Actually, Bandy was from the Ottawa Valley, in Ontario, and there are nine books in the Bandy Papers series by Donald Jack (the first three were set during the First World War). The first two books are still in print, as are the last two. Book three, It's Me Again, is going to re-issued next year, along with some of the other volumes. Three books from the series won Leacock Medals for Humour.

There's more about the Bandy series at:
http://www.sybertooth.com/bandy/

I also thought My Family and Other Animals was hysterical. I love all Gerald Durrells books. Besides the question was funniest book ever? Not funniest work of fiction? I mean just because they are fact doesn't make them less worthy of praise. They are good books and funny books.

I also adore the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy!

Enough is Too Much Already
Nothing to be Afraid Of

Both these are books of short stories by Jan Mark, and three of the stories always make me laugh a lot.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams was pretty darned funny. I liked it much better than Hitchhiker's Guide.

If you wish to stone me for this, you may do so - I go to my grave with no regrets.

The one I like is probably considered pointless and tastless by many,but "Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas",by Hunter S. Thompson,is the one book I've read that made me stop and have a good gut bust numerous times.Also I have recently ordered Tooles ,"A Confederacy Of Dunces" and anxiously await it,along with a book titled ,"A Working Stiffs Manifesto...",the author eludes me and also "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac.

Terry Pratchett is the funniest ever. hard to pick one book... I love Rincewind... But then Vimes has gotta be the best... but granny has so much style! oh but monstrous regiment is pretty funny... (stares blankly into the distance)...How... do... you... choose??

The book that makes me laugh the most is the A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, others would be Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain and the zanny collection of Lewis Grizzard e.g. Shoot Low Boys They're Riding Shetland Ponies, How do They Pick Up Grits From Trees, My Daddy Was A Pistol and I'm A Son of A Gun. Good stuff indeed!

Any of the "MYTH" seris by Robert Asprin are always good for laughs.

As a teenager, I read the "Don Camillo" books, by Giovanni Guareschi.

"Don Camillo is a priest whose constitutional tendency is to "call a spade a spade," and the most frequent targets of his fiery sermons (not to mention his occasional well-aimed blows) are the local communists. Their equally fiery leader, Peppone, is a plain man of conscience who once fought against the Fascists alongside Don Camillo but who now fights against the big priest for the hearts and souls of the people in their unnamed Po Valley town. Don Camillo, however, is able to draw on a Resource that his opponents' ideology denies them, and in his conversations with Christ (Who answers back) he carries on the most crucial battle of all: the struggle within himself to love and care for those whose politics he opposes.

Yes, their skirmishes are exaggerated and the deck is always stacked in favor of the Christians, but The Little World manages to avoid being a one-dimensional political cartoon. It instead defies easy classification ... except as a delight."
from http://mywebpages.comcast.net/doncamillo/cambooks.htm

Sadly, these are probably out of print, but I thoroughly enjoyed them.

Another favourite for a good laugh is "Cold Comfort Farm" by Stella Gibbons. Wonderful stuff, with hilarious portraits of the Post family.

Agree with James Thurber. His essays and stories were a delight. I loved "How to name a dog" which I read at quite a young age and can still recall for the humour.

I dont tend to buy or read books that look full of humour, but i did enjoy the hitchhikers series, several pg wodehouse, gerald durelle. etc.

A book that i havent noticed being mentioned is the first harry potter that had me in stiches,lol. all those letters flying around and stuff.

but the book i most recently read and made me scream with laughter, was Marly and me. i will have to look the authors name up another time and edit it, a wondefully funny book,

sunday

Douglas Adams is always good for a laugh. I loved every one of his books.

P.G. Wodehouse is one of the funniest writers ever. I just adore his way with words.

I think the book that actually made me laugh out loud the most was "Why Not Me? The Inside Story on the Making and Unmaking of the Franken Presidency" by Al Franken. It's about him running for president and all the stupid stuff he does to get himself in trouble before and during his presidency. It was just silly and hilarious.

Also, collections of articles from Lewis Grizzard are funny. Dave Barry collections and books are also great.

There is a little-known book out there called Lamb by Christopher Moore. You must be fairly open minded to enjoy this book... It is kind of an alternate history fiction book about the life of Jesus and, since about thirty years of his life is missing in historical record, what happened during his childhood and teen years. It is told from the point of view of his fictional best friend named Biff and follows their travels all over the world.

Not only is it ABSOLUTELY one of the funniest books I have read, but it also gives a very personal and human perspective to the life of jesus.


I HIGHLY recommend it if you can keep an open mind about
Christianity!!!

For obvious reasons, my vote will go to to the Hitchhiker's Guide trilogy (all five parts).

However, for the girls, I gotta say, only one series of novels has ever caused me to have distinct belly laughs... Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, starting with One for the Money. Unputdownable, and very easy reading. Hysterical, but definitely for the girls.

I like most books by P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett. "Mort" and the Death books are my favorite Pratchetts and the Blandings Castle books are my favorite Wodehouses.

I have to say "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. For my money, nothing is funnier than a tape deck that changes every tape to Queen's Greatest Hits. I love both Gaiman and Pratchett for their wit and humor. Having them write together is like my idea of heaven.

I agree most strongly with 1066 and All That and Three Men in a Boat (especially 'Uncle hangs a picture')and would add Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis and Handles by Jan Mark (the marrows!).
If you have children read them Mrs. Lather's Laundry by the Ahlbergs.

Curious George-the part where he calls the Fire Department!

Yep, put me down for the 4th book of the Hitchhiker Trilogy.

Although Confederacy of Dunces is one of my favorites, I didn't find it particularly "laugh out loud" funny, more poignant than anything else. Still a great read, though.

The only books I can think of that I thought were funny were the Amelia Bedelia books by Peggy Parish that I read when I was a kid. Those were hysterical!

I agree with others that P.G. Wodehouse is probably the most consistently funny author of all. He's known mainly for the 'Jeeves and Wooster' novels, but my favourites are those involving Lord Emsworth, Marquis of Blandings. Lord Emsworth is a delightful eccentric, who dotes on his prize pig called 'Empress of Blandings'.
'Sunset at Blandings' was Wodehouse's final novel, and was unfinished at the time of his death. He'd got as far as the 16th chapter, and the book was published with the final chapters given to speculation about how it would have ended. These chapters were written by Richard Upborne, using handwritten notes of Wodehouse.

"If God Wanted Us to Travel," David Brenner

"If You're Talking to Me, Your Career Must be in Trouble," Joe Queenan

"The Worst Rock & Roll Records of All Time," Jimmy Guterman & Owen O'Donnell

"Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady," Florence King


Screamingly funny, all of them.

I love 'The Timewaster Letters' by Brian Cooper. I'm forever dipping into this and can thoroughly recommend it as top holiday reading material. So funny! Laugh out loud every time I pick it up...very original.

I like "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," personally. But you have to have a little background knowledge.
The funniest kid's books (i'm 14 years old) would have to be "The Giggler Treatment" by Roddy Doyle. I laughed until I cried. It's very subtle humour.

However, my vote is for "I want to go Home" by Gordan Korman. I can't even explain how hilarious it is: just read it!

any terry pratchett book, I especially loved the Fifth Elephant.

Douglas Adams, definitely. And Lewis Grizzard is hilarious, especially They Tore Out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat...about his heart surgery.

And Don't Try This at Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs is also a good read.

And Plato and Platypus Walk Into A Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes is a great joke book about- well, philosophy. Some of the jokes aren't for kids, but funny, nonetheless.

I loooooove all of Douglas Adams' work - both of the Dirk Gently books, and it goes without saying the Hitchiker's series.

I also love "House Of God" - but for the life of me I can't remember who wrote it. It's a spoof of hospital administration and doctors.

The one book guaranteed to make me laugh is "Red Dwarf" by Grant Naylor. The others are okay, but I can't go past the original.

I too love Wodehouse. I enjoyed listening to Pam Ayers poetry as a child, and my son laughs along with these now too. For kids stories, you just can't go past Roald Dahl.

Well... I've heard that I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell is hilarious. I can't remember the author's name, though.

I have to agree with sumirp on Fear and Loathing, but the two that come to mind are both by George Carlin the comedian.
1)Napalm and Silly Putty
2)Brain Droppings
I almost made myself sick laughing and had to keep stopping because I couldn't read through the tears streaming out of my eyes. My boys were around some of the time and actually checked on me because they thought I was crying and shrieking because someone had died. I got them howling and they didn't have a clue why they were even laughing. I do have a HUGE problem with uncontrollable giggles at inappropriate times, but if not for my sense of humor, I wouldn't have gotten through life!

Gervase Phinn writes about schools in Yorkshire he's inspected and the funny things the children have said to him or what has happened at the inspection. They're funny!
If you are looking for children's books, I think you should look no further than Louise Rennison's books about Georgia Nicholson and Alan Temperley's Harry and the wrinklies. They made me laugh out loud!