Five Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud in Quarantine (and Taught Me Amazing Lessons)
Jim Morrison travels through the afterlife in one of them
I have a special place in my heart for writers who can make me laugh when I’m alone, especially now. We’re in a pandemic, people! That news outlet you love? It’s just going in circles.
Why not step back, and read something that doesn’t put the weight of the world on your shoulders?
All the books I’m including in this list manage to interweave fantastic life lessons with the comedy, so even if you’re a hyper-efficient self-help junkie, there are pearls of wisdom awaiting you between the humor. I’ll be sharing a quote from each book and a short summary of my takeaways. Enjoy!
1. Equal Rites — Terry Pratchett
The second book in Pratchett’s “Discworld” series (which does not need to be read in order), this book brings a hilarious perspective to gender equality.
Our heroine Eskarina is born with the ability to cast wizard magic, in a patriarchal world where wizard magic is only supposed to be done by men, and witchery is women’s magic. As Eskarina takes on the Beurocratic world of wizardry, hilarity ensues.
“It was, in fact, one of those places that exist merely so that people can have come from them. The universe is littered with them: hidden villages, windswept little towns under wide skies, isolated cabins on chilly mountains, whose only mark on history is to be the incredibly ordinary place where something extraordinary started to happen. Often there is no more than a little plaque to reveal that, against all gynecological probability, someone very famous was born halfway up a wall.”
What I learned: Bureaucracy deserves to be smashed. The hilarious way that Terry Pratchett lampoons bureaucracy using wizarding society leaves us laughing and wanting to revolt at the same time.
2. The Long Dark Tea-Time of The Soul — Douglas Adams
Another sequel in a series that does not need to be read in order, this book follows Dirk Gently, a private eye who runs a “holistic detective agency.”
He believes in solving the whole case, and his methods are hilariously unorthodox. Because he believes in “the fundamental interconnectedness of all things” as shown to us by quantum physics, he believes that if he’s in proximity to the case at all, he’ll end up solving it eventually.
“It was his subconscious which told him this — -that infuriating part of a person’s brain which never responds to interrogation, merely gives little meaningful nudges and then sits humming quietly to itself, saying nothing.”
I split my sides as Dirk Gently bumbled through situation after situation on his way to understanding who, in fact, dunit.
What I learned: This book is a lovely reminder to not be too obsessed with the plan because if you’re in proximity to success, you’ll end up in the right place eventually. I recommend this one to anyone who’s ever stumbled on success by accident, or wants to try.
3. Jim Morrison’s Adventures in The Afterlife―Mick Farren
This book follows by far the most nontraditional, off-the-rails plot of any book I’ve ever read. Jim Morrison wakes up in the afterlife after his famous overdose, only to discover that the afterlife is nothing like what anyone ever believed and that he is going to have to save it from destruction.
On the way, Jim meets and interacts with a diverse cast that includes Doc Holliday, Aimee McPherson (an evangelist from the early 20th century), and Godzilla. This book was alternately crude, hilarious, and thought-provoking. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a completely unique story.
“Aimee McPherson had arrived in the Afterlife only to discover that, if she wanted a Heaven, she was expected to build it herself. God Himself had failed to put in even the most cursory manifestation, and she had begun to doubt that He actually existed at all.”
What I learned: The afterlife is not guaranteed. There is nothing guaranteed beyond this life. For all we know, the afterlife could be a disgusting mess. This is the place to experience heaven, here and now.
4. Good Omens―Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
By far the most well-known book on this list, there is not a single book I’ve given to more people as a gift. This is one of the most riotously funny books I’ve ever read.
It’s the story of an angel and a demon who’ve been on earth since the Garden of Eden and have become so fond of living on earth that once they realize that the apocalypse is right around the corner, decide that they have a responsibility to stop it.
Along the way, they meet the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the antichrist, and the devil himself. This book will have you getting looks from strangers as you guffaw into your mask in public.
“God does not play dice with the universe; He plays an ineffable game of His own devising, which might be compared, from the perspective of any of the other players [i.e. everybody] to being involved in an obscure and complex variant of poker in a pitch-dark room, with blank cards, for infinite stakes, with a Dealer who won’t tell you the rules, and who smiles all the time.”
What I learned: Whatever you believe, it doesn’t need to be taken so bloody seriously. At the end of the day, we’re all doing the best we can, and it’s our connection to each other that matters, not what we believe that’s different from what someone else believes.
5. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
Christopher Moore takes us on a beautiful journey in this book, putting a new spin on the story of Jesus of Nazareth. In this book, he grows up with a best friend, Biff, who’s edited out of the final cuts of the bible because he’s just not a good person.
This book takes us on a journey with Jesus himself, taking us to faraway places as Jesus and Biff learn the lessons that will transform Jesus into the messiah he was destined to be.
“It’s wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary as sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs.”
What I learned: Nothing is more important than the people that we surround ourselves with, because they’re what remains when everything else fades away.
I hope that you guys have as much fun reading these as I did! Things are heavy right now, and a little humorous escapism goes a long way to add to your happiness and sanity. Stay safe out there, and enjoy a few laughs!
Modnxs said that fish and expressions of his Father are a coin in the name
I was in the middle of “Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency” when the lockdown started and my gym shut down. It was my escape from the hamster dreadmill. Love Douglas Adams. I see a Half Priced Books shopping trip in the future!!