Crimson Wife Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 DD is currently on a Wodehouse kick but she'll run through our library's selection soon. What can I give her to read afterward? She has previously read and enjoyed "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and sequels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 "Three men in a boat", by Jerome K Jerome, followed by "To say nothing of the dog", by Connie Willis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 Terry Pratchett is like Douglas Adams / Hitchhiker's Guide -- other worlds, and similar humor: - Bromeliad Trilogy: Diggers, Truckers, Wings - Wee Free Men series - Discworld series -- some occasional mild crudities / s*xual references, certainly no more than Douglas Adams Older works with humor: - The Complete Saki (Munro) -- collection of Saki's short stories - some of O. Henry's short stories are pretty funny (Ransom of Red Chief, A Harlem Tragedy…) - some of James Thurber's short stories are humorous (The Catbird Seat, Secret Life of Walter Mitty…) - Three Men and a Boat (Jerome) -- and sequels - Cold Comfort Farm (Gibbons) -- some mild tactful references to brassieres, s*x, contraceptives, all in context of character development - All Creatures Great and Small series (Herriot) - My Family and Other Animals (Durrell) - Our Man in Havana (Greene) - The Man Who Was Thursday (Chesterton) -- humor is largely in the first half; more intrigue/adventure in the second half Newer works with humor: - I'm a Stranger Here Myself (Bryson) -- and others by Bill Bryson - Dave Barry's Greatest Hits (Barry) 1988 collection of his newspaper humor columns; books after his 1993 divorce are more adult and sharp-edged - No. 1 ladies Detective Agency series (Smith) written as mysteries/character novels not straight humor, BUT, a lovely blend of mystery-solving, and both humor and meaningfulness that flows out of the simple, gentle nature of the characters NO personal experience, so PREVIEW: - Penrod (Tarkington) -- early 1900s - Gervase Fen mysteries by Edmund Crispin -- 1940s "humorous, literary and sometimes farcical style… contain frequent references to English literature, poetry and music… occasionally… speak directly to the audience" -- Wikipedia - E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia series (and Tom Holt's sequels) "roughly the same period as Wodehouse's golden age with somewhat of the same humour, only set in a more middle class rather than upper class environment" - Barry Pain's Tales of Eliza and Diary of A Nobody by George & Weedom Grossmith "in the same vein [as Wodehouse] … about aspirational newly middle class men and the women who save them from themselves" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephinsocal Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 re: Penrod. These are classic boys' stories, but will require some discussion of early-20th century racial attitudes and language. The portrayal of Penrod's black playmates is seriously out of line with modern sensibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basketcase Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 I love Lori D.'s list! Especially Terry Pratchett - I'd start with the Wee Free Men series, then go with anything. These are set in the Discworld, but written for a YA audience. Herriot and McCall Smith are also excellent choices :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted May 8, 2014 Share Posted May 8, 2014 Cheaper by the Dozen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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