Now this could have turned into a huge topic. I'm sure we can all think of books that had us chuckling like maniacs. But when I came to really think about it, there are literally hundreds of books that made me smile, but only a handful that genuinely made me laugh - to the point where anyone else who might have been in the room was firing worried looks in my direction.
I like to think I've got a good sense of humour, (will avoid another acronym there, if you don't mind) and I try to infuse my own writing with that part of my personality. And although I don't watch much tv - I tend to look ahead to what I might want to watch and then turn the tv straight off after the programme has finished - comedies always have me giggling, though I appreciate dry wit and observational humour rather than the silliness of someone like Harry Hill. So why is it that a book with the same qualities is such a rare thing?
Perhaps it's just me. Perhaps you, dear reader, are forever having to think sad thoughts to get yourself down from the ceiling where you spend most of your time guffawing and chortling at whichever literary treasure you are currently absorbing while enjoying a tea party with Mary Poppins and her latest young charges. Either way, I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject.
So here are the books that have had me rolling in the aisles. Some I haven't read for years, but I never forget a
How to Be a Woman ~ Caitlin Moran
I'm about to use a few clichés here, but only because so many others are talking about this woman at the moment; she is very, very brave, and I love her for it. Part comedy, part rant and all feminism, she attacks subjects such why women are always being asked when we're going to have a baby, what you should call your vagina (gasp) and asks why it's considered not okay to call yourself a feminist these days. Apparently it's even made it onto the Gender Studies courses at some universities (which immediately makes it sound far more dull than it is).
Moran has a very astute wit which would rival that of most of the male jokers in your average bar. She asserts that she is a feminist as there are still so many issues out there where we are considered inferior to men. That said I was also pleased that she made it clear that this does not make her a masculine, non-shaving, bra-burning man hater. She loves men. She just wants to be considered equal to them.
I found it so refreshing - another cliché sorry - that someone, male or female, has finally written a frank book about these issues, and the truth of her words had me giggling like a loon. I'm not alone; the media has gone crazy for this book. Long may she continue. It's a rare writer who can educate and humour me simulataneously.
Yes Man ~ Danny Wallace
I love this guy. This book's been out for some years now, and has since been made into a rather disappointing film, but I remember first reading it because it was the day I was going to the cinema to see a film I had been looking forward to for ages. When it came to be time to set off though, I wanted to stay put on the sofa and read this book instead. Now for me, that's a pretty rare thing.
The book is an account of Wallace's decision to say 'yes' to everything. Everything. In fact, he simply isn't allowed to say no. To anything. His resolve takes him on all sorts of random adventures, even to Amsterdam.
It's the way Wallace writes as though he's your mate and you're down at the pub and he's telling you about what happened on his latest 'stupid boy project'. He's also very self-depricating in the best possible way, and at the risk of sounding like an old dear, he just seems like a nice young man.
The passage that had me chuckling:
"So here's my public service announcement: If you're thinking of getting into drugs, and you want help, I have two photographs in particular I can show you. One is of me in downtown Amsterdam pointing at a bus that I am sure has big, pretty eyes. And the other is of me lying on my back in the middle of the road with my arms outstretched as I tried to tickle the moon. I refrain from publishing these photographs here because no mother deserves to see she has raised a moon-tickler."
After Yes Man I went on to devour his first book, Join Me and thought it just as funny. But as the first book in a long time to have made me laugh just so much, Yes Man makes the list. It's also one of the few books I have re-read more than once. Wallace makes you think just how much your life can change simply by saying yes more. His own had changed in the ultimate way by the end of the book, but I won't ruin it for you.
Honestly, any one of Wodehouse's books could have made this list. He's one of my literary heroes, and if he were alive today I would dearly love to seek him out and give him a giant thank you hug for all of the times he has saved me when I've felt sad and disappointed in the human race. Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry both credit his books with helping them through Depression. At university my final year dissertation was about themes in his stories. Most importantly, he is the writer who has me laughing again and again.
Like many others, I find the relationship between Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves absolutely magical. Wooster bumbles through life, lurching from one engagement to the next, getting into scrapes and expostulating with his terrifying aunts. Jeeves always manages to save the day with a calm, well-measured grace. Wooster's endearing charm and observations about the world around him, and Jeeves' patience and efficiency make them a sparkling combination. I have at least one Wodehouse book on my bedside table at all times.
And a few characters who have made me laugh:
Jamie Fraser, The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon - I'm still ploughing my way through these epic novels and adore hanging out with Jamie and Claire. Friends have scoffed at some of the plot points but I won't hear a word said against this series. Beneath his very Scottish, warrior-like exterior Jamie makes some fantastic remarks that make me laugh and love him all the more. It's just a good job I love Claire too, really.
Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - I won't be reading this series again for a long, long time, but there are a few characters who have really made me chuckle, Dumbledore being one of them. I particularly enjoy his fondness for sherbert lemons.
Paddington Bear, Michael Bond - you will have guessed some time ago that I'm rather enamoured with this bear, and he always cheers me up when things go wrong. I love his inquisitive outlook on life and particularly remember his opening the car door to let the clutch out in Paddington Takes the Test.
Diary of a Wombat, Jackie French - a picture book that can conjure up an audible giggle is a rare thing indeed but this book manages it every single time. This simple tale of a pet wombat who inadvertently trashes her family's home as she ambles through life is adorable, and Bruce Whatley's illustrations are hilarious, perhaps because they remind me both of my extremely messy but loveable puppy and my pet guinea pig combined.
Which books have succeeded in making you laugh out loud? We all need a laugh in January, so be a good sport and share yours below.
Have a chortlesome Tuesday,
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