I quite enjoyed the Red Dwarf Novels.
But as a fan of the show I may have been a bit biased.
Funniest novels Page 4
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ December 6 2009, 10:23 PM GMTI quite enjoyed the Red Dwarf Novels.
I've only ever read the first one, which was excellent. As someone who is not a fan of the TV series this was a novel which managed to stand up on its own terms. Also, it thankfully wasn't simply a novelisation of the early TV series.
Pretty much any Wodehouse or Tom Sharpe novel, especially 'Porterhouse Blue' and 'The Great Pursuit'. 
If you've only got time to read two books, read Catch-22. And then read it again.
People have said some other ones I was going to mention - The Rotters Club for example. The first half of Lolita is funny as well.
I'm also partial to Magnus Mills's stuff, although it's probably a bit Marmite. The Restraint of Beasts made me hoot in places.
Quote: Griff @ December 6 2009, 8:52 PM GMTThere was previously another "Wodehouse Prize" organised by someone else, the only winner I can recall being Mark Tavener's "In The Red" which eventually spawned the sitcom Absolute Power.
Another 'Wodehouse Prize' winner was Bertram Henry's Buying The Business - all about the perils of expatriates doing oil deals in corruption-ridden Indonesia. Fantastic book.
I have to echo calls for:
the Wodehouse canon,
Spike Milligan's The Looney and William McGonagall Meets George Gershwin (whereas his According to books were much less consistently funny),
Catch 22,
the Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently books,
Leslie Thomas's The Love Beach,
Stephen Fry's novels.
Also:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (some moments of great hilarity),
Barry Humphries's Women in the Background,
The Good Soldier Svejk (by Jaroslav Haslek),
The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Quote: Badge @ December 6 2009, 10:36 PM GMTIf you've only got time to read two books, read Catch-22. And then read it again.
Good As Gold is a very funny satire of Judaism in America and of Washington politics. Worth a look if you enjoyed Catch-22.
American Psycho is also very funny, despite the blood and gore bits and the endless lists of materialistic conquests.
And if you ever see a copy of Alexei Sayle's Train To Hell or Great Bus Journeys Of The World, snap 'em up. Very funny (though not strictly novels).
Oh and a mention for Evelyn Waugh's novella The Loved One, which is hilarious.
Quote: Kenneth @ December 6 2009, 10:40 PM GMTI have to echo calls for:
Leslie Thomas's The Love Beach,
Funny - that's one of the few I couldn't get into.
Also, Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm. And I feel I should mention novels by John Irving and Mark Twain, though they weren't really laugh-out-loud sort of funny.
Quote: Steve Sunshine @ December 6 2009, 10:23 PM GMTI quite enjoyed the Red Dwarf Novels.
But as a fan of the show I may have been a bit biased.
The novels were excellent and were allowed to be a bit more risque. I laughed my arse off when in one of them they tried selling spunk to the Gelfs.
Quote: Chappers @ December 6 2009, 10:52 PM GMTFunny - that's one of the few I couldn't get into.
Oh no! It has a wonderful refrain in it about "assimilating with the natives"! If you've ever lived on a tropical island and been a hedonist - it's great.
Quote: Badge @ December 6 2009, 10:36 PM GMTI'm also partial to Magnus Mills's stuff, although it's probably a bit Marmite.
Not much. Explorers of the New Century is a short book, but if it had been half page longer I don't think I would have finished it.
Quote: Kenneth @ December 6 2009, 10:58 PM GMTOh no! It has a wonderful refrain in it about "assimilating with the natives"! If you've ever lived on a tropical island and been a hedonist - it's great.
No tropical islands or hedonism for Dave. The only time he's ever sweating these days is when he needs one number at the bingo hall.
I really enjoyed Dave Gormans books, his first one 'Are you Dave Gorman' particularly.
Try anything by Christopher Brookmyre ... good stories as well as humourous.
Anything by Nabakov, especially Lolita. Very funny writer.