Bizarre Books: A Compendium of Classic Oddities – Wonderfully Twisted Literary Finds and Gut-Bustingly Funny Trivia for Fans

by Russell Ash, Brian Lake

They say you can't judge a book by its cover—but its title can tell you more than you ever needed to know!

Amazing, illuminating, and gut-bustingly funny, Bizarre Books is the wonderfully twisted product of more than two decades of determined searching in forgotten corners of out-of-the-way libraries and through the literary detritus of eclectic private collections. It is certain to delight every true fan of trivia and the patently absurd.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Books About Books, Reference, Trivia

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Russell Ash is best known for his annual 'The Top Ten of Everything' and other popular reference works, but he is also the author of numerous humour titles. His extensive research work encompasses biographical studies and genealogy.

Reviews

[Matteo Fumagalli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un libro che parla di libri trash e assurdi? Sembra pane per i miei denti!
Tuttavia mi ha deluso molto. Più che liste, mi sarei aspettato delle analisi dei libri o, quanto meno, una descrizione effettiva dei titoli presentati. La maggior parte dei casi riguarda giochi di parole, strafalcioni nei titoli (che in inglese sono divertentissimi, in traduzione si perdono completamente) o autori dai nomi ambigui. Più vicino ai libretti di 7 in condotta che andavano di moda dieci anni fa, (quelli delle note assurde date nei licei) che a Tommaso Labranca, per dire. Peccato.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book arrived in the same Amazon shipment as "Bertha Venation", a book devoted to funny names of people. While "Bertha Venation" managed to be singularly unfunny, "Bizarre Books" had a pretty high hilarity quotient. Almost every page had at least a couple of titles which made me giggle.

Conveniently grouped into chapters such as Double Entendres, Science & Scientific Theories, health & Medicine, Sex & Marriage, Sport, Leisure, Clothes & Fashion, Food & Drink, The Workplace, Crime & the Law, Religion & Beliefs, and Death , most of the titles included in this book are genuinely funny. For some of the more baffling titles, the authors include a representative short excerpt, a welcome feature.

This book is not for everyone. But if you have a penchant for the offbeat, the quirky, and obscure weirdness, it's good for more than a few belly-laughs.

It would be remiss of me not to include a few of my favorite entries:

How to Draw a Straight Line, by Sir Alfred Bray Kempe
'The Unexplored Fields are still vast.'
The Art of Faking Exhibition Poultry (1934), by George Ryley Scott.
The author treads an indistinct line between condemning this widespread and despicable practice, and telling the reader exactly how to do it.
Correctly English in Hundred Days (Shanghai Correctly English Society, 1934)
This book is prepared for the Chinese young man who wishes to served for the foreign firms. It divided nealy hundred and ninety pages. It contains full of ordinary speak and write language.....
Drummer Dick's Discharge, by Beatrix M. DeBurgh (1902)
Penetrating Wagner's Ring, by John DiGaetani (1978)
Handbook for the Limbless
Gay Bulgaria ('once noted in a survey as the least borrowed book in British libraries')
Was Oderic of Pordenone Ever in Tibet?
The Love Sonnets of a Hoodlum, by Wallace Irwin (1901)
'Am I a turnip? On the strict Q.T.,
When do my Trilbys get so ossified?
Why am I minus when it's up to me
To brace my Paris pansy for a glide?'
Truncheons: Their Romance and Reality, by Erland Fenn Clark (1935)
with over 100 plates illustrating more than 500 truncheons.

Admit it, aren't you just a little bit curious to learn more about those 500 truncheons? To know more about the mysterious, mythic Oderic of Pordenone? To sample more of that literary hoodlum's oeuvre?

Perhaps what I enjoy most about this book is the glimpses it provides of the infinite inventiveness, and never-ending quirkiness, of the human mind.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a curious little book I have to say, One that I stumbled on while checking out the bookshelf of a cottage I was staying at. The title of the book pretty much says it all - devoting the various chapters to bibliographical details of the weird and wonderful through the years.

I think though what really caught me was that - yes there are some pretty bizarre titles here, many of which would never see the light of the day, even the most innocently written have some truly strange and sometimes disturbing titles. However what really amused me was that I recognised some of the titles and have even read a couple of them (although I suspect the author intentionally did this intentionally).

So if you want a book which you can pick up and skim through a few pages or a chapter or two and feel suitably amused this is ideal, one of those curious books that itself in time will probably find its way on to the pages of a book of lists/

[Tim Poston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew, flipping through the strange entries in this book, that I loved it and had to rescue it from the second-hand shelf.

I did not know that I would bring it home, open it again at random and find listed a book with contributions by myself.

Sometimes the world kisses me on the nose.

[Iophil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libretto molto curioso e abbastanza interessante. Sono sempre stato attratto dalle "stranezze", specie in ambito cartaceo, e qui dentro se ne trovano a bizzeffe.
La traduzione, in diversi casi, fa perdere molto dell'originale umorismo, ma alcuni titoli sono impagabili.
In generale, se amate i libri, anche come oggetti e non solo per quanto si trova al loro interno, penso sia meritevole di una sfogliata: un sorriso, da qualche parte, ve lo strapperà certamente.

[Serena.. Sery-ously? · Rating 3 out of 5]

Qualche titolo (e qualche sezione del libro) meritano, alcuni me li sono segnati perché voglio davvero cercarli.. Ma molti sono comprensibili solo ad un pubblico inglese e letto il primo, letti tutti..
Simpatico, ma non un libro che mi porterei nella tomba, ecco :D

[Dimitris Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a blithe and glorious (yes) collection of such amazing, curious and sidesplitting book titles as:

(double entendres)
Drummer Dick's Discharge, Beatrix M. De Burgh, Ernest Nister, 1902
Penetrating Wagner's Ring, John Louis DiGaetani, Rutherford, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1978
Boobs as Seen by John Henry, George Vere Hobart, New York: G. W. Dillingham, 1914
Memorable Balls, James Laver, Derek Verschoyle, 1954
Invisible Dick, Frank Topham, D. C. Thomson & Co., 1926

"Jeehosophat! What a disgraceful scene!" said Dick Brett, doing a series of physical jerks behind a bush, as he began to grow into visibility."

(authors--right or wrong)
The Ethics of Peace and War, I. Atack, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2005
Motorcycling for Beginners, Geoff Carless, East Ardsley: EP Publishing, 1980
Industrial Social Security in the South, Robin Hood, Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 1936
Obesity: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment, Louis Lasagna, New York: Medcom Press, 1974
Metabolic Changes Induced by Alcohol, G. A. Martini, Berlin: Springer Verlag, 1971
Frozen Future: The Arctic, the Antarctic and the Survival of the Planet, Daniel Snowman, Toronto: Random House of Canada, 1993
There Are No Problem Horses, Only Problem Riders, Mary Twelveponies, Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1982

etc etc, going through a wealth of subjects and book types. I feel weirdly proud of owning this book. Apart from being a little treasure all of its own, it reminds me how anybody can publish a book and indeed how many different tiles have been published through the centuries, that we'll never know about no less. Time to start writing now then!

BTW: I'm not including this to the 2015 reading challenge because I read 95% of it in 2014. In fact it was a gift from my mother. Spot-on, wasn't it?

[Ruby Tombstone Lives! · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book catalogues the names of various books which, for whatever reason, are deemed to be bizarre. The chapters on double entendre book titles, and bizarre medical treatises were quite hilarious. A lot of the books in here however are simply listed, and it's not necessarily obvious as to why the authors thought them to be bizarre. A few had explanatory notes, but the majority did not. For example, the Travel section included, "Let's Go To Iraq". I'm not sure that's such a bizarre idea, and there was no information given other than the title, year, author and publisher. . There were some great little known books here from the 1800s which I'd love to get my hands on, but I really would have appreciated a less comprehensive list, and a small paragraph on each of the books that were included.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for a few laughs--basically a book of lists of bizarre book titles. I think my favorite chapters were "Sex and Marriage," "Food," and "Innuendo"--most of the books mentioned were written in the 1800s or earlier and the writers clearly had no idea how their titles might be construed. The "Travel" titles were pretty amusing, too, just because the translation was so bad! Fun to flip through but really only good in small doses--after a while it can get boring just to read random titles.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review on my book blog: http://quirkyreader.livejournal.com/2...

[Marty Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was on the 25 cent table at the used bookstore, so what could I do? This is definitely a compendium of classic oddities, and I wonder at the dedication of the two authors, who have spent over 40 years looking at bookshops, publishers' lists, internet sites, and book fairs to find the strangest titles and weirdest books around. Some of the titles are funny because of unintended double entendre (Games You Can Play with Your Pussy, Scouts in Bondage, and the unforgettable Invisible Dick ["Jeehosophat! What a disgraceful scene!" said Dick Brett, doing a series of physical jerks behind a bush, as he began to grow into visibility.]) Others have authors' names that fit strangely with titles. ("Motorcycling for Beginners by Geoff Carless, The Inner Flame by Clara Louise Burnham, Common Truths from Queer Texts by Rev. Joseph Gay). Still others are just plain weird, like Laundry Lists with Detachable Counter-checks in French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, including Vocabularies and Necessary Phrases with Phonetic Spelling, probably on the best seller list in 1909. Thanks to this volume, you no longer have to wonder who published 1897's fabulous tome: Octogenarian Teetotalers, With One Hundred and Thirteen Portraits.

[Scott Benowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title tells us precisely what this book is- this is not a topic that many authors opt to write about, this is one of the few books that I know of about this topic.
In "Bizarre Books," we read about books which are.... ..... ..... .... well, it may have made some sense in earlier centuries to have published some of the books which are described in this book, and others really leave us wondering what authors as well as the people who work at publishing companies could possibly have been thinking.
This is a novelty topic, a humorous footnote in literary history. If you're interested in novelty topics or if you're looking to read something which will certainly make you laugh, then yes, add this to your reading lists.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected. Should be called "Bizarre Titles." It is merely a 200+ page LIST of weird titles, or titles that would make a 12 year old giggle. And yes, a few titles did make me laugh out loud or wonder how drunk their publisher was -- but when their are 8 or nine such titles per page, the joke wears thin quickly. They occasionally include a spicy cover, or a cover blurb that is also (allegedly) funny. They include a list of "remarkable" author names, such as Pierre Anus or Yoshimoto Banana. So if you like double entendres and bathroom humor, especially if repeated ad naseum - this may be the book for you.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books and these...though many of them are just pamphlet titles...have some of the funniest titles on record. Granted, many make accidental sexual innuendos because words change meanings over the years, or language translations trip up, but now and again there are some completely ridiculous and absolutely hilarious titles out there...and the author has brought a lot of them together in this funny book. Don't expect a plot, but do expect to be amused.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this to be different than it was. When you get the background of the books, it's a little more interesting and funny. However, the book ends up being a list of goofy titles, books that didn't age well, or double entendre titles.

Definitely more of a quick breeze-through in the library than a book to read cover to cover.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny and quite bizarre

[Carlton Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors obviously spent countless hours poring over material, so that effort alone garners praise.
I definitely got some good laughs along the way.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reads like an ADHD person’s 4am Twitter thoughts, except in old book titles and covers! :) Good to see humans don’t change!

[Kristen Bouma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Funny in some parts.

[Jacqui · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing that comes to mind when describing this book is 'meh'. Fish Who Answer the Telephone and Other Bizarre Books by Russell Ash is simply a catalogue of 'bizarre' books either due to their titles, authors or subject matter.

Memorable Book Titles / Authors

"Drummer Dick's Discharge"

"Cock Tugs: A Short History of the Liverpool Screw Towing Company"

"Big Dick: The King of Negroes"

"Queer Doings in the Navy"

"Planet of the Knob Heads"

"The Abuse of Elderly People: A Handbook for Professionals"

"Natural Breast Enlargement with Total Mind Power: How to Use the Other 90 Per Cent of Your Mind to Increase the Size of Your Breasts"

"How to be Happy Though Married"

"Wrestling for Gay Guys"

"Eating the Baby Jesus"

"Sex After Death"

[Duckyard Swan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will stand alongside Richard Lederer's "Anguished English" as a go-to book when I need a laugh. After skimming the first chapter, "Double Entendres," and finding gems like "Shag The Caribou" and "Boobs As Seen By John Henry," I had to buy it and leave the used bookstore post-haste before making a spectacle of my laughing self.
From "Pamela Pounce: A Tale of Tempestuous Petticoats," The Encyclopedia of Shampoo Ingredients, "Salted Peanuts: 1800 Little-Known Facts," and "A Nostalgia for Camels" to many others I hesitate to mention because this is a family show, this book is just pure fun.
What amazed me was how recently some of the books were printed. For instance: "Taking Life Imprisonment Seriously"....from 2002!
The only bad part about this book is that we're given so many tempting little oddities with a slim chance of ever finding the actual books, although I did find a few on Project Gutenberg.
Oh well, off to read "The Toothbrush: Its Use & Abuse." Or maybe "Acne At Your Fingertips."
So many bizarre books, so little time.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought a book that is basically a list of strange, esoteric books would be perfect for me--considering my love for literature, my interest in strange subjects, and my mild-OCD obsession with lists (hence my being on this site). But I had a hard time staying focused while reading this book. It is as though it is designed to be glanced though; reading a list for pages at a time, especially when I do much of my reading before bed, caused all the content to become a blur. I also wished for more actual content--some of the enteries also has bits of text, and that gave it more weight. It is certainly not a bad book, just not meant to be read in one sitting. The best part was the pictures of all these fantastic old book covers.

[Noran Miss Pumkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wished it did more, then just listed the books, with a picture here and there-often in back and white. It had great potential to be a fun book, with small descriptions/discussions of each book. They are listed my topic. The book is a little bigger than paperback size. i just had hope for much more, but that is what you get ofr ordering an OOP over the web these days. Few of the pictures, very few are in color. Still, will use it to track down a title or two. Read in less than an hour today.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a little lame counting this as a "read" book, since it is literally only the titles of books, and no descriptions. However, I decided to put this on my list because of the sheer hilarity of it. There are some total busts, which is to be expected when a book is comprised solely of book titles. But, there are also some that are so hilarious that I was cry-laughing for almost five minutes (ok, let's be real, 2 minutes, maybe). Anyway, it would take only about 10 minutes to read through this book, and I totally recommend that everyone does it if they are in need of a laugh.

[Päivi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaikenlaisia kirjoja maailmassa painetaankin, eivätkä ne välttämättä ole edes omakustanteita! Tähän kirjaan on koottu esimerkkejä englanninkielellä julkaistuista teoksista, joiden nimike tai sisältö on jotenkin erikoinen tai tahattoman hauska (kaksimielisyyksiäkään unohtamatta). Muutamia suosikkejani: Sex After Death, Did the Virgin Mary Live and Die in England?, Hand Grenade Throwing as a College Sport,Romance of the Gas Industry ja Enjoy Your Skunks.

[Caffeinated Weka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a giant list of actual bizarre book titles and authors on a range of topics. They include titles that range from questionable to humorous to outright obscure. It's well researched and arranged into lots of small sections that are easy to flick through. It's best to dip in and out of this book and read a few pages at a time to enjoy its novelty, rather than read it from cover to cover, as it really is just a collection of funny titles.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mildly interesting. Unfortunately it is a long list of books and nothing more.
Yeah there are a few covers printed in the book and sometimes a quote or blurb info is given but that is it.
It would be more interesting if more information about the books is given or in some cases why they are mentioned. In most cases it is obvious but several books made me wonder why they were included.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a mildly-humorous book with lots of book titles, some photographs, and a few excerpts. It shows the great variety of topics we humans write books about! The author had some childlike interest in prurient topics, which were not the funniest parts of the book.

[Ever · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH a funny book! There is a gem on every page!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, there were some weird ones in here. An odd read.