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Funny books guaranteed to make you laugh out loud

Funny books guaranteed to make you laugh out loud

by Eppie Shepherd and Penguin editors

min read

A good book can make you think deeply, feel inspired, or even make you cry – but sometimes, when the world feels particularly heavy, you just need a book that makes you laugh. Whether it’s sharp satire, dry wit or pure silliness, humorous books offer the perfect escape – and there are plenty of brilliant ones to choose from.

From comedy novels and memoirs, to essays and poetry, humour has filled literature for hundreds of years, making it more inclusive, subversive, and downright amusing.

If you’re looking for a new funny read for your bookshelf, you’re in luck: we’ve created the ultimate list of funny books for adults, including contemporary fiction, romantic comedies and must-read classics, all guaranteed to have you cackling with laughter.

The funniest modern fiction books

Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly (2024)

Warm, effervescent and sweetly funny, this debut novel from New Zealand author Rebecca K. Reilly is the perfect book to read on holiday. The titular Greta and Valdin are siblings who share a flat and a penchant for romantic misadventures: the former is in unrequited love with fellow English tutor Holly, while the latter is still infatuated with his long-gone ex-boyfriend. Whether they can get it together enough to transcend their relationship situations – with each other and in their love lives – well, you’ll just have to find out.

Grown Ups by Marian Keyes (2020)

A family party often makes for the most entertaining of settings, and Grown Ups by comedy queen Marian Keyes is no exception. Three brothers and their three respective wives and children are all gathered for one such event – but when one of the wives accidentally hits her head, she can’t help but spill all of the family secrets. It’s the characters in this story that make it so unbelievably hilarious, and Keyes is just as brilliant at writing them all, from the very youngest to the grandparents.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (2003)

At first glance, a novel about a teenager with Asperger's syndrome solving a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery about finding a neighbour’s dog dead on the lawn, impaled on a garden fork, doesn’t sound rich in comedy. Yet Mark Haddon’s novel, the first book to have been published simultaneously in two forms – one for children and one for adults – is rich in deadpan humour, thanks to narrator Christopher’s inadvertently ironic insights into the people around him and their foibles and pretensions. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time will make you laugh – and cry.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka (2005)

Marina Lewycka was born in a refugee camp in Kiel, Germany to Ukrainian parents, and later brought up in England. Her debut novel, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, is a family comedy about two feuding daughters trying to free their father, who is writing a history of agricultural machinery, from the clutches of Valentina, a Ukrainian divorcee who specialises in “boil-in-the-bag cooking”. The novel won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize and was shortlisted for the Orange Prize.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes (2024)

Jojo Moyes brings her signature warmth and emotional depth to a story about family, forgiveness and second chances. When Lila’s estranged father returns after decades away, everything in her life feels ready to snap. Set in a once-grand London house that’s now falling apart, We All Live Here is a tender, witty novel about messy relationships, unexpected connections and the ties that hold us together.

Reasons to Be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe (2019)

Dolly Alderton, Marian Keyes and Meg Mason are leading the way as modern humorous fiction writers. Another in this bracket is Nina Stibbe, whose superb 2019 story Reasons to be Cheerful, the sequel to Man at the Helm and Paradise Lodge, won the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction and the Comedy Women in Print Prize. The novel amply demonstrates her pin-sharp ability to revel in the inherent absurdity of everyday life and is our top comedy pick for modern women.

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman (2020)

An open-house viewing turned hostage situation doesn’t sound like it would be the perfect setting for a comedy, but Backman’s novel is nothing if not laugh-out-loud funny. It’s also a deep-dive into humans, and how we interact with each other; Backman is at his best and most insightful when he explores human connection with his signature irreverent wit.

The Wangs vs The World by Jade Chang (2016)

The second-generation Asian immigrant experience in America has provided the inspiration for some terrific 21st-century fiction. Jade Chang’s sparkling debut novel The Wangs v The World is about a wealthy Chinese-American make-up tycoon who is devastated by the 2008 financial crisis and decides to take his wife and teenage children on a road trip across America. Chang brings an impressive lightness of touch to a story of identity that unflinchingly skewers lazy clichés and stereotypes.

A Calling for Charlie Barnes by Joshua Ferris (2021)

Ah, fragile masculinity. Joshua Ferris brings a masterful touch to one of comedy’s best-loved subjects in this poignant and witty novel. When Charlie Barnes’ millennial son forces him to reassess his Mad Men-era persona – newspaper and landline – through the lenses of his offspring, his wives, his friends and business clients, he is left trying to rethink his life, with entertaining consequences.

The best romantic comedy books

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella (2023)

Sophie Kinsella has long been a trailblazer in the romantic comedy genre. Across all her work, you can’t help but laugh with (and sometimes at) her flawed, funny and relatable female protagonists. The Burnout is no exception. It follows Sasha, a woman who is exhausted by life and turns to a wellness retreat. While there, she meets a fellow burned-out guest who has his own unorthodox methods for recovery. Kinsella tackles a timely topic with her quintessential wit, in this gorgeous love story.

Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? By Lizzie Damilola Blackburn (2022)

Yinka wants to find love. The problem? Her mum wants to find it for her. When Yinka’s cousin gets engaged, the aunties are desperate to help her find a date to the wedding, but Yinka is taking matters into her own hands. Themes of self-esteem, self-love and faith are explored, all done in a cleverly amusing way that means you will whip through this – and I’m sure you’ll recognise some overbearing relatives along the way.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding (1996)

It’s impossible to talk about modern romantic comedy without mentioning Bridget Jones’s Diary. Helen Fielding’s beloved bestseller introduced the world to Bridget – thirty-something, single, self-deprecating and armed with a diary full of resolutions and romantic misadventures. Set against the backdrop of 1990s London, it’s a witty, chaotic and endlessly relatable story of one woman trying (and failing) to get her life together, and it paved the way for a generation of funny, flawed heroines in fiction.

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan (2024)

This poignant, pacy and often heartbreakingly funny novel follows Max and Vincent as they try to navigate an unexpected romance. Their connection feels real but Vincent’s past holds secrets – and Max isn’t sure his trad ways can fit into her life as a trans woman. Nicola Dinan’s witty prose and heartfelt storytelling deliver a complex, modern romantic comedy about forgiveness, identity and the weight of expectations.

In Case of Emergency by Poorna Bell (2022)

It’s a perfect rom-com premise: a girl wakes up in hospital from a near-death accident next to the ex she has forgotten to remove as her emergency contact. She then realises it’s time to get her life back, reconnecting with friends and family she hasn’t spoken to in years. Could the worst day of her life end up being the best thing that ever happened to her? Sweet, relatable and hilarious, this is a wonderfully escapist read.

My Husband by Maud Ventura (2023)

In this inventive and wry crime novel-meets-rom-com, a wife leads a perfect life – she’s beautiful and successful, with two kids, a stunning house, and a wonderful husband of 15 years – yet she can never quite be sure that he feels as passionately for her as she does for him. So, she masterminds an increasingly complex set of tests and traps to get to the truth. This deliciously funny exploration of the unknowability of our partners and the importance of trust was the winner of France’s prestigious First Novel award.

Classic comedy novels

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961)

Routinely named not just one of the funniest books of all time but, simply, one of the best, Joseph Heller’s classic hardly needs an introduction. Published in 1961, Heller’s novel, which follows the lives of a motley handful of soldiers and officers as they navigate the absurdity of wartime, remains one of the finest satires of war ever written. But it’s Catch-22’s structure, as much as its ideas, that makes it special: by setting up jokes in earlier sections of the book, then paying them off Arrested Development-style with punchlines in later sections, Heller’s masterpiece will make you laugh the first, second, and even fifth time you read it.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ by Sue Townsend (1982)

“I have never seen a dead body or a female nipple. This is what comes from living in a cul-de-sac,” writes teenage diarist Adrian Mole, whose angst was universal thanks to the ironic wit and sharpness of social observation in Sue Townsend’s joyful The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾. The novel provides pure pleasure, not only in Adrian’s hapless pursuit of Pandora Braithwaite, the girl with the “treacle-coloured hair”, but also in the depictions of marital disasters and suburban idiosyncrasies.

The Snapper by Roddy Doyle (1991)

Few people have written with as much zest and fun about modern Irish identity as Dubliner Roddy Doyle. In his marvellous Barrytown series, the dialogue around the Rabbitte family crackles with life, humour and tenderness. Incidentally, Doyle has also written highly amusing children’s books, especially The Giggler Treatment.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (1980)

This gloriously absurd comic novel stars the unforgettable Ignatius J. Reilly – a pompous, eccentric anti-hero navigating 1960s New Orleans in his own unique (and completely deluded) way. A Confederacy of Dunces is rich in satire and strange charm, making it one of the most celebrated American humour books of the last century.

Scoop by Evelyn Waugh (1938)

With Evelyn Waugh, readers are spoilt for choice, because his novels Vile Bodies, Black Mischief, The Loved One, and Decline and Fall all fizz with waggish genius. However, we’ve gone for Scoop, a cracking satire about the world of newspapers. Waugh perfectly skewers a Fleet Street baron (Lord Copper, owner of The Daily Beast), while protagonist William Boot, the nature columnist mistakenly sent to cover a conflict in the African Republic of Ishmaelia, is a marvellous comic creation. Waugh was an expert at characterisation, making us laugh in fiction that was, paradoxically, full of profound wisdom and insight.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (1979)

A cult classic and arguably one of the funniest books of all time, Douglas Adams’ science fiction satire follows mild-mannered Arthur Dent as he’s swept off Earth moments before it’s destroyed. Full of absurd wit, intergalactic bureaucracy and questions about the universe, this is the kind of funny novel you can read again and again – and still laugh just as hard.

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (1932)

The humour of talented female authors was often underplayed in the 20th Century but one book was acknowledged by contemporaries as a comedy classic: Stella Gibbons’s Cold Comfort Farm. It’s a subversive, witty story about teenage orphan Flora Poste and her stay in Sussex with the doomed Starkadders. This book has stood the test of time, with The Sunday Times calling it "probably the funniest book ever written."

Right Ho, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (1934)

P.G. Wodehouse remains to many the most celebrated comic novelist of the 20th Century. There were 96 Wodehouse books published in the Guildford-born author’s lifetime, and he was still working on a story when he died in 1975 at the age of 93. There is a vibrant, stylish energy to the goofball relationship between the valet Jeeves and the idle Bertie Wooster, and fans of Wodehouse’s escapist novels, including the captivating Right Ho, Jeeves, relish the Edwardian slang – “cove”, “blighter”, “snifter” – that peppers their conversations.

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (1954)

A full seven decades after its original 1954 publication, Kingsley Amis’s tale remains a timeless, searingly funny indictment of academic life, as well as a vivid snapshot of post-war England. Protagonist Jim Dixon accidentally falls into a job as a medieval history lecturer at a red brick university but he must navigate the choppy waters of feigned professionalism, excruciating pretentiousness, and unrequited love to find success and balance.

The Collected Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker (1944)

Dorothy Parker was a trailblazing Jazz Age humourist who displayed her talent through short stories, poems, screenplays and criticism. Her highly original rapier wit is as fresh and challenging now as when she was freelancing for the newly inaugurated New Yorker magazine in 1925. Among her memorable one-liners was “What fresh hell is this?” – words she uttered whenever the doorbell rang, that remains as entertaining today.

The Bloater by Rosemary Tonks (1968)

Written in 1968 but rediscovered and republished in 2022, this dry, hilarious snapshot of life in late-1960s London follows Min, a BBC audio engineer with a husband so timid she often forgets he’s in the room with her. So, when she finds herself the object of affection of a lodger she nicknames 'The Bloater’, the excitement is irrepressible – even if she finds him just as disgusting as she does strangely compelling. As contemporary as any novel written this year, The Bloater is a wry, funny take on flirtation, self-loathing, and the humiliation of desire.

Hark! A Vagrant by Kate Beaton (2011)

Publications that combine visual and written humour are becoming commonplace in the 21st Century – books such as Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes by Mary M Talbot and Bryan Talbot – and one of the best modern examples is by Canadian artist Kate Beaton. She collated her cartoons into a multi award-winning book in 2011, Hark! A Vagrant, with strips that parody literary works and figures, such as the Brontës. Beaton has a real gift for caricature and great gags.

Funny non-fiction, essays and satire

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron (2006)

Nora Ephron, the hugely talented writer behind movies such as Sleepless in Seattle, Heartburn and When Harry Met Sally, triumphed with her book I Feel Bad About My Neck – 15 typically smart, dry and incisive essays that are full of brilliant observational comedy. Ephron is self-deprecating about her own body, and the slow, steady downwards spiral that is aging. The book overflows with sharp wisdom, too, including the line “when your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”

The Body by Bill Bryson (2019)

Subtitled “A Guide for Occupants”, Bill Bryson’s bestseller, which was the 2019 Science Book of the Year, is such a compelling, humane, and hilarious read that you might not even notice how much you’re learning – until you put it down. This clear-eyed, jaw-dropping exploration of the human body will forever alter the way you think about your brain, heart, lungs, even your genitals, but it is written with Bryson’s trademark wit and warmth.

Why We Were Right by Rosie Holt (2024)

Actor and comedian Rosie Holt has donned a new persona: a Conservative MP with no shame, no self-awareness, and a gift for staying loyal to her party’s leader, whoever they may be. From Brexit, to Partygate, to climate U-turns and Liz Truss’s 45-day tenure as Prime Minister, take a trip through recent history with this so-called Catalogue of Conservative Successes – the ultimate satirical retrospective for 14 years of political turmoil.

Unruly by David Mitchell (2023)

They say truth is stranger than fiction, but it’s often funnier, too. Just ask David Mitchell, whose historical title Unruly: A History of England’s Kings and Queens reveals “a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars” and more, all from people as weird and wacky as you and me – but divinely appointed, of course. Perfect for lovers of the historical and hysterical, Mitchell’s writing shows how this long line of royalty shaped modern Britain, and why that matters.

Funny memoirs

The Twat Files by Dawn French (2023)

You might know national treasure Dawn French from any number of achievements in her incredible, varied career – but you might not be quite as familiar with the many, many times that she has been, in her words, “a complete twat”. Rest easy: The Twat Files is a comprehensive account of every time, in the last 60 years, French has made a mistake, messed up and misunderstood – compiled so that, as we laugh along to French’s hilarious book, we’re able to accept that maybe, just maybe… we’re twats too.

You Don't Have to Be Mad to Work Here Benji Waterhouse (2024)

Conversations about mental health don’t always have to be serious. If you like to laugh as you cry, You Don’t Have to Be Mad to Work Here, the debut book from psychiatrist and comedian Benji Waterhouse, might be just the read for you. As humane as it is humorous, Waterhouse implicates himself and his own loved ones as he paints a compassionate, hilarious picture of an industry dedicated to helping people keep themselves together.

Heat by Bill Buford (2006)

If you like to savour a laugh – really savour it – this multi-layered tale of food and ambition is for you. Heat was born when author Bill Buford was asked by the New Yorker to write a profile of famous chef Mario Batali, and Buford accepted the commission on one condition: that he work under Batali, in one of his restaurants. Soon, Buford was climbing the ranks and travelling to Italy to learn from Batali’s own teachers, whipping up a wonderful, illuminating mix of memoir, Batali biography, and behind-the-scenes kitchen non-fiction, all served with a generous helping of humour.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling (2011)

Mindy Kaling’s irreverent memoir Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, which is part memoir, part lifestyle advice and comedy anecdote fest, was on The New York Times Bestsellers list for five weeks. Kaling, the daughter of Indian parents, grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and went on to star in The Office before starring in her own hit show, The Mindy Project. Her book contains an array of tongue-in-cheek observations on topics such as weight, race, consumer culture and Hollywood’s obsession with conventional beauty.

Spike Milligan: Man of Letters by Spike Milligan (2014)

Comedy genius Spike Milligan wrote hilarious poems and books but his letters contain some of his best material. Private correspondence provided a brilliant outlet for Milligan’s eccentric imagination. He once wrote to the Marketing Director of Tetley Tea asking, “When you changed from square to round tea bags, what did you do with corners?”. Spike Milligan: Man of Letters is a book for anyone who loves tomfoolery and mischief.

Don’t Laugh, It’ll Only Encourage Her by Daisy May Cooper (2021)

Packed to the rafters with hilarious, shocking and cringe-worthy anecdotes, this book reads like a joy-ride through Daisy’s life – and what a ride it is. From accidentally auditioning to be a pole-dancer to trying to reach the afterlife in the back of a pub, it feels like Daisy – who found fame writing and starring in hit BBC series This Country with her brother – was born to make us laugh. She also talks brilliantly on what it was like growing up with her mad family in rural poverty and trying to make it in an industry that often felt like it didn’t have space for her.

Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Rasmussen (2019)

In this candid and bawdy memoir, Tom Rasmussen, who grew up in Lancaster, England, speaks as both Tom and as their performance alter-ego “Crystal”. The tales about the tribulations and triumphs of life as a drag queen are sometimes shocking: Tom’s story of being attacked by a stranger is highly disturbing; his tales of trysts in a Portaloo and sexual experiences that saw them drinking out of toilets are amusing and heartfelt. “This book changed my life. It is the queer bible I’ve always needed,” remarked singer-songwriter Sam Smith.

That Moment When by Mo Gilligan (2021)

Sometimes it feels like celebrities come fully formed: Mo Gilligan, in particular, is so naturally funny and charming that it feels like he was simply born for success. But in this hilarious, often poignant memoir, Gilligan opens up about the moments in his life – long before his online comedy videos sprung him to international fame – that made him who he is today. From memories of growing up in South London and his school days to early comedy gigs and learning to cope with fame, Gilligan weaves a heart-warming story of comedy, careers and community.

Frequently asked questions

What is the funniest book in the world?

Humour is subjective, but The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is often cited as one of the funniest books of all time. Its absurdist tone, razor-sharp wit and timeless quotability have made it a go-to for readers who love laugh-out-loud books. Others might point to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon or Nora Ephron’s essays in I Feel Bad About My Neck for something observational. The best comedy books tend to be the ones that catch you off guard – and make you snort on public transport.

What are some funny books to read on holiday?

Holiday reads are all about escapism and joy – and comedy books are perfect for that. Try Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding for romantic misadventure, Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly for laugh-out-loud passages, or anything by Marian Keyes or Sophie Kinsella for hilarious books with strong female leads. For memoir fans, Don’t Laugh, It’ll Only Encourage Her by Daisy May Cooper is equal parts surprising and hilarious – a must-read for beach downtime.

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