Book Advice

[jordan_76]

Okay, I'm looking for some works which fit one or more of the below criteria:

- Modern American social commentary
- Satire
- Witty humor, but with substance
- Stupid and risque things that happen in a New York City
- Fresh ideas and themes
Any suggestions appreciated.

[Letum]

Could you be a little more specific?

[Tchocky]

Chuck Palahniuk is the man for you :up:

Bret Easton Ellis if you want to keep it in NYC

[Heibges]

If you substitute San Francisco for NYC I would suggest Amistad Maupin's "Tales of the City".

PBS also did a wonderful adaptation with Laura Linney, James Moffat, an Olympia Dukkakis, Parker Posey among others.

"Catch 22" by Joseph Heller

"Moscow 2042" by Vladamir Voinovich (Satire about Communism being achieved, but only in Moscow. Voinovich loathes Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and this plays a part in the story.:lol:)

"A Prayer for Owen Meaney" by John Irving (In New England, a sad fairly tale of a story about a Christlike child)

"The Tin Drum" by Gunter Grass (In 1930's Danzig, a fairy tale about a boy who doesn't want to grow up)

"Oblomov" by Ivan Goncharov (a satire on a Russian noble who can't get out of bed. Created quite an uproar and spawned the term Oblomovshina for not being able to stir yourself into action.) Unfinished

"Dead Soul's" by Nikolai Gogol (a satire on the "value of serfs) Unfinished

"The Good Soldier Svejk" by Jaroslav Hasek (satire on a lowly lazy soldier in the Austro Hungarian Army in WWI) Unfinished

[joseph60]

One of the books which interest me is “Tales of a New York Limo Driver” by Nicky Testaforte. It talks about the stupid and risque things that happen in a New York City limo.

Not only does the author tell amazing stories of sex, excess and stupidity, he also offers up a bunch of driving and travel tips, some very sarcastic and scathing. I found the book at amazon.com

[dean_acheson]

P.J. O'Rourke.

'nuff said.

That is, unless you can find anything written by Fred Thompson, and that is because he is the world's baddest man (http://www.fredthompsonfacts.com/official_facts/index.php?fact=10).

[lesrae]

- Witty humor, but with substance

Try 'Last chance To See' by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine, it's about nearly extinct animal species - but with some of Adams' wit thrown in.

[Skybird]

Okay, it's a bit older now, but back in my later university time it was a hit and very popular at German universities: Matt Ruff: Fool on the hill.

http://www.amazon.com/Fool-Hill-Novel-Matt-Ruff/dp/0802135358/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/002-9853966-0549666?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183673986&sr=8-4

Not everybody's taste, but I enjoyed it and laughed tears more than once.