Yes, Tom Sharpe is very good.I used to embarrass myself on the bus going to and coming from work, reading his books.Laughing out loud and unsettling the more sedate passengers.
Why are there so few genuinely funny novels? Page 2
Done almost the same thing laughing out loud at Spike Milligans Puckoon.
Quote: Chappers @ 12th June 2014, 8:53 PMWell as I've mentioned on other threads Leslie Thomas was a consistently funny novelist. Obviously nobody here agrees with me though.
Sadly no longer with us but I'm currently working through his novels again.
I should investigate them more .Virgin Soldiers didn't do much for me but .Dangerous Davies on the TV was quite amusing.
He wrote around 30 novels
Quote: john tregorran @ 14th November 2019, 10:17 PMI should investigate them more .Virgin Soldiers didn't do much for me but .Dangerous Davies on the TV was quite amusing.
Leslie Thomas is a funny novelist because it was quite amusing when it was on TV? What was the book like?
Why are there so few genuinely funny novels nowadays?
Probably because there are so few genuinely funny writers nowadays.
I'm an endangered species. 
Quote: Lazzard @ 15th November 2019, 9:09 AM*coughs politely* https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fruit-Veg-Man-Larry-Barker/dp/0993508901/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=The+Fruit+And+Veg+man&qid=1573808927&s=books&sr=1-14
Five ratings of Five Stars. Impressive (Eh?) - so are PAUL BURKE, Tash, GMLP, steven morris and Carina M., aunts, uncles and cousins yours or your nom de plumes? 
Quote: Lazzard @ 15th November 2019, 9:09 AM*coughs politely* https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fruit-Veg-Man-Larry-Barker/dp/0993508901/ref=sr_1_14?keywords=The+Fruit+And+Veg+man&qid=1573808927&s=books&sr=1-14
Five ratings of Five Stars. Impressive (Eh?) - so are PAUL BURKE, Tash, GMLP, steven morris and Carina M., aunts, uncles and cousins yours or your nom de plumes?
Amazon reviews are notoriously bent but I'd be surprised if Laz's book wasn't at least "pretty good".
I'd buy it on that basis and, if it turned out to be "brilliant", I'd consider that a bonus.
We now have more TV channels and more streaming services than ever before so it's not surprising fewer and fewer youngsters are choosing to read novels as time goes by.
Almost everybody likes a laugh but I suspect that for some time fewer teenagers than ever before have been getting their laughs from funny novels.
Many of those teenagers will now be adults who rarely read a fiction-book of any kind, except perhaps when trying to pass the time on a journey or on holiday.
It's not surprising, therefore, that a lot of genuinely funny writers are choosing to be genuinely funny via other media.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 15th November 2019, 11:06 AMFive ratings of Five Stars. Impressive (Eh?) - so are PAUL BURKE, Tash, GMLP, steven morris and Carina M., aunts, uncles and cousins yours or your nom de plumes?
Full disclosure - I know Paul Burke, a fellow writer!
The others are obviously just deluded.
Quote: Lazzard @ 15th November 2019, 1:34 PMFull disclosure - I know Paul Burke, a fellow writer!
The others are obviously just deluded.
I like an honest man. 
Bless you my son. 
Chuck Palahniuk is as darkly funny now as he ever was.
Quote: Hercules Grytpype Thynne @ 15th November 2019, 11:06 AMFive ratings of Five Stars. Impressive (Eh?) - so are PAUL BURKE, Tash, GMLP, steven morris and Carina M., aunts, uncles and cousins yours or your nom de plumes?
Is that Steven Morris out of New Order?
Quote: Chappers @ 15th November 2019, 10:15 PMIs that Steven Morris out of New Order?
Obviously.