What Are The Funniest Books By Comedians?

[jimboslice]

I really enjoyed Frank Skinner's On the Road, which made me go back and read his autobiography. Just a naturally funny man, and a nice easy read.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I finished James Acaster's Classic Scrapes yesterday and really enjoyed it, it's definitely in my top 5 books that have made me laugh the most list, it felt like it was slightly running out of steam towards the end but then finished with the Cabbage tale which was superb stuff, I kind of new elements of it due to his Would I Lie To You? appearance but the full version was even better. A strong 4.5/5

I've bought the Arthur Matthews book and will be reading that soon, once I've finished Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton, which isn't a book by a comedian but I started it last night and was instantly enamoured.

[samadriel]

Ah yes, Boy Swallows Universe paints a striking picture of my hometown. Haven't finished it yet, I'm juggling a lot of books, but I can't wait to get back to it.

Back on topic, one of my go-to funny books by comedians is Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall, by Spike Milligan. Both hilarious and fascinating for those curious about army life during WW2. Spike's memoirs cover several volumes, all of them beauties.

Lolly Scramble and Nest of Occasionals are two memoirs by Tony Martin of AU/NZ comedy fame, and they are very funny - he recently recorded the audiobook of LS, which I highly recommend. Both books gather a series of short episodes from throughout his life, all of which are a source of many yuks, and at the end of NoO, a potential lump in the throat.

[holyzombiejesus]

The Adam & Joe Book is superb too. The opposite of your usual TV series cash-in - it's absolutely packed full of gags, and they aren't just recycled from the series. It must've taken them absolutely ages to put together. You'd have to pay over £80 for a second-hand copy these days, and it's probably worth it.

I wish that were the case as I have a copy and could do with the money but the last 3 copies to sell on ebay went for between 12 and 25 quid.

[Tony Yeboah]

I've just read A History of Heavy Metal by Andrew O'Neill and I heartily recommend it.

[mhmhmh]

My mess is a bit of a life, the Georgia Pritchett memoir, is fantastic - not surprising, maybe, given her credits, but it's top notch.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Arthur Mathews' Well Remembered Days is fantastic, it's like a book entirely populated by amazing Ted supporting characters and is great for convincing yourself that he alone is responsible for Ted's best stuff.

I finished this last night and enjoyed it overall, and it did make me laugh a good deal, though I'd say it was more a case of laughing a lot at the beginning (the first 50 pages, at least) and then slightly less as it went on. There were also some bits which felt like a bit of a misfire (the constant meanness regarding Maire's appearance jarred) and it's a little repetitious, but it was a fun read so thanks for the recommendation.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just thought I'd bump this as it's sort of on topic, as earlier today I noticed that "How to Produce Comedy Bronze by Jon Plowman" was on sale in my local poundland, I read it about a year and a half ago and though it's nothing amazing (and annoyingly there's no mention of his work on This Morning With Richard Not Judy) it's definitely worth a quid.

[Icehaven]

Just finished Talk of the Town by Ardal O'Hanlon. Won't go on about it but I've mentioned before how I've been put off him by a bad experience with a violent psycho who greatly resembled him, and this didn't help. I found it disturbing as fuck so a lot of the cover reviews going on about how funny and hilarious it was made me think either they didn't actually read it or they have a fucked up idea of what's "hilarious".

[TheMonk]

Unless I've missed it, don't think Born Standing Up by Steve Martin has been mentioned.
One of the best books about standup. Fascinating and funny.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just finished Talk of the Town by Ardal O'Hanlon. Won't go on about it but I've mentioned before how I've been put off him by a bad experience with a violent psycho who greatly resembled him, and this didn't help. I found it disturbing as fuck so a lot of the cover reviews going on about how funny and hilarious it was made me think either they didn't actually read it or they have a fucked up idea of what's "hilarious".

Apart from the psycho doppleganger side of things why was so it disturbing, out of interest? I can't say I've much interest in actually reading a whole book about him if it was just mildly amusing anecdotes about being a comedian, but if it's not your standard autobiography I might be tempted.

Unless I've missed it, don't think Born Standing Up by Steve Martin has been mentioned.
One of the best books about standup. Fascinating and funny.

Oddly enough I was back at my mother's this weekend and looking through an old cupboard when I discovered both Born Standing Up and Shopgirl there, despite having no memory of ever buying them, but I brought them home with me so will definitely be reading them sooner rather than later.

[Dead Soon]

Apart from the psycho doppleganger side of things why was so it disturbing, out of interest? I can't say I've much interest in actually reading a whole book about him if it was just mildly amusing anecdotes about being a comedian, but if it's not your standard autobiography I might be tempted.

Unless it draws from his life experiences (unclear from a cursory search), it's a novel rather than an autobiography.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Unless it draws from his life experiences (unclear from a cursory search), it's a novel rather than an autobiography.

Ah, I didn't realise that, and having read a fair few spoiler-y reviews on Goodreads I think it's definitely not for me.

[SereneMackeral]

I am not his biggest fan in the world, but 'Digging Up Mother - A Love Story' by Doug Stanhope is fantastic. Possibly the only book by a comedian that made me shed a tear.

[Icehaven]

Apart from the psycho doppleganger side of things why was so it disturbing, out of interest? I can't say I've much interest in actually reading a whole book about him if it was just mildly amusing anecdotes about being a comedian, but if it's not your standard autobiography I might be tempted.

Unless it draws from his life experiences (unclear from a cursory search), it's a novel rather than an autobiography.

Ah, I didn't realise that, and having read a fair few spoiler-y reviews on Goodreads I think it's definitely not for me.

Yep it's a novel and not based on his life or anything. Obviously he employs Irish culture/cadence etc. and I'm sure that's well done, it's just the overall plot

Spoiler alert

(young man and woman have relationship which she ends as he's weird and possessive, he still pursues it and ends up punching and killing her when he breaks into her home and reads her private diary and finds out she slept with his friend after they broke up.)

[close]

was considerably darker than I was expecting and imo wasn't 'hilarious' at all, and reviews going on about how he's captured the dialect of small town Ireland are enormously missing the point. I doubt O'Hanlon himself intended it as a jaunt through rural Ireand, it's just odd how many of the quoted reviews treated it as such.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I missed the above at the time but that does sound all kinds of unpleasant, and not what you'd expect from O'Hanlon at all.

I started reading Steve Martin's Born Standing Up last night and enjoyed the first thirty pages or so a good deal, it's not a long book so I'm sure I'll have finished it off in a week, and am looking forward to doing so.

[up_the_hampipe]

'Born Standing Up' is one of the best books about stand-up that I've ever read. The stuff about Martin's relationship with his father is really fascinating too.

I'd recommend Martin Short's memoir 'I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend' on that same line as well.

[Small Man Big Horse]

'Born Standing Up' is one of the best books about stand-up that I've ever read. The stuff about Martin's relationship with his father is really fascinating too.

I'd absolutely agree with that, it was a fantastic read, very funny and very touching, and I really hope he writes a follow up covering the eighties and nineties.

I'd recommend Martin Short's memoir 'I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend' on that same line as well.

Thanks for the recommendation, two of my lazy family members are getting me Amazon giftcards for Christmas so I'll definitely order that at the end of the month.

[Spongo McChongo]

Oor wullie