By Beatrix S
Here are, in my opinion, the best five comedy books.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome is a book I expected to be serious, but which surprised me by being something completely different. The book describes the adventures of three men trying to share a holiday together because they all think they are overworked. The book is an adventure that is filled with witty jokes and comic situations. The book is funny even though it was published in 1889. The jokes are smart and they still seem fresh.
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding is also smart, fun, and captivating; it took me on a great journey. The story is about a woman in her 30s who is afraid of dying alone because she hasn’t found anyone special to share her life with. She makes some New Year's resolutions and promises to herself that she will quit smoking and drink less. But events the next year will surprise her and will change her life forever. Published in 1996, the novel received great reviews and soon a movie was made of the book. (If you like this book, then you should also try Helen Fielding’s sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Also, her latest novel, Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination, was a bestseller and is written in the same amusing and witty style.)
How I Became Stupid by Martin Page is for people who think they are too smart for this world. A man decides he would be happier if he had a lower IQ, so he starts a journey to become stupid. He stops reading and starts enjoying the things average people enjoy. The book was published in 2004 and describes the desperation of a man who just wants to fit in. He even asks his doctor to perform a lobotomy but the doctor refuses. The book contains a lot of strange and funny happenings, includes a lot of philosophical ideas, and makes you wonder what being happy really means.
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth is for expected mothers who are anxious about pregnancy and childbirth. Some women let emotions and fears control their lives when they are pregnant; this book will teach these expectant mothers to see the fun side of being a future mom. Written by Jenny McCarthy, covering the time she was pregnant with her first baby, this book has everything a future mom will experience: nausea, weight gain, and hormonal changes, all written in a very comic and positive way. The book, published in 2004, will give you strength and will lighten those days when everything just seems too much.
The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks is for people preparing for the end of the world. Let’s say that the end of the world brings a zombie epidemic and you need plans to counter them. This book has all the advice you need: how to survive, how to make sure that you don’t get caught by the zombies, and how to make daily rations of food and other supplies. You will be laughing out loud. Max Brooks is the son of Mel Brooks, the famous director and screenwriter. The book was published in 2003 and will definitely be useful when those zombies strike, or at least to entertain yourself during a quiet Sunday afternoon.