Quote: Gianni Merryman @ August 9 2010, 4:48 PM BSTHow come nobody has mentioned yet John Kennedy Toole?
I have found A confederecy of dunces very weird but surprisingly quite funny.
To be honest I could see why publishers had resisted it,
Funny book? Page 5
To be honest, John Kennedy Toole's mother has always struck me as the more interesting character. And Confederacy wouldn't have been published without her tenacity. Possibly driven by guilt.
Did you find it so bad? 
Before reading it I had no clue of what it was like, but I reckon it's a very funny novel, although pretty weird, as most of the characters seems to be mental indeed.
I really recommend to everybody reading A confederecy of dunces, for me it was a nice find anyhow.
I thought it was okay, but I'd heard so much hype beforehand that it could never live up to it. Well worth a read, though.
Quote: chipolata @ August 9 2010, 5:57 PM BSTTo be honest, John Kennedy Toole's mother has always struck me as the more interesting character. And Confederacy wouldn't have been published without her tenacity. Possibly driven by guilt.
I don't know much of his biography so I might be wrong, but I have had the impression that the book has something autobiographical, and that the character of Ignatius's mother was mould from Kennedy Toole's own mother and from their relationship, even so portrayed through a freaky point of view.
Besides I reckon most of the situations in the book are taken from real life as well, I have happened myself to meet quite a few morons in the workplace so it seems true life to me.
Quote: Gianni Merryman @ August 9 2010, 6:10 PM BSTI don't know much of his biography so I might be wrong, but I have had the impression that the book has something autobiographical, and that the character of Ignatius's mother was mould from Kennedy Toole's own mother and from their relationship, even so portrayed through a freaky point of view.
Besides I think most of the situations in the book are taken from real life.
Like a lot of novels, a lot of it is undoubtedly autobiographical.
There is supposed to be a film version coming out, starring Will Ferrel. Don't know what's happened to that, though.
Quote: Griff @ August 9 2010, 4:57 PM BSTHugh Laurie's reading of Idle Thoughts... comes round on BBC7 quite often and it's always worth a listen.
I must look out for that...Hugh seems just the right person to read it too...
"The Third Policeman" by Flann O'Brien (or Brian O'Nolan or Myles na gCopaleen..)
For a heavy dose of Irish surrealism and whimsy.
Now that I come to think of it, Angela's ashes by Frank McCourt is in my opinion very funny, it somehow manages to report such tragic situations putting a smile in your face at the same time.
On the other hand I found quite disappointing and not so inspired the following novel, 'Tis.
Quote: chipolata @ August 9 2010, 6:18 PM BSTLike a lot of novels, a lot of it is undoubtedly autobiographical.
true with me.
Quote: Gianni Merryman @ August 9 2010, 6:47 PM BSTNow that I come to think of it, Angela's ashes by Frank McCourt is in my opinion very funny,
Yeah, now ignoring your other tips.
Quote: Marc P @ August 9 2010, 10:43 PM BSTtrue with me.
Please, Marc, I'm talking about serious literature! 
Quote: Marc P @ August 9 2010, 10:43 PM BSTYeah, now ignoring your other tips.
Am I only person to find funny that book? 
Well, I am not sure whether you were joking or not, but I can easily understand that not everybody might agree on the fact that Angela's ashes is a funny book, so let me try to make my point a little more clear.
I want to say first that I read Angela's ashes about fifteen years ago, so I may look slightly differently at things now; anyhow as far as I can remember the novel is very sad indeed and sometimes weepy, yet I found the way the kid tells the whole story quite funny, and I think it is how the novel was meant and why this book was so much appreciated, because it's about never losing hope and always finding the funny side of things.
If you and your family live in need, and your father is an alcoholic and spends all his wage getting pissed, I understand it's quite a tragedy.
Anyhow poverty and misfortune are easily the subject for a comedy, since Dickens passing through Steptoe and son, One foot in the grave, and I think Angela's ashes can be regarded the same way as Great expectations.
By the way I am convinced that A confederecy of dunces is worth a reading, regardless you should have a different literary taste than mine.
I am eager to know whether I was able to make you see my point(I hope so) but, since tomorrow morning I am due to leave maybe for a week, I will have to wait eventually till then, now I should go to bed.
See you
Sorry. No. Look up what they feel about that book in Ireland.
'Anyhow poverty and misfortune are easily the subject for a comedy, since Dickens'
And this isn't helping your cause 
I've just read Richard Herring's How Not to Grow Up and it was hilarious.
Two instances stick in my mind that actually made me laugh out loud in public -
Harry Pearson on ferrets in a book called 'Racing Pigs and Giant Marrows' where he does a verse from Old Possum's Book of Practical Ferrets, and Carl Hiaasen's crime novel 'Stormy Weather', specifically the yuppie in a dog-training shock collar scene.
Hiaasen is a brilliant humourist anyway, and most of his novels have soemthing funny in them.
Any birdwatchers amongst you might want to check out Charlie Elder's While Flocks Last.