Books Should Be Free Loyal Books Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads |
|
Humorous Books |
---|
Book type:
Sort by:
View by:
|
By: Wallace Irwin (1876-1959) | |
---|---|
The Love Sonnets of a Hoodlum |
By: Heywood Broun (1888-1939) | |
---|---|
Seeing Things at Night
This Book is a collection of humorous short stories which describe the comedy in everyday things and situations. | |
Pieces of Hate and other Enthusiasms
This book is a collection of humorous short stories about ordinary instances in daily life. We learn many interesting things about life, such as how to court women successfully, what it feels like to be a god, and why sometimes it would be a good idea to exchange one's own newborn baby for a better one at the hospital. | |
By: David Ross Locke (1833-1888) | |
---|---|
"Swingin Round the Cirkle." His Ideas Of Men, Politics, And Things, As Set Forth In His Letters To The Public Press, During The Year 1866. |
By: Metta Victoria Fuller Victor (1831-1885) | |
---|---|
The Blunders of a Bashful Man | |
The Bad Boy At Home And His Experiences In Trying To Become An Editor - 1885 |
By: James Bell Salmond (1891-1958) | |
---|---|
My Man Sandy |
By: Knight Russ Ockside (1830-1898) | |
---|---|
History and Records of the Elephant Club
Mortimer Q. Thomson (September 2, 1832 – June 25, 1875) was an American journalist and humorist who wrote under the pseudonym Q. K. Philander Doesticks. He was born in Riga, New York and grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Michigan University in Ann Arbor, but was expelled along with several others either for his involvement in secret societies[1] or for "too much enterprise in securing subjects for the dissecting room."[2] After a brief period working in theater, he became a journalist and lecturer... |
By: H. C. (Harry Charles) Witwer (1890-1929) | |
---|---|
Alex the Great | |
Kid Scanlan |
By: Jesse Lynch Williams (1871-1929) | |
---|---|
Why Marry?
Why Marry? is a comedy, which "tells the truth about marriage". We find a family in the throes of proving the morality of marriage to a New Age Woman. Can the family defend marriage to this self-supporting girl? Will she be convinced that marriage is the ultimate sacredness of a relationship or will she hold to her perception that marriage is the basis of separating two lovers."Why Marry?" won the first Pulitzer Prize for Drama. |
By: Richard D. Blackmore (1654?-1729) | |
---|---|
Essay upon Wit |
By: Steele Rudd (1868-1935) | |
---|---|
On Our Selection
The humorous account of Dad and Dave and the rest of the Rudd clan as they attempt to carve a farming 'selection' out of the Australian wilderness in spite of fire, famine, snakebite, and a loony hired hand. |
By: Susan Edmonstoune Ferrier | |
---|---|
Marriage, Volume 1
“Love!–A word by superstition thought a God; by use turned to an humour; by self-will made a flattering madness.” – Alexander and Campaspe. Lady Juliana, the indulged and coddled seventeen (”And a half, papa”) year old daughter of the Earl of Cortland, is betrothed by her father to a wealthy old Duke who can give her every luxury. She instead runs away and marries her very handsome but penniless lover. Very soon, they are forced to travel to Scotland to live with his quirky family in a rundown “castle” in the barren wilderness. Can this marriage survive?(Summary by P.Cunningham) |
By: Will M. (Will Martin) Cressy (1863-1930) | |
---|---|
Continuous Vaudeville |
By: John Wight (1866-1944) | |
---|---|
Mornings at Bow Street
This is a collection of various articles found in Morning Herald columns. Some are found interesting, some may be hilarious! The 84 pieces of this book are actual reports throughout the 1870s newspaper written by the reporter, John Wight and Illustrated by George Cruikshank |
By: Henry Carey (1687?-1743) | |
---|---|
A Learned Dissertation on Dumpling (1726) [and] Pudding and Dumpling Burnt to Pot. Or a Compleat Key to the Dissertation on Dumpling (1727) |
By: Christopher Morley (1890-1957) | |
---|---|
In the Sweet Dry and Dry
Written just before Prohibition to entail the possible troubles that might happen en route. Both sides of the argument, or battle as the case may be, strike out with various over-top methods like legislating most fruits and vegetables as unsafe or intoxicating large groups with breathable alcohol. |
By: Timothy Templeton | |
---|---|
The Adventures of My Cousin Smooth |
By: Q. K. Philander Doesticks (1832-1875) | |
---|---|
The Witches of New York
A humorous account of visits to various fortune tellers, card readers, seers, and other "witches" of New York. Written by Q.K. Philander Doesticks (a.k.a.Mortimer Thomson). |
By: James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960) | |
---|---|
Why They Married |
By: Francis Marion Wing (1873-1956) | |
---|---|
"The Fotygraft Album" Shown to the New Neighbor by Rebecca Sparks Peters Aged Eleven |
By: Richard Doyle (1824-1883) | |
---|---|
The Foreign Tour of Messrs. Brown, Jones and Robinson Being the History of What They Saw, and Did, in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland & Italy. |
By: Robert Fitzgerald | |
---|---|
The Statesmen Snowbound |
By: Wardon Allan Curtis (1867-1940) | |
---|---|
The Strange Adventures of Mr. Middleton |
By: Herbert George Jenkins (1876-1923) | |
---|---|
Mrs. Bindle
Herbert 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. It becomes clear as the stories progress that Bindle would not be who he is without Mrs. Bindle, and this book seeks to tell the stories of the Bindles from the distaff point of view. |
By: J. L. Duff | |
---|---|
The Rubaiyat of Ohow Dryyam With Apologies to Omar |
By: A. D. (Alfred Denis) Godley (1856-1925) | |
---|---|
The Casual Ward academic and other oddments |
By: John Cecil Clay (1875-1930) | |
---|---|
Happy Days |
By: R. D. (Robert Dalziel) Cumming (1871-1958) | |
---|---|
Skookum Chuck Fables Bits of History, Through the Microscope |
By: Lisle de Vaux Matthewman (1867-) | |
---|---|
Crankisms |
By: Kenneth McGaffrey (??-1938) | |
---|---|
The Sorrows of a Show Girl
Originally printed in The Morning Telegraph in New York, this is the story of Miss Sabrina, the show girl, and her ups and downs with the unpredictable theatrical industry and the Great White Way, the lights and glamour of Broadway. "In order to set myself right with both the public and the vast army of Sabrinas that add youth and beauty to our stage, and brilliancy and gaiety to our well known cafes, I wish to say that she is all that she should be...”- Kenneth McGaffrey |
By: F. C. (Francis Cowley) Burnand (1836-1917) | |
---|---|
Happy-Thought Hall |
By: Mary Wallace Bundy Little (1857-) | |
---|---|
The Rubaiyat of a Huffy Husband |
By: Unknown | |
---|---|
Poems Every Child Should Know
A treasure trove of more than two hundred poems, this gem of an anthology compiled by Mary E Burt is indeed a most valuable set of poems to read or listen to. Published in 1904, Poems Every Child Should Know contains some well-loved verses like Thomas Gray's Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, Lewis Carroll's delightful parody Father William, Felicia Hemans' deeply-moving Casablanca and other favorites. It also has lesser-known but equally beautiful pieces like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The Arrow and The Song, Robert Browning's The Incident of the French Camp, Eugene Field's nonsense lyrics Wynken, Blynken and Nod and a host of other wonderful verses... |
By: Marshall Pinckney Wilder (1859-1915) | |
---|---|
The Wit and Humor of America
Light hearted, entertaining and amusing as it takes on contemporary American life would best describe The Wit and Humor of America by Marshall Pinckney Wilder whish is a compilation of humorous passages from various works of American literature. Ranging from Harriet Beecher Stowe's Dinah's Kitchen to Dislikes by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Little Orphint Annie by James Whitcomb Riley, The Auto Rubaiyat by Reginald Wright Kauffman, Garden Ethics by Charles Dudley Warner and Morris and the Honorable Tim by Myra Kelley and many more delightful pieces, the book is indeed a treasure trove of humor... |
By: Various | |
---|---|
Brazilian Tales
“Brazilian Tales” is a collection of six short stories selected by Isaac Goldberg as best representative of the Brazilian Literature of his period – the end of the 19th century. His comprehensive preface aims at familiarizing the reader with a literature that was – and still is – virtually unknown outside the boundaries of its own land, and the pieces chosen by Goldberg to be translated belong to writers that reached popularity and appreciation while still alive. This “pioneer volume”, as the translator himself puts it, still keeps its charm and interest as a way of offering to the English speaking public some “sample cases” of Brazilian Literature. |
By: Anonymous | |
---|---|
Sketches Of The Fair Sex
Sketches of the fair sex, in all parts of the world. To which are added rules for determining the precise figure, the degree of beauty, the habits, and the age of women, notwithstanding the aids and disguise of dress. It is our design to present a pleasing and interesting miscellany, which will serve to beguile the leisure hour, and will at the same time couple instruction with amusement. We have used but little method in the arrangement: Choosing rather to furnish the reader with a rich profusion... | |
English as She is Wrote
"...Showing Curious ways in which the English Language may be made to convey Ideas or obscure them." A collection of unintentionally humorous uses of the English language. Sections of the work: How she is wrote by the Inaccurate, By Advertisers and on Sign-boards, For Epitaphs, By Correspondents, By the Effusive, How she can be oddly wrote, and By the Untutored. |
By: Unknown | |
---|---|
Vice in its Proper Shape
Cautionary tales of the transmigration of the souls of naughty boys and girls, as elucidated by the mysterious Bramin, Mr Wiseman: “Having been gifted with the faculty of distinguishing those animals which are now animated by the souls of such human beings as formerly degraded themselves to a level with the unthinking brutes, I have taken the pains to provide a collection of beasts, birds, &c. most of which are inhabited by the souls of some naughty masters or misses, who died in the neighbourhood.” (David Barnes, quoting the Introduction) | |
Humour of the North
Some day an enterprising editor may find time to glean from the whole field of Canadian literature a representative collection of wit and humour. . . . The present little collection obviously makes no such ambitious claim. It embraces, however, what are believed to be representative examples of the work of some of our better-known writers, many of which will no doubt be quite familiar to Canadian readers, but perhaps none the less welcome on that account. |
By: Richmal Crompton (1890-1969) | |
---|---|
Just William
William is a mischievous eleven year old who is puzzled by the adult world, which is no less puzzled by him. The humor is gentle and pleasing. The series of books is better known in the United Kingdom than in the U.S. ( |
By: Chester K. Steele (1862-1930) | |
---|---|
The Diamond Cross Mystery
Colonel Ashley is confronted with a difficult case: The proprietor of a jewelry shop is found murdered, and a valuable diamond cross is stolen. Whodunnit, and how can the Colonel's expertise in fishing help to solve the case? |
By: Anonymous | |
---|---|
Irish Wit and Humor
Excerpted anecdotes from the biographies of Swift, Curran, O'Leary and O'Connell, relating humorous snippets of politics in 18th and 19th century Ireland. For some these may be poignant in addition to being humorous and for others they may be humorous in addition to being poignant. ( |
By: Barry Pain (1864-1928) | |
---|---|
Eliza
A gentle, yet deliciously humourous series of anecdotes following the life of the main character and his wife, Eliza. |
By: A. A. Milne (1882-1956) | |
---|---|
The Sunny Side
The Sunny Side is a collection of short stories and essays by A. A. Milne. Though Milne is best known for his classic children's books, especially Winnie The Pooh, he also wrote extensively for adults, most notably in Punch, to which he was a contributor and later Assistant Editor. The Sunny Side collects his columns for Punch, which include poems, essays and short stories, from 1912 to 1920. Wry, often satirical and always amusingly written, these pieces poke fun at topics from writing plays to lying about birdwatching. They vary greatly in length so there is something for everyone. |
By: Ellis Parker Butler (1869-1937) | |
---|---|
Philo Gubb, Correspondence-School Detective
Philo Gubb, not being content with his job as wallpaper-hanger, has higher aspirations: to become a detective, just like Sherlock Holmes. To that end, he enrolls in a correspondence course, where he gets lessons through the mail as well as the necessary disguises for a detective. Philo Gubb, not being really clever or intuitive, or even looking good in those disguises, gets involved in one case after the other - and sooner or later happens to stumble on and solve the crime... Each of these stories... |
By: Saki (1870-1916) | |
---|---|
The Toys of Peace
This is the fifth collection of short stories by Saki (H.H. Munro), and was published posthumously in 1923. Even so, many of the stories are quite up to the standard of those collected earlier. |
By: Richard Harding Davis (1864-1916) | |
---|---|
The Make-Believe Man
Adventure was what our protagonist was looking for, when he boarded the steamer "Patience" for his holiday, and when one has a man with such a vivid imagination like Joseph Forbes Kinney as a travel companion, who seems to find adventures at every turn of the road (and if not, he manufactures them), the two travellers are sure to stumble into trouble... |
By: Various | |
---|---|
The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 |
By: Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) | |
---|---|
The Hand of Ethelberta
Ethelberta was raised in humble circumstances but became a governess and consequently, at the age of 18, married well. However, her husband died two weeks after the wedding. Her father-in-law, Lord Petherwin, died shortly afterwards. Ethelberta (now 21) lives with her mother-in-law, Lady Petherwin. In the three years that have elapsed since her marriage, Ethelberta has been treated to foreign travel and further privileges by Lady Petherwin but restricted from seeing her own family. The story follows Ethelberta's career as a famous poetess and storyteller... |
By: A. A. Milne (1882-1956) | |
---|---|
Once a Week
A collection of short stories by famed Winnie the Pooh author, A.A. Milne. This charmingly humorous work from Milne's earlier writing period was first published in Punch magazine. |
By: Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879-1958) | |
---|---|
The Bent Twig
Semi-autobiographical series of incidents in the life of an intellectual American family in the late 19th - early 20th Century as seen by favored daughter, Sylvia Marshall. Her father is an economics professor in a Midwestern state university and she is following in his inquisitive footsteps. Canfield writes this in a matter-of-fact manner with Tarkingtonesque good humor. |
By: Cal Stewart (1856-1919) | |
---|---|
Uncle Josh's Punkin Centre Stories
A collection of comedic short stories from the perspective of an old country man. |
By: A. A. Milne (1882-1956) | |
---|---|
Not That It Matters
More of the witty, wry, and deliciously wicked essays and articles written by Milne. Most people know him as the creator of Winnie The Pooh, but he worked for many years as editor of Punch Magazine and these are some of his best. Not That It Matters is a collection of over 40 of these short stories and articles. Not That It Matters collects his columns for Punch, which include poems, essays and short stories, from 1912 to 1920. Most of his writing pokes fun, both gentle and not so gentle at a variety of topics... |
By: George Horace Lorimer (1869-1937) | |
---|---|
Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son
Being the Letters written by John Graham, Head of the House of Graham & Company, Pork-Packers in Chicago, familiarly known on 'Change as "Old Gorgon Graham," to his Son, Pierrepont, facetiously known to his intimates as "Piggy." George Horace Lorimer was an American journalist and author. He is best known as the editor of The Saturday Evening Post. |
By: Christopher Morley (1890-1957) | |
---|---|
Kathleen
A group called the Scorpions, eight Oxford undergraduates, find a letter Kathleen wrote a letter to Joe at Oxford. They build up an image of Kathleen and Joe from the letter and set out to find and meet Kathleen. The competition between them leads to many entertainingly funny scenarios. |
By: Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) | |
---|---|
My Discovery of England
"In the course of time a very considerable public feeling was aroused in the United States and Canada over this state of affairs. The lack of reciprocity in it seemed unfair. It was felt (or at least I felt) that the time had come when some one ought to go over and take some impressions off England. The choice of such a person (my choice) fell upon myself. By an arrangement with the Geographical Society of America, acting in conjunction with the Royal Geographical Society of England (to both of whom I communicated my proposal), I went at my own expense."And from thence follow the impressions of Canadian political economist and humourist, Stephen Leacock, after a lecturing visit to England. |
By: Saki (1870-1916) | |
---|---|
Unbearable Bassington
The Unbearable Bassington was the first novel written by Saki (H. H. Munro). It also contains much of the elegant wit found in his short stories. Comus (The Unbearable) Bassington, is a charming young man about town. His perversity however thwarts all his mother’s efforts to advance his prospects and lands him in hot water. Like many a “black sheep” he ends up being sent off to one of the colonies to fend for himself. This book showcases Saki’s wonderful writing and that ability to be so very funny and terribly sad at the same time. |
By: Various | |
---|---|
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; containing a collection of over one thousand of the most laughable sayings and jokes of celebrated wits and humorists. |