Humour in print: Book List

According to Bob Newhart, “The only way to survive is to have a sense of humour.” In fact, humour is your best bet, your most potent weapon, against the mortal struggle for existence called ‘Life’. A sense of humour, a little frivolity and some light-hearted levity can turn a bad day into a funny memory; or a happy day into something even more worth-while.

Though most people are of the opinion that a sense of humour cannot be cultivated, it is innate and self-evident, we all do unanimously agree, that humour is impartial in disseminating joy and happiness. One may not be able to create humour like Oscar Wilde or Mark Twain, but one certainly can enjoy it as an eager audience.

With that very thought in mind, we bring to you humour in its purest form- literature. We recommend to you 5 humourous books that will lighten up your dreary winters and have you grinning ear to ear with every word, sentence and chapter.

A. Karl AajAurKal- Cyrus Broacha
Funny man Cyrus Broacha offers you ‘tongue-in-cheek’ at its penultimate. Trust Mr. Broacha to mock a near-extinct community and get away with it. We won’t divulge many details of the plot, because honestly, the plot is a little slim. But the book is brimming with puns, irony and satire. A very mainstream read, but enthralling and funny at the same time.
CAUTION: Avoid if you’re sensitive and can’t tolerate jibes at the Parsis. Also, pick this if you’re in the mood for something light.

B.Right Ho, Jeeves- P.G Wodehouse
The master of British humour, P.G Wodehouse, brings to you humour in all its brilliance through this book from the ‘Jeeves’ collection. This particular book features the funniest Wooster-Jeeves adventure ever told. With a nice little love story at its centre, the story starts off with Wodehousian simplicity. But a few chapters into the book, and the complexity of the plot thickens, making for a gripping and entertaining read.
CAUTION: Make sure you read the book in seclusion. Otherwise, you’ll have people thinking you’ve gone cuckoo as you cackle away with every turn of the page. `Yes, it’s that hilarious!

C.The Zoya Factor- Anuja Chauhan
What’s nice about this book is that the author doesn’t try to be funny. The story, in itself, is very straight-forward. But the circumstances, characters and climax make the book amazingly hilarious. Add to that, Anuja Chauhan’s effortless style of story-telling makes the narration humourous and enjoyable. This book has the right ingredients for an Indian best-seller: charming protagonists, romance and drama. There is a theme of cricket too, that runs in the background. What more could the average Indian want?
CAUTION: Don’t mistake the book for a typical ‘chick-lit’ variety. It’s a book to be enjoyed by all. Try reading this book before Bollywood comes out with a sappy adaptation. The book will definitely have you in chucklesand tears of joy; the movie might (as per rather discouraging trends) give you tears of another kind.

D. Three Men in a Boat- Jerome K Jerome
This book is an amusing account of three friends-Jerome,Harris and George and of course, their dog Montmorency; while on a little boating expedition. The men take the trip to escape their humdrum city life and what follows is a mad adventure, dripping with the classic European style of humour, sarcasm and wit.
CAUTION: Requires patience and a dictionary, since it is a classic English literary novel. A little slow in parts, for the same reason. But it’s definitely worth the effort.

E. Mrs. Funnybones- Twinkle Khanna
Defying all myth, Twinkle Khanna is not your quintessential star wife. Her crafty penmanship reflects who she is as a person- intelligent, strong-willed, witty and wry. Not one to mince her words, Khanna’s sarcastic take on her world is like a breath of laughing gas. She has you in splits with her stories about her husband (‘the man of the house’), the prodigal son, the baby, the whacky mother and mother-in law. Fun times with Twinkle are guaranteed if you pick this one up!
CAUTION: Dive into the book without any pre-conceived notions, sans of any judgement or biases and you will be handsomely rewarded by the end of it.