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By: P. T. Barnum (1810-1891)

The Humbugs of the World by P. T. Barnum The Humbugs of the World

P. T. Barnum exposes some of the chief humbugs of the world with his usual entertaining style. He looks at medicine and quacks, ghosts, witchcraft, religious humbugs, money manias, adventurers, personal reminiscences, and much more.

By: Carolyn Wells (1862-1942)

The Jingle Book by Carolyn Wells The Jingle Book

A collection of silly poetry and limericks for children.

Book cover A Phenomenal Fauna
Book cover The Re-echo Club

By: Daisy Ashford (1881-1972)

The Young Visiters, or Mr. Salteena's Plan by Daisy Ashford The Young Visiters, or Mr. Salteena's Plan

The Young Visiters is a comic romance novella that parodies upper class society of late Victorian England. Social climber Alfred Salteena introduces his young lady friend Ethel to a genuine gentleman named Bernard and, to his irritation, they hit it off. But Bernard helps Alfred in his plan to become a gentleman, which, Alfred hopes, will help him win back Ethel.

By: Ring Lardner (1885-1933)

Book cover Treat 'em Rough Letters from Jack the Kaiser Killer
Gullible's Travels, Etc. by Ring Lardner Gullible's Travels, Etc.

Humorous stories of social climbing in America's "classless" society.

By: Dorothy Quigley

What Dress Makes of Us by Dorothy Quigley What Dress Makes of Us

A wickedly funny book of advice on women’s dress. However old, fat or plain you are, Dorothy Quigley will tell you what not to wear.

By: Helen Rowland (1875-1950)

A Guide to Men: Being Encore Reflections of a Bachelor Girl by Helen Rowland A Guide to Men: Being Encore Reflections of a Bachelor Girl

A series of occasionally witty one-liners, poems and considerations on the subject of Men, Women and their Conjunction. By turns tender, bland, sexist (in both directions!) and funny.

By: Henry W. Lucy (1845-1924)

Faces and Places by Henry W. Lucy Faces and Places

Faces and Places is a collection of articles on nineteenth century travel, events and personalities by the British journalist Henry Lucy, who wrote for the Daily News, a London newspaper. His open letter To Those About to Become Journalists rings as true today as when it was written.The first article, “Fred” Burnaby, includes a lively account of a balloon trip, while Night and Day on the Cars in Canada and Easter on Les Avants relate Lucy’s experiences of rail travel at that time. Other travel tales (A Night on a Mountain, Mosquitoes and Monaco, and Oysters and Arcachon) provide an insight into the Victorian Englishman’s attitude to Europe...

By: Thomas Love Peacock

Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock Nightmare Abbey

Deep in the fens of the British coast sits the gloomy mansion that goes by the name Nightmare Abbey. It is inhabited by persons of very low opinion of the human race, and in fact they pride themselves in the depths of their detestation. Others of its denizens believe the ultimate exercise and product of the human mind ought to be chaos. Now let the young master of the house get snared by the wiles of a beautiful young lady. And for good measure, toss in another beautiful young lady. Now Scythrop...

By: Max Beerbohm (1872-1956)

Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm Zuleika Dobson

‘A wickedly funny 1911 satire on undergraduate life in Edwardian Oxford’ in which the entire student body of Oxford university including the young, handsome aristocrat the Duke of Dorset falls hopelessly in love with Zuleika who is visiting her grandfather, the warden of Judas college, and ultimately commit mass suicide at the end of ‘Eights Week’

By: Max Beerbohm (1872-1956)

Book cover Seven Men

In order to liven up the literary history of Great Britain in the 1890s (as if Oscar Wilde, Stevenson, Kipling, Hardy, etc., were not lively enough) Max Beerbohm wrote short biographies of six imaginary writers. Though their works of course no longer exist, he leaves the impression that the literary world is really none the poorer. It is, of course, the six men themselves (Beerbohm himself is the seventh man of the title) who are worth our attention. ( Nicholas Clifford) Note that the Gutenberg edition of Seven Men is incomplete, but the missing sections may be found separately James Pethel http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/759 E.V. Laider http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/761

Book cover Happy Hypocrite: A Fairy Tale For Tired Men

Sir Henry Maximilian "Max" Beerbohm was an English essayist, parodist, and caricaturist. The Happy Hypocrite: A Fairy Tale for Tired Men is a short story with moral implications. Beerbohm's tale is a lighter, more humorous version of Oscar Wilde's classic tale of moral degeneration, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Happy Hypocrite tells the story of a man who deceives a woman with a mask in order to marry her.

By: W. W. Jacobs (1863-1943)

Book cover The Old Man of the Sea Ship's Company, Part 11.
Book cover Sailor's Knots (Entire Collection)
Book cover The Lady of the Barge and Others, Entire Collection
Book cover Self-Help Sailor's Knots, Part 4.
Book cover Deep Waters, the Entire Collection
Book cover Odd Craft
Book cover Short Cruises
Book cover Ship's Company, the Entire Collection
Book cover Many Cargoes
Book cover Sea Urchins
Book cover Captains All and Others
Book cover Light Freights
Book cover An Adulteration Act The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 10.
Book cover More Cargoes 1897
Book cover Fairy Gold Ship's Company, Part 4.
Book cover Keeping Up Appearances Sailor's Knots, Part 12.
Book cover The Toll-House Sailor's Knots, Part 7.
Book cover The Guardian Angel Ship's Company, Part 7.
Book cover Manners Makyth Man Ship's Company, Part 12.
Book cover Double Dealing Sailor's Knots, Part 11.
Book cover Short Cruises
Book cover Odd Man Out Sailor's Knots, Part 6.
Book cover Sam's Ghost Deep Waters, Part 4.
Book cover Dirty Work Deep Waters, Part 11.
Book cover Matrimonial Openings Sailor's Knots, Part 5.
Book cover The White Cat Captains All, Book 10.
Book cover Watch-Dogs Ship's Company, Part 5.
Book cover Skilled Assistance Ship's Company, Part 9.
Book cover Peter's Pence Sailor's Knots, Part 8.
Book cover The Nest Egg Captains All, Book 3.
Book cover The Lady of the Barge The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 1.
Book cover The Well The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 4.
Book cover For Better or Worse Ship's Company, Part 10.
Book cover Sentence Deferred Sailor's Knots, Part 4.
Book cover Prize Money Sailor's Knots, Part 10.
Book cover Paying Off Deep Waters, Part 2.
Book cover Fine Feathers Ship's Company, Part 1.
Book cover The Boatswain's Mate Captains All, Book 2.
Book cover Shareholders Deep Waters, Part 1.
Book cover Cupboard Love The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 5.
Book cover A Tiger's Skin The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 8.
Book cover A Golden Venture The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 11.
Book cover Friends in Need Ship's Company, Part 2.
Book cover The Bequest Ship's Company, Part 6.
Book cover Dual Control Ship's Company, Part 8.
Book cover Deserted Sailor's Knots, Part 1.
Book cover Husbandry Deep Waters, Part 6.
Book cover Family Cares Deep Waters, Part 7.
Book cover Bedridden and the Winter Offensive Deep Waters, Part 8.
Book cover Striking Hard Deep Waters, Part 10.
Book cover Good Intentions Ship's Company, Part 3.
Book cover Homeward Bound Sailor's Knots, Part 2.
Book cover The Temptation of Samuel Burge Captains All, Book 8.
Book cover Bill's Paper Chase Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 3.
Book cover The Head of the Family Sailor's Knots, Part 9.
Book cover The Constable's Move Captains All, Book 4.
Book cover Four Pigeons Captains All, Book 7.
Book cover Captain Rogers The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 7.
Book cover Captains All Captains All, Part 1.
Book cover Over the Side Captains All, Book 6.
Book cover The Madness of Mr. Lister Captains All, Book 9.
Book cover Made to Measure Deep Waters, Part 3.
Book cover Bob's Redemption Captains All, Book 5.
Book cover The Convert Deep Waters, Part 5.
Book cover The Substitute Deep Waters, Part 9.
Book cover In the Library The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 6.
Book cover A Mixed Proposal The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 9.
Book cover Three at Table The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 12.

By: Alfred Elwes (1819-1888)

The Adventures of a Dog, and a Good Dog Too by Alfred Elwes The Adventures of a Dog, and a Good Dog Too

This fictional work is written in 1st person by the dog himself. It's a cute story of the adventures in the life of a noble dog who is appropriately named, Job. The canine society in which he lives is an interesting parallel to human society.

By: Edward Phillips Oppenheim (1866-1946)

An Amiable Charlatan by Edward Phillips Oppenheim An Amiable Charlatan

An Englishman is enjoying his dinner at Stephano's, at which he is a regular diner. A man enters quickly, sits at his table, starts eating his food, and hands him a packet underneath the table! So begins Paul Walmsley's acquaintance - and adventures - with American adventurer Joseph H. Parker and his lovely daughter, Eve. (Intro by TriciaG)Note that there is an alternate reading of section 8. Both are excellent renditions, so enjoy either or both of them.

By: Thornton W. Burgess (1874-1965)

The Adventures of Mr. Mocker by Thornton W. Burgess The Adventures of Mr. Mocker

When an innocent blue jay starts talking in his sleep, it’s up to him to find out what’s going on in this fun, naturalistic, Southern-style children’s story.

By: F. Anstey (1856-1934)

Vice Versa by F. Anstey Vice Versa

Set in Victorian times, the novel concerns business man Paul Bultitude and his son Dick. Dick is about to leave home for a boarding school which is ruled by the cane wielding headmaster Dr. Grimstone. Bultitude, seeing his son's fear of going to the school, foolishly says that schooldays are the best years of a boy's life, and how he wished that he was the one so doing. At this point, thanks to a handy magic stone brought by an uncle from India which grants the possessor one wish, they are now on even terms...

By: Anstey, F. (1856-1934)

The Black Poodle and Other Tales by Anstey, F. The Black Poodle and Other Tales

This is a collection of ten humorous short stories

By: F. Anstey (1856-1934)

Book cover Baboo Jabberjee, B.A.

Another delightful example of an English writer poking fun at his countrymen, or maybe all races' reactions to someone from a diferent background. A series of adventures of a well educated foreigner in London which originally appeared weekly in Punch, sometimes with illustrations, dealing with the difficulties of fully understanding a different culture. The hero's perfect English reminds one of a quote from "My Fair Lady" ..."His English is too good, he said, "that clearly indicates that he is Foreign. Whereas other people are instructed in their native language English people aren't."

Book cover Talking Horse And Other Stories

A collection of short stories by famed humorist and Punch magazine staff member, F. Anstey, pseudonym for Thomas Anstey Guthrie. They range from humorous and whimsical to haunting and thought-provoking.

Book cover Tinted Venus

When a young newly engaged man finds himself bound for an amusement garden with an old flame, not his fiancee, it is not surprising that he still feels some attraction for her. When they escape the heat of the dance floor to walk among the trees in the garden, it is not surprising that they should come upon a statue of a woman of uncommon beauty, with the smallest hands. When the young man attempts to demonstrate that his absent fiancee has hands even smaller than this immortalized stone woman, it is surprising when the engagement ring he is carrying fits easily on the stone finger, but does not easily come off...

Book cover In Brief Authority

Satiric comedy from 1915 about a nouveau riche British family and their nanny who get whisked off to Maerchenland ('the land of Fairy Tales') one evening in a car drawn by storks. The matron of the family, a thorough snob, is crowned Queen of the country by mistake. She is quick to accept her new position and is determined to introduce British social niceties in her realm. And this really is the land of Fairy Tales, with gnomes, giants, a dragon, magic, a fairy godmother and more. Trouble quickly starts to brew as the royal couple and their son introduce things like capitalism and golf...

By: Herbert George Jenkins (1876-1923)

Adventures of Bindle by Herbert George Jenkins Adventures of Bindle

Jenkins' most popular fictional creation was Mr. Joseph Bindle, who first appeared in a humorous novel in 1916 and in a number of sequels. In the preface to the books, T. P. O'Connor said that "Bindle is the greatest Cockney that has come into being through the medium of literature since Dickens wrote Pickwick Papers". The stories are based on the comedic drama of life at work, at home and all the adventures that take place along the way.

By: Barton Wood Currie

Officer 666 by Barton Wood Currie Officer 666

Bored with his life as a wealthy businessman's only son, Travers Gladwin learns of a plot by a renowned art burglar to rob his house, so rather than thwart the planned burglary, he borrows a police uniform from a friend and decides to confront the robber by posing as an officer. When the burglar arrives at the house, he tries to pass himself off as Travers Gladwin. From there, things only get more complicated, including the arrival of the burglar's girlfriend who believes that her beau is the wealthy man's son. Comical and timely, the book was made into a movie multiple times, each hugely successful.

By: Irving Bacheller (1859-1950)

Book cover 'Charge It' Keeping Up With Harry

By: Edward Streeter (1891-1976)

Dere Mable by Edward Streeter Dere Mable

Bill is in training camp, preparing to go off to World War I. This book is a collection of love letters written to his sweetheart, Mable. The letters are humorous, mis-spelled, and have many stories of life in an army camp – all from Bill’s unique perspective.

Book cover "Same old Bill, eh Mable!"

By: Oliver Wendell Holmes

The One-Hoss Shay by Oliver Wendell Holmes The One-Hoss Shay

This is a small collection of whimsical poems by the American physician and author Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. "The Deacon's Masterpiece" describes the "logical" outcome of building an object (in this case, a two-wheeled carriage called a shay) that has no weak points. The economic term "one hoss shay," referring to a certain model of depreciation, derives its name from this poem. "How the Old Horse Won the Bet" is a lighthearted look at a horse race. Finally, "The Broomstick Train" is a wonderfully Halloween-y explanation of how an electric tram really works.

Book cover Over the Teacups

By: Harry Leon Wilson (1867-1939)

Merton of the Movies by Harry Leon Wilson Merton of the Movies

Merton of the Movies is a comedy that centers around Merton Gill, an aspiring dramatic artist from Simsbury, Illinois who makes his way to Hollywood to become a serious actor. How could Merton fail in attaining his dreams after finishing a correspondence course from the General Film Production Company of Stebbinsville, Arkansas, certifying him to be a competent screen actor? Harry Leon Wilson, the author, was a very popular humor writer in the first decades of the 20th century. This book was made into film several times, the last in 1947 starring Red Skelton.

By: John A. Joyce

Shakspere: Personal Recollections by John A. Joyce Shakspere: Personal Recollections

Recording of Shakspere: Personal Recollections, by John A. Joyce.A fictitious account of a "friend" of William Shakespeare, who accompanies him from his birth to his death and beyond, chronicling Shakespeare's life, adventures, speeches, and impromptu bursts of poetry.


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