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Humorous Books |
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By: Harry Leon Wilson (1867-1939) | |
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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 | |
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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. |
By: John Tenniel (1820-1914) | |
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Mr. Punch's Railway Book | |
By: Clarence Day, Jr. (1874-1935) | |
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This Simian World
Clarence Day, Jr., best known for his work Life with Father, presents a satirical speculation on how the world might be different if we apes had not risen to prominence, but rather one of the other species had become dominant in our place. |
By: Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin (1856-1923) | |
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Bluebeard; a musical fantasy |
By: George Ade (1866-1944) | |
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Fables in Slang
While a columnist for The Chicago Record humorist George Ade penned numerous “fables” which were subsequently collected into books. Fables in Slang is the first of these collections. It contains 26 satirical stories that lampoon phrenologists, idealists, snobs, fanatics and other ignorant fools of the day, most of which still wander through our modern lives. Jean Shepherd considered Ade a predecessor who made writers like James Thurber, Mike Royko, and himself possible. Fables in Slang was first published in 1899 by Herbert S. Stone and Company. | |
More Fables | |
People You Know | |
Ade's Fables | |
Knocking the Neighbors |
By: Sara Ware Bassett (1872-1968) | |
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Flood Tide
Willie Spence may have been a bit eccentric by most standards, but he had a knack for creating gadgets in his small workshop at his home on Cape Cod. Whenever he was 'ketched' by an 'idee' he had to see it to completion, and always did. His small cottage on the Cape had become a labyrinth of string and wires tacked here and there so as to make life a bit challenging for his housekeeper Celestina. But she and most everyone else among the coastal towns and villages loved the old man for all his eccentricities as Willie spent his waning years just waiting for his ship to come in. |
By: Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) | |
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School For Scandal
Richard Brinsley Sheridan's comedy was first performed in 1777 and focuses on the intrigues and scandals of the British upper classes. Lady Sneerwell wants to marry Charles Surface, while Joseph Surface wants to marry Maria, an heiress and ward of Sir Peter Teazle. Maria, however, prefers Charles over Joseph. In order to detach her from Charles, Lady Sneerwell and Joseph spread rumors about an affair between Charles and Lady Teazle, Sir Peter's new young wife. Meanwhile, Sir Oliver Surface, newly returned from the East Indies, assumes various disguises to test his nephews' characters. Misunderstandings, mistaken identities, gossip, and bad behavior abound in this uproarious comedy. |
By: A. A. Milne (1882-1956) | |
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Happy Days
Although best known for his Winnie the Pooh stories, A.A. Milne spent years as an editor at the English humor magazine Punch. These sprightly essays were chosen from the hundreds he wrote during that period. As usual, they are funny, wry, and poke fun at almost all of our human foibles. There are 6 short one act plays that he wrote to demonstrate the 6 allowable plots for amateur playwrights and they are absolutely hilarious. The other topics run the gamut from dogs to dates. |
By: Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch (1863-1944) | |
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The Adventures of Harry Revel |
By: Rudolf Erich Raspe (1737-1794) | |
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The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen
The stories about Münchhausen were first collected and published by an anonymous author in 1781. An English version was published in London in 1785, by Rudolf Erich Raspe, as Baron Munchhausen's Narrative of his Marvellous Travels and Campaigns in Russia, also called The Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchhausen. It is not clear how much of the story material derives from the Baron himself; however, it is known that the majority of the stories are based on folktales that have been in circulation for many centuries before Münchhausen's birth. |
By: Richard Barnum | |
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Squinty the Comical Pig
"This comical children's tale about the funny adventures of a funny pig written by an unknown author. The publisher has hired authors to write children's tales, and gave them "house names". The "name" of the author who wrote this tale is Richard Barnum. It became very successful, the most well known of Richard Barnum's tales. So, if you want to laugh a little, even if you are not a child, read this book". |
By: John Alexander Hammerton (1871-1949) | |
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Mr. Punch Awheel The Humours of Motoring and Cycling |
By: Oliver Herford (1863-1935) | |
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This Giddy Globe
Is there a genre called FUN? Yes, and this is it! Insanely humorous geography that will have you rolling on the floor laughing with your sides hurting. | |
The Mythological Zoo | |
The Rubáiyát of a Persian Kitten | |
Cupid's Almanac and Guide to Hearticulture for This Year and Next |
By: Timothy S. Arthur (1809-1885) | |
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Off-hand Sketches
The reader cannot but smile at some of the phases of life presented in this volume. Yet the smile will, in no case, the author thinks, be at the expense of humanity, good feeling, or virtue. Many of the incidents given, are facts embellished by a few touches of fancy. In all, lessons may be read that some, at least, will do well to lay to heart. |
By: John Leighton (1822-1912) | |
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Christmas Comes but Once a Year
A Christmas tale of John Brown's ghastly family (suburban snobs), Captain Bonaventure de Camp and his equally awful brood (a dubious crew), and poor Soavo Spohf, organist of St. Stiff the Martyr, gifted in musical ability but not blessed in looks or love. No-one could call this a great work of literature, but it definitely raises a few chuckles and it also offers a fascinating glimpse into Christmas festivities and social mores in well-to-do households in the mid-19th century. (Introduction by Ruth Golding) | |
The Royal Picture Alphabet |
By: Charles James Lever (1806-1872) | |
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Fortunes of Glencore |
By: Caroline Lockhart (1871-1962) | |
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Dude Wrangler
Spoiled, handsome, 24 year old Easterner meets pretty, no-nonsense gal from Wyoming, is instantly smitten and does a sea-change to try and impress her in this genial romantic comedy. |
By: Anne Wales Abbott ed. (1808-1908) | |
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Autumn Leaves, Original Pieces in Prose and Verse
The pieces gathered into this volume were, with two exceptions, written for the entertainment of a private circle, without any view to publication. The editor would express her thanks to the writers, who, at her solicitation, have allowed them to be printed. They are published with the hope of aiding a work of charity,—the establishment of an Agency for the benefit of the poor in Cambridge,—to which the proceeds of the sale will be devoted. |
By: Noah Lott | |
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The Silly Syclopedia
A Terrible Thing in the Form of a Literary Torpedo which is Launched for HILARIOUS PURPOSES ONLY. Inaccurate in Every Particular Containing Copious Etymological Derivations and Other Useless Things by Noah Lott (an ex-relative of Noah Webster) |
By: Rex Ellingwood Beach (1877-1949) | |
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Going Some |
By: Rossiter Johnson (1840-1931) | |
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Stories of Comedy |
By: Dion Clayton Calthrop (1878-1937) | |
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The Pirate's Pocket Book |
By: Alfred Henry Lewis (1857-1914) | |
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Wolfville Nights | |
Wolfville Days | |
Faro Nell and Her Friends Wolfville Stories | |
Wolfville |
By: Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1958) | |
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Oh, Well, You Know How Women Are and Isn't That Just Like a Man!
This warm, affectionate duet of essays by two of the early twentieth century's most popular writers is a bit dated but still entertaining. |
By: Irvin S. Cobb (1876-1944) | |
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Roughing it De Luxe | |
Fibble, D.D. | |
Cobb's Bill-of-Fare | |
Eating in Two or Three Languages |
By: Charles Godfrey Leland (1824-1903) | |
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Hans Breitman's ballads |
By: Ellis Parker Butler (1869-1937) | |
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Pigs is Pigs | |
Cheerful Smugglers
Saving for the baby's education: how can a young family be disciplined so as to regularly put money in the pig (bank)? Why, put a tariff on all items coming into the house, just like the U.S. Government does/did for items coming into the country! But the devil is in the details; what about taxing items brought in by visitors? Is the housemaid herself a taxable item? What items really are 'necessaries' versus luxuries? When visitors arrive these guests stoop to either 'smuggling' in their luggage items to avoid having to pay up to 30% of the value, or wear only what they came dressed in... | |
Goat-Feathers |
By: John C. Hutcheson | |
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Tom Finch's Monkey and How he Dined with the Admiral |
By: E. W. (Edward William) Cole (1832-1918) | |
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Cole's Funny Picture Book No. 1 |
By: Ada Leverson (1862-1933) | |
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Love's Shadow
The first in a trilogy of books known together as 'The Little Ottleys', this is a sparkling social comedy set in Edwardian London. Ada Leverson was a great friend and staunch supporter of Oscar Wilde and shared his love for sharp, witty writing. Like Wilde, her work is characterised by a wonderful ear for dialogue and deft characterization. 'Love's Shadow' introduces us to Bruce and Edith Ottley and their friends, who are to all appearances living the bright and carefree lives of the well-to-do. But there are cracks appearing in the facade... | |
Tenterhooks
The second of the 'Little Ottleys' trilogy, an Edwardian comedy of manners. Several years have passed since the events in 'Love's Shadow', but Bruce Ottley is as difficult and irksome as ever. His beautiful wife Edith continues to gently manage his foibles, and regards him with a fond tolerance. But then she meets the enchanting - and very handsome - Aylmer Ross. The attraction between them is undeniable, and Edith's quiet serenity is shattered. Could this spell the end for the Ottley's marriage?... |