6 Books That Made Me Laugh

by Chuck Thompson

|

6 books

Staring at a blank screen and trying to come up with something that’ll make people laugh? There’s no tougher writing. Which is why I admire these authors so much.

Read more... Read less...

Antkind

Charlie Kaufman, 2020

This isn’t the best book I’ve read in the last five years—it kinda makes no sense—but it’s definitely the funniest. Brevity isn’t the soul of wit for Kaufman. But there are huge laughs on almost all 705 pages.

Are You Experienced?

William Sutcliffe, 1998

A Brit yob follows his girlfriend to India, where she promptly dumps him in favor of her new ashram mates. Moronic wisdom ensues. This novel never makes those “Best Travel Books” lists, but it should.

Bossypants

Like the rest of the world I’d always liked Tina Fey, but this book astounded me, it’s so relentlessly funny.

Killing Yourself to Live

85% of a True Story

Chuck Klosterman, 2005

Klosterman has more famous and probably better books (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto) but I find something to laugh at and relate to on every page of this peculiar travelogue that connects the dots between failed romances and places where Skynyrd, Cobain and other rock legends died.

True Believers

The Tragic Inner Life of Sports Fans

Joe Queenan, 2004

Queenan probably writes funny shopping lists, so I could have cited anything he’s published. Having spent a lifetime attached to title-less teams (suffer, ye Mariners!), this is my favorite.

Almost Interesting

David Spade, 2015

Another stand-up routine disguised as a memoir by an ex-SNLer? Why not? Spade kills me. I read this in one sitting, still repeat jokes from it.