The Reading Challenge Group discussion

I am planning on reading The Importance of Being Earnest for a comedy. I may or may not have time to read a tragedy.
The book you choose can be any genre, as long as one is a comedy and the other has a tragic theme.
You don't have to read both genres-- you can read one or the other.

Ooo. I’ll have to give this some thought!

I am going to read Dawn French -A Tiny but marvellous, supposed to be extremely funny and a page turner.

I like Dawn French, who is very funny. I hope the book is too.

His books are always entertaining, and funny.

I’m going to read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

That one is still on my to-read list. Maybe this year.....

Okay, it’s not precisely comedy, but it was fairly humorous, so I’m including Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores for this month’s genre challenge

It sounds funny. My daughter worked in a book store for years so she could probably relate to that book.

I'm reading 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers as a tragedy. Finished 5/17/2018

Glennis wrote: "I'm reading 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers as a tragedy."

Added to my TBR, not sure if I'll be able to read it though....

For tragedy I am reading Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster, which is heartbreaking.

For comedy, I just started Very Good, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse.

I decided to gamble and see what my library app dropped in my lap. Which seemed to be a whole gaggle of RomCom type books and an intriguing selection labeled “Hogarth Shakespeare.” The HG titles are reworkings of Shakespeare plays by authors like Anne Tyler and Jeanette Winterson. So that’s where I’m headed. Instead of my burgeoning TBR. Squirrel Syndrome strikes again!

For tragedy I’ll be reading All the Light We Cannot See.

Susy wrote: "For tragedy I’ll be reading All the Light We Cannot See."

I plan to start reading it soon in another group - it will be interesting to see what you think of it, Susy.

I’m reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie for comedy at the moment. Comedy? - perhaps it just isn’t my sense of humour. A quarter of the way through the book, I haven’t even smiled at it yet. The best bits are the descriptions of Edinburgh, in my opinion.

Trisha wrote: "Susy wrote: "For tragedy I’ll be reading All the Light We Cannot See."

I plan to start reading it soon in another group - it will be interesting to see what you think of it, Susy.
..."

Which groups? I’m reading it for 2 of my other groups as well.

Susy wrote: "Trisha wrote: "Susy wrote: "For tragedy I’ll be reading All the Light We Cannot See."

I plan to start reading it soon in another group - it will be interesting to see what you thin..."

It’s for the group “Everyone has read this but me”.

Update on The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - I finished it. Definitely not for me, I found it tedious & not funny at all.

That's too bad, Trisha. The same thing happened to me with The Bottle Factory Outing. It wasn't funny either.
If any of our members like non-fiction, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is funny, at least I thought so.
P.G. Wodehouse is always a good choice for humour.

I finished Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster for tragedy. It was an intense read.

Thanks for the recommendations, Rosemarie.

You're welcome. Last year I read Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse, which is the first Blandings book. It is also on the Guardian list. It was a lot of fun.

I'm starting to read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling for my comedy. It's been on my TBR list for awhile and I need something fun now that school is done.

Karolyn wrote: "I'm starting to read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling for my comedy. It's been on my TBR list for awhile and I need something fun now that school ..."

I like to read something fun after reading a serious book. I hope the book is entertaining and funny.

Sonia wrote: "I finished a PG Wodehouse yesterday. It was Hot Water. Very enjoyable."

I hadn't heard about this one, but it sounds funny. I hope the public library has a copy.

I finished reading The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. It is a funny play. I loved it.

I finished two of the Hogarth Project pieces.

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler revisits The Taming of the Shrew. I really enjoyed it.

The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson takes on Winter’s Tale and is just as convoluted. But it was kinda fun and Winterson was very creative.

Next up is Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold

Finished Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? tonight. A quick and funny read. If you like The Office, you'd probably enjoy it.

I'm thinking of reading Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster next if I can get my hands on a copy.

Finished Attachments which had a lot of humorous elements to it - the set-up for the novel is Lincoln is hired to monitor emails and provide IT support just before Y2K. In the course of reading some of the emails, he becomes enamored of Beth through the emails between her and her friend Jennifer. There's much fun and sweetness in this.

Susy wrote: "Glennis wrote: "I'm reading 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers as a tragedy."

Added to my TBR, not sure if I'll be able to read it though...."

If you were nearby, or knew someone involved, you might find it difficult. I'm more than halfway through and there has been little graphic description, except where appropriate, and then, it honors the victim rather than being sensationalist. I'm from California...it was surrealistic and horrifying but not entwined in our lives. I'm sure it matters.

Good to know, Glennis. I’ll keep that one in mind.

Rosemarie wrote: "I finished Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster for tragedy. It was an intense read."

I just finished this too. You're right, it's intense. I'm glad you recommend it, I learned a lot and want to read more on the topic.

I am glad you found it a worthwhile read, Karolyn.

I just finished reading Scoop by Evelyn Waugh. It started well & was quite amusing at first. The story soon became ridiculous & boring. I was glad when it ended, but wish I hadn’t wasted time reading it. Some of the language, by modern standards, was racist & offensive.

I often find that to be true of things written in the early 19th Century. It’s like I have to put on sensitivity armor! I’m not sure why that is, but it must have been trendy or something.

Just finished Very Good, Jeeves! by P.G.Wodehouse. This is a collection of 11 short stories featuring Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. All of them were funny without exception. Great comedy!

Renee wrote: "I often find that to be true of things written in the early 19th Century. It’s like I have to put on sensitivity armor! I’m not sure why that is, but it must have been trendy or something."

That’s interesting, Lesle. It’s the first time I’ve read something where it’s so noticeable.

I really struggle with anything that's supposed to be funny. Either I have no sense of humor, or I prefer to read other genres with witty humor intermingled. Definitely not a fan of slapstick or accidents waiting to happen.

I thought I probably wouldn't participate in this month's genre challenge, but I did read something that was a little too purposely funny for my taste, and I think it could count: Keeping the Castle.

Allison wrote: "I really struggle with anything that's supposed to be funny. Either I have no sense of humor, or I prefer to read other genres with witty humor intermingled. Definitely not a fan of slapstick or ac..."

I’m starting to feel the same way, Allison. For me, the funniest books I’ve read are by Doreen Tovey, especially “Cats in the Belfry” - but they probably only work for people who have cats! I’m not sure if any are still available, they were written years ago. My cat refuses to stay on my lap if I read them, as I disturb her by laughing instead of letting her sleep.

I enjoy books by Doreen Tovey, but then I also love cats.

I remember cracking up the first time I read Hamlet - which is supposed to be a tragedy...

Oh My God; That’s awesome!

I thought most of Moby Dick was hilarious. Of course, it might have been the deadpan voice of Frank Muller. But it made the book so entertaining.

But then I also have trouble with things that are supposed to be funny. I’m better with comedic elements. A little snark with my romance. A bit of dry wit with my mysteries.

I saw a production of Titus Andronicus, one of Shakespeare's most bloody plays, and the director decided to do an almost campy version of that grim play, so that there were some really funny bits because otherwise the play would have been extremely dark.
I find that many books that are supposed to be funny, are not funny for me.

But books by P.G. Wodehouse have never let me down--they are funny.

I am reading Lord of the Flies and Cold Comfort Farm for this month.

Rosemarie wrote: "I saw a production of Titus Andronicus, one of Shakespeare's most bloody plays, and the director decided to do an almost campy version of that grim play, so that there were some really funny bits b..."

That doesn't surprise me. I think Shakespeare knew when comic relief was needed! It's a bit more subtle in the more serious works, but it's there.

Is "Comedy" the same as "Humor"? I read "My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry" which is classified as a humor (though I didn't really find it humorous overall).

I guess I don't really think it is. Of Mice and Men seems to be highly listed in the "tragedies" side, so maybe I'll take time to finally read that.

Humour could be considered the same as comedy, if the book is focussed on being funny. I didn't really consider My Grandmother etc. as humour, just a contemporary novel.
Of Mice and Men is worth reading. It is short, well written and I would consider it a tragedy on many levels.

Yup... finished that one in a day and that was certainly a tragedy. Why did I wait so long to read that one?

It took me a long time to read Of Mice and Men, too. I am glad I finally read it with another group I belong to. The ending was so sad.

I found a comedy classic that was actually quite funny! The Diary of a Provincial Lady.