - including such things as the KKK*, family abuse, segregation and more. Flagg leaves us with little to no illusions as to the general attitudes of southerners towards these issues, ... Read review

Advantages: Amusing chick lit satire
Disadvantages: Does lose momentum at times

Eric Garcia was an author who was recommended to me by a member of this site however it was a while until I actually got around to buying one of his books and then it was only when after buying another piece of fiction this particular book appeared under the "people who bought this also bought" link on Amazon. Normally I ignore this rather lame attempt to cross sell a product but the authors name started a bell ringing which was an entirely new feature ...
...probably give the author Eric Garcia the benefit of the doubt and read something else that he has written but I'm in n mad rush to do so. Based on the cover and the title of the book I would have probably assumed this would be a piece of chick-lit if I had scanned it on the shelf and would have also probably read the authors name as Erica rather than Eric. Once I got into the book I realized that this was not the case and Garcia must be praised ... Read review

Advantages: Witty, wise-cracking, winsome
Disadvantages: Losesome too

...by that, let’s concentrate on Meanwhile Back at the Ranch. MBatR is vintage Kinky Friedman, a polished exposition of the formula he has made his own. The formula is half detective story, half semi-surrealistic comedy. The stories are all told in the first person and the leading character is, of course, none other than Kinky himself. Kinky fancies himself as Sherlock Holmes, and tends to address his sidekicks as Watson, but the impression conveyed ...
...* * * Meanwhile Back at the Ranch is published in the UK by Faber and Faber; ISBN 0-571-20951-3. The paperback is £6.99 from most bookshops, £5.99 from Amazon. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * What else is there to say about Kinky Friedman? Oh, did I remember to tell you that he’s very, very funny? © torr 2003 ... Read review

Advantages: It's by Fannie, goddammit
Disadvantages: The words 'resting' and 'laurels' come to mind

...Flagg’s latest mammoth offering – Standing in the Rainbow. Just shy of 500 pages, I knew this one was going to be an epic. And I was right – sort of. The cover of the UK version of the book portrays two young all-American lads laughing in the sunshine, and serves as a good indication of what’s to come. The story all hangs ostensibly on a character we’ve met before – Dorothy Smith, better known as ‘Neighbour Dorothy’, a Missouri housewife who broadcasts ...
...Don’t get me wrong – Standing in the Rainbow is a great book. It’s rich, warm hearted and filled to the gunnels with interesting characters and observations. Pretty much everybody in it is kind, caring and sweet. You’ll feel as if you’re a resident of Elmwood Springs too, sharing coffee and buns with Neighbour Dorothy in her busy front room. There’s even a walk-on part for Elvis Presley himself. But I can’t help feeling that Flagg is writing to a ... Read review

Advantages: Very funny, huge variety of subject matter, lots of book for your money, informative, passionate
Disadvantages: Doesn't suit being read in one go, topics recycled and stale towards end

Born To Be Riled is good. It's probably not Jeremy Clarkson's best book, but it certainly makes for great reading, either as a bedtime book, where the short columns are ideal for a quick spell, on the commute or on holiday. It will certainly make you laugh, and the variety is great. It's just missing that little something. The best, and in some cases worst, thing about Born To Be Riled is the fantastic scope of subject matter. Clarkson writes about ...
...connects you to the book. Born To Be Riled is humorous and interesting to read, and is very easy to pick up and get into, perhaps making it best read in short spells, allowing more attention to each individual column. Born To Be Riled certainly has the wit and charm of Clarkson's other books, and the only thing that really lets it down is perhaps it is so long, that by the end, you've read about everything two or three times. However, it is definitely ... Read review