Totally non boaty (apologies)

I don't know of another whole book on the subject, but Bill Bryson wrote about his time as a Sub on a Local Paper in one of his travel books (might have been "Neither Here nor There" or possibly "Notes from a Small Island") in characteristically amusing fashion. There's also Leslie Thomas' "Tropic of Ruislip" in which the central character is a reporter on a local rag.

Not primarily a comic novel, but "The Shipping News" by E Annie Proulx also has its moments.

Hope this helps a bit.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Fred Drift

PS Neither humorous nor local, but "Point of Departure" by James Cameron is the best book I've ever read about what it's like to be a journalist. A lot of it is about what it's like to be James Cameron, which isn't quite the same thing, but it's fascinating nevertheless.

He was one of my heroes; I'd highly recommend the book if you haven't read it.

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
Agree with all the choices -
Tropic of Ruislip a superb expose of suburban morality, Shipping News - an excellent read

Pratt of the the Argus - also excellent

<hr width=100% size=1>
 
The Midnight Examiner by William Kotzwinkle

The plot: The staff of a low-brow publications house, among whose many titles is "The Midnight Examiner," bands together to save a porn star from a mafia boss, who she mistakenly shot in the knee. Slapstick action ensues as the rescuers, doped up on voodoo medicines, storm the mafia stronghold with a boomerang, fishing pole, derringer, blowgun, and Swiss Army knife.

The characters: A motley collection of has-beens, never-weres, and eccentrics. Each character comprises a unique set of quirky habits and mannerisms. There's the narrator, a polyester-clad schlep. There's the publisher, who is obsessed with blowguns. There's the new guy, fastidiously dressed, concerned only for his cats, and wickedly good with a fishing pole. There's the resident graphic artist, who has an epileptic/schizophrenic condition and draws big Aztec-like women on living room walls. And the mafia boss, who's driving anxiety is that his taste in interior decoration is low-class. In fact, there's a cornucopia of characters, a snowstorm of maladies, all amusing.

- N

<hr width=100% size=1><font size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com>http://www.bluemoment.com</A></font size=1>
 
Just have to vote for The Shipping News too - one of my favourite novels, beautiful use of language, and while not a laugh-a-minute, it does have some extremely funny bits. Everyone should read this! Oh, but don't bother with the fillum...

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.sting.co.uk>Sting Creative</A>
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top