Funniest Fiction Books Guaranteed to Make You Laugh Out Loud

Who doesn’t love a good read that has you rolling on the floor laughing? Funny books can be hard to come by, but with this list, you’ll have a whole bunch of fun reads to enjoy this summer.

Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (1954)

Lucky Jim is the story of Jim Dixon, a lecturer in medieval history at a metropolitan university who is incredibly unlucky. To uphold his career and win the heart of the girl of his dreams, Jim is put through a series of English bores, cranks, frauds, and neurotics. Lucky Jim is by far one of the twentieth century’s funniest comic novels.

The Bottle Factory Outing by Beryl Bainbridge (1974)

In an Italian factory pasting labels onto wine bottles, unlikely friends Brenda and Freda toil away day in and day out. When Freda organizes an outing for the company to a castle, the day of fun they meant to have turns into a dark and chaotic tragedy. Best to enjoy with a nice cabernet.

Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding (1996)

Bridget Jones’s Diary is the book that will have you laughing out loud, saying, “This is totally me!” Tired of being asked by her smug married friends, “How’s your love life?” Bridget goes on a doomed quest to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult and learn to program the VCR.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (2014)

Don Tillman, a professor of genetics, has decided it is time to seek out true love and find a wife. As per all scientist, he starts out creating a sixteen-page survey to filter out a partner. Enter Rosie Jarman, who is on a quest to find her father. The two collaborate in this romantic comedy.

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

Arthur Dent and his friend Ford Prefect, begin a journey through space guided by Zaphod Beeblebrox—a two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie. They venture through space with the help of Ford’s Hitchhiker’s Guide that gives bizarre and hilarious instructions.

The Martian by Andy Weir (2014)

Astronaut Mark Watney becomes one of the first people to walk on Mars. Days later, he becomes the first human to be stranded there. Completely alone and with no way to contact Earth, Mark depends on his engineering skills in hopes of returning home.

Candide by Voltaire (1759)

Candide lives a sheltered life in a utopian paradise. An abrupt change in life has Candide witnessing and experiencing hardships in the world. A satirical novel parodying adventures and romantic clichés make this one of the funniest classics of the eighteenth century.

Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons (1932)

Flora Poste, a recently orphaned socialite, goes to live with relatives at the Cold Comfort Farm. There, she finds a miserable group in dire need of organization, which so happens to be a special talent of Flora’s. A hilarious parody D. H. Lawrence’s and Thomas Hardy’s novels, Cold Comfort Farm is distinguished by scholars and contemporary authors as one of the funniest books ever written.

Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut (1963)

Cat’s Cradle is a sci-fi masterpiece that follows a bunch of kooky characters around a Caribbean island. When one writer’s desire to document atomic bomb stories overlaps with politics, you get a screamingly funny novel!

Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About, by Mil Millington (2003)

Pel leads a dull life, working a job and finding new things to argue about with Ursula, his German girlfriend. One day, Pel’s boss disappears, and Pel steps into his shoes. Immediately, his life spirals out of control. Somehow he gets mixed up with stolen money, missing colleagues, and Chinese mafiosi. You won’t want to miss out on this read!

Under the Frog, by Tibor Fischer (1993)

A dark but surprisingly funny story of two Hungarian basketball players, set in between the end of World War II and the anti-Soviet uprising. Determined to get away from their drab factory job, the two athletes travel all over Hungary, often in the nude, in search for food, women, and meaning.

Skinny Dip, by Carl Hiaasen (2004)

Chaz Perrone, a marine biologist, and his wife, Joey, set sail together on a cruise liner. When he throws Joey overboard, he forgets what an expert swimmer she is, and luckily Joey finds her way to an island inhabited by ex-cop Mick Stranahan. Joey seeks out revenge on her husband, and Mick is happy to help. A brilliant work of fiction to read on the beach!

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (1990)

According to the world’s most accurate book of prophecies, The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, written in 1655, the world will end on next Saturday before dinner. All chaos erupts, frogs falling from the sky, Atlantis starts to rise, and all around tempers are flaring. Things seem to be according to plan, except for a fussy angel and a fast-living demon who are not looking forward to the coming Rapture.

Three Men in a Boat, by Jerome K. Jerome (1889)

Three Men in a Boat starts on the Thames River, with friends J., Harris, and George. The men set out for a holiday, not knowing the troubles that lie ahead. Tins of pineapple chunks, unpredictable weather, and tow-rope tangles, cause for a laugh out loud comedy.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, by Maria Semple (2012)

An ingenious, entertaining novel, Where’d You Go Bernadette details the power of love between a mother and a daughter. After a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at Bernadette’s hands, she disappears. Her daughter Bee is then left to pick up the pieces weaving together an intricate web of emails, invoices, and school memos. Through her search, Bee finds a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (1895)

Jack Worthing, also known as Ernest, has one over the hearts of Gwendolen Fairfax. Algernon, who also goes by Ernest, has posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack’s ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack’s country home on the same weekend the “rivals” to fight for Ernest’s undivided attention and the “Ernests” to claim their beloveds pandemonium breaks loose. Originally a play, The Importance of Being Earnest’s rapid wit has delighted readers for years.

How many of these have you read? What others can you recommend? Let us know in the comments!