Ep 72: Books that Make You Laugh!
Bookbabble Episode 72: Books That Make You Laugh!
Recorded 6 June 2010
Babblers: Lone, Marcel, Renee, Donny
Synopsis:
What are the books that make the babblers break into a smile? Perhaps even outright laughter?(Although it must be said that would look weird. Good for clearing a space for you in public transports, though). Anyway, babblers list out some interesting picks here, and in true Bookbabble style, a most varied and eclectic mix indeed. Not just funny books, mind you, but satirical and cynical yet darkly humorous works are also covered. Plus, critically-acclaimed poet who’s actually crap, and Marcel goes postal. “Some people shouldn’t be allowed to write!”, he wails.
(Photo Credit: Christopher Moore from Seattle P-I)
Show Length: 1:09:47
Show Notes:
- Shakespeare
- Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald
- David Sedaris
- Jon Stewart, America the Book, Naked Pictures of Famous People
- Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, Neil Gaiman
- Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan saga
- Janet Evanovich
- Samuel Beckett
- Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
- PG Wodehouse, Jeeves and Wooster Stories
- Dorothy Parker’s interior monologues
- Gargantua and Pantagruel, Francois Rabelais
- Laurence Sterne’s Tristram Shandy
- JP Donleavy, "The Ginger Man"
- Lars Saabye Christense The jealous hairdresser/barber
- Hanif Kureishi
- Lars Saabye Christensen
- Eoin Colfer – Hitchhiker’s sequel
- Against The Day, Thomas Pynchon
- Will Self
- Quantity Theory of Insanity
- Gabriel Chevallier
- http://www.amazon.com/Scandals-Clochemerle-Gabriel-Chevallier/dp/1416569766/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275841439&sr=1-1
- Tova Reich
- The Jewish War
- Villy Sørensen:
- http://www.amazon.com/Harmless-Tales-Villy-Sorensen/dp/1870041151/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275841868&sr=1-3
- Cynthia Ozick
- My Holocaust
- http://www.amazon.com/God-Bless-You-Dr-Kevorkian/dp/0743422007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275842158&sr=8-1
- The Liar, Stephen Fry
- Moab is my Washpot, Stephen Fry
- The Gunseller, Hugh Laurie
- The Stars’ Tennis Balls
- http://www.amazon.com/Ode-Less-Travelled-Unlocking-Within/dp/1592403115/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275843236&sr=8-8
- Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel
- Joe Dunthorne
- Heather Phillipson
- http://magmapoetry.com/archive/magma-40-passions-and-obsessions/poems/james-grieve/
- http://www.penpushermagazine.co.uk/magazine/extracts/article/284/
- John Barth
- Donald Barthelme
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sot-weed_factor
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/feb/17/fiction.reviews1
[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/m.podshow.com/media/17719/episodes/236662/bookbabbletheshow-236662-06-20-2010.mp3]
Download the show here.
An interesting discussion once it got going. I think David Sedaris is the funniest contemporary American writer. He is best when heard reading his own work.
One funny author I didn’t hear mentioned was Mikhail Bulgakov – one of the best Soviet satirists. I recommend The Master and Margarita, The Fatal Eggs, and Heart of a Dog.
Thanks Paul! Ah yes, Bulgakov. If Bjorn were on this episode he would have mentioned it (he did several times in other episodes), since Bjorn’s words were ‘funny and yet darkly serious’.
I heard about the supposedly great performances Sedaris gives in audiobooks. I must try that.