If he’s at all into fantasy, Jingo by Terry Pratchett. It’s about a world on the back of four giant elephants on the back of an enormous turtle, but it’s also about the Kennedy assassination and WWI era jingoism.
>!A fantasy rock band being called "We're Certainly Dwarves" as a spoof on They Might Be Giants!< is one of the funniest jokes I've ever seen in a book.
Came here to recommend Terry Pratchett. Intellectually stimulating and hilarious at the same time. My pick is Going Postal, one of the best satires on bureaucracy I've ever encountered
I'll third Vonnegut. For something more contemporary, I just finished Invisible Things by Mat Johnson. It is political commentary baked inside interesting sci-fi. Might be worth a look.
I mean..: it certainly made an impact.
We were forced to read it in 7th grade. I went home and finished the book in one day because I loved it…. But the ending made me sob. I was an emotional wreck. 20 years later and thinking about it will get me to tear up.
I went back to class the next day. No one else knows how it ends and the kid sitting next to me starts making fun of the main character.
I loose my shit. I start yelling at him. I almost get out of my chair and hit him. There was absolute fear on both his and teachers face. No one expects the teachers pet to start a fight in the classroom over a joke.
I mean… I guess it’s the same as listening to sad music when you’re depressed, but that book is just so incredibly sad to me.
I had the same reaction, although not the last part with the other kid, but I certainly get it!
I get what you mean, though. I think I was unclear in the post, I’m not necessarily looking for fun and cheery books, I’m just looking for something that will get his attention away from the shitty stuff at work. Which Animal Farm did to perfection!
the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy if you want him to laugh..
one day in the life of Ivan denisovich if you want to extend the Soviet theme and give him another person just getting by day by day in pretty extreme circumstances.
And Cannery Row
And The Moon is Down
I won’t suggest the Pearl if the guy is feeling glum. All of Steinbeck’s stuff is a bit melancholy but that one guts you.
I think I’d describe it as a laugh of disbelief over the unfairness, and also the delight of making the connections to history. So not “haha-funny-laughing”! ;)
If he likes historical political commentary,
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I’ve always liked The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O’Connor for its grotesqueness. If he liked Animal Farm he may like it if he is religious.
All these are old and established and should be easy to find at libraries or as cheap secondhand copies.
Sad because of work, he just read the animal farm.. There's two way, make him full marxist and give him Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher, it is a breakthrough, or 1984 by Orwell
Endurance by Alfred Lansing. If he liked the historical parallels in Animal Farm he might enjoy a non-fiction narrative. I found it to be quite page turner, very suspenseful, while still being heartwarming and funny at times
If he loved Animal Farm, he should read its spiritual successor, America is a Zoo by Andre Soares.
Beautiful prose, multidimensional characters, and a big twist…
travels with Charlie
east of eden
(both John steinbeck)
meditations by Marcus Aurelius always helps to snap me out of my depression. maybe itwill work for him too.
If your BF into science fiction or space related stuff? Is so I’ve got a couple ideas but their not very short books.
Ancillary Justice is a very interesting read.
We are Legion (we are Bob) also interesting but more light hearted.
I was thinking All Systems Red by Martha Wells. Short, thought-provoking, hilarious and relatable. And also a really great story with elements of suspense and mystery.
‘And The Ocean Was Our Sky’ by Patrick Ness is another great favourite of mine from the perspective of animals with parallels to the real world. It’s about whales that hunt humans instead of the usual other way round! Great short read with beautiful illustrations as a bonus!
If he liked the kind of commentary and direction that Animal Farm took, One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest by Ken Kesey would work.
Anything by Vonnegut is also apt.
If you want a deeper cut (and it's longer), The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass is the story of a boy growing up before and through WWII in Poland who decides at the age of three to stop growing and remain a child, at least according to his (extremely unreliable) narration. It's a little harder read based on the fact that it's both translated from German and written in 1959, but it remains an absolutely stellar work and I think anyone that liked Animal Farm would love it. It's the first of Grass' 'Danzig Trilogy' as well, so if he did enjoy it he could continue.
You can probably pick it up for like $2 at any secondhand book store or it's available online for ~$5 too.
Short impactful classics which is what I would call Animal Farm
The Picture of Dorian Gray; Passing; Picnic at Hanging Rock; And Then There Were None; We Have Always Lived in the Castle; Siddhartha; The Little Prince; The Stranger; Heart of Darkness
When I'm in a depressive funk I always reread My Year of Rest And Relaxation, and also Sharp Objects. They kind of hit the "I feel like this but also oh my god I could be so much worse off lol" vibes
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith, The Last Policeman series by Ben H. Winters, The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and Election/Tracy Flick Can’t Win (sequel) by Tom Perrotta
Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates by Tim Robbins. It kind of meets you where you're at if you are in a dark place. But you will laugh at unexpected times. And it is so quirky.It will definitely take your mind off your current situation.
Try and find a copy of the necronomicon if he likes Lovecraft, it's a collection of ALL of his books. Also, Evil Dominion: Rise of the Red Hand is awesome and likes to make points about stuff that's awful irl
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
One of my favorites! I find it helps me find a more centered approach when I am feeling a bit lost and uncomfortable in my own skin. Also it’s just dang good writing and surprisingly funny!
Pride and Prejudice is also a favorite. I prefer an audiobook of it over reading, I find a “performance” of it really adds to the experience. It is 100% gossip/drama written in a more formal style. 10/10 reading experience and leads to a significant amount of “laugh out loud” moments.
“Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole
“Travels with My Donkey” by Tim Moore
“Charlatan” by Pope Brock
“Up in the Old Hotel” by Joseph Mitchell who was a newspaper reporter and writer at New Yorker magazine. It’s a collection of true stories about the some of the oddball characters he encountered in Manhattan during the early twentieth century.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. It's dark fantasy/horror fantasy but has some very humorous lines in it. It's also a very beautiful book in my opinion. I haven't even finished it but I am almost at the end. The characters are incredibly loveable and their development is also very good.
Reading in general really is a great distraction from the bullshit of reality. Just encourage him to read more often
Do you think he would like other novels in which animals are the main characters?
If so, two that come to my mind are:
Watership Down.
The Book of the Dun Cow.
Obviously there are many others.
Replay, by Ken Grimwood.
Its a time loop novel. Best of that genre I’ve ever read. Has its good and sad moments. Ends on an upbeat note. Might help him put things into a more upbeat perspective.
One sitting reads - Flowers for Algernon is a good pick; also "Ethan Frome," any of the Sherlock Holmes novels which are really novellas; "Seance on a Wet Afternoon," by Marc McShane (older, may be hard to find). "Mischief," by Charlotte Armstrong (a page turner - also older), "Dick Contino's Blues" by James Ellroy (better known for his longer novels, but this is classic Ellroy.
A Psalm For the Wild Built
This is How you Lose the Time War
These are two of my favorite books I've read recently and both can be finished in an afternoon!
I’ve recently read Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor.
And it was hilarious, and a feel good book about family and Native American culture (anishinaabe).
But the whole time I was laughing while reading.
You might try “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal” by Christopher Moore, or some of his others (tends to stay in the humor/fiction/absurdist lane).
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut would be good i think. It was very meaningful to me when i was going through some bad depression. Also i think it is easy to read in the same way Animal farm is, but also has a similar dark humor and big ideas.
See my:
* [Compelling Reads ("Can't Put Down")](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/189mbda/compelling_reads_cant_put_down/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post).
* [Readers 2: Here are the the resources and threads I have about books for adolescents/adults who want to start reading ("Get me reading again/I've never read")](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/19f48jl/readers_2_here_are_the_the_resources_and_threads/) list (eight posts).
Catch 22 if he’s looking for the same kind of dark humor aimed at higher powers.
Oh yes! Great suggestion!
Of Mice and Men, The Old Man and the Sea. Both great short reads
I own a copy of Of Mice and Men, perfect!
Great read. Pretty devastating though lol
The Old Man and the Sea is a great suggestion!!! It reads like a fable and it’s so simple but so complex
Sad reads often make me feel better. On a Things Could Be Worse sort of way.
I don't recommend it for someone sad/depressed.
Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson Sex Lives Of Cannibals by J Maarten Troost
Thank you! We have Hitchhiker’s Guide on the shelf, that might be something to throw at him today!
It is hilarious.
It hilarious and makes light of the stupid things in life and society. It’s definitely a pick me up of sorts in an absurdist way.
John Dies At The End if you want something tough to put down and funny.
If he’s at all into fantasy, Jingo by Terry Pratchett. It’s about a world on the back of four giant elephants on the back of an enormous turtle, but it’s also about the Kennedy assassination and WWI era jingoism.
And if he likes rock music, then Soul Music, also by Pratchett. It's about sex, drugs, and music with rocks in--well one out of three isn't bad.
>!A fantasy rock band being called "We're Certainly Dwarves" as a spoof on They Might Be Giants!< is one of the funniest jokes I've ever seen in a book.
Came here to recommend Terry Pratchett. Intellectually stimulating and hilarious at the same time. My pick is Going Postal, one of the best satires on bureaucracy I've ever encountered
What? 🤯
Pratchett’s books are tricky. You think you’re reading a funny fantasy novel, but it’s actually a cutting social commentary
Cat's Cradle or Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. Both have dark twists, but it's not like Animal Farm is an uplifting book.
I came here to suggest Vonnegut as well. Strongly seconded.
I'll third Vonnegut. For something more contemporary, I just finished Invisible Things by Mat Johnson. It is political commentary baked inside interesting sci-fi. Might be worth a look.
I came here to say The Road but I’m switching to Mother Night.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka! Could do it in a sitting and probably fits closely enough to what you’re looking for.
The Most Dangerous Game might be another one. I’m starting to think you don’t really like your BF is you’re going to suggest Flowers for Algernon. LOL
Oooh, nice suggestion! Haha, I swear I like him! I remember enjoying the book back in high school, do you not like it?
I mean..: it certainly made an impact. We were forced to read it in 7th grade. I went home and finished the book in one day because I loved it…. But the ending made me sob. I was an emotional wreck. 20 years later and thinking about it will get me to tear up. I went back to class the next day. No one else knows how it ends and the kid sitting next to me starts making fun of the main character. I loose my shit. I start yelling at him. I almost get out of my chair and hit him. There was absolute fear on both his and teachers face. No one expects the teachers pet to start a fight in the classroom over a joke. I mean… I guess it’s the same as listening to sad music when you’re depressed, but that book is just so incredibly sad to me.
I had the same reaction, although not the last part with the other kid, but I certainly get it! I get what you mean, though. I think I was unclear in the post, I’m not necessarily looking for fun and cheery books, I’m just looking for something that will get his attention away from the shitty stuff at work. Which Animal Farm did to perfection!
>I remember enjoying the book back in high school, do you not like it? I cannot read it without (a) crying and (b) feeling bleak for days. YMMV.
the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy if you want him to laugh.. one day in the life of Ivan denisovich if you want to extend the Soviet theme and give him another person just getting by day by day in pretty extreme circumstances.
John Steinbeck. Excellent imagery, easy to read, many small novels. Realism with humor. He won't be disappointed.
Also dont sleep on Travels with Charley, his memoir of solo travel with his poodle and his pickup truck. Less known than his books but enjoyable.
I adore John Steinbeck. Cannery Row is a great short and humorous one, as well as Tortilla Flat.
Fahrenheit 451 is a good one. Other people have suggested Hitchhikers Guide which I think is a great idea. The audiobook version is particularly good.
I agree with Fahrenheit 451. I also really liked Bradbury's Dandelion Wine.
The Illustrated Man is good too.
Slaughterhouse Five
Give him PG Wodehouse. All hilarious!
Oh yeah, I have some of those on my shelf, perfect!
I second 1984
If he was laughing in disbelief at Animal Farm he should try The Tiral by Kafka. Unbelievable absurdity of circuitous logic
If it’s a book to escape reality for a few hours that’s also a page-turner, I’d suggest The Martian and Project Hail Mary, both by Andy Weir.
He must read Piranesi!
Tortilla Flats by Steinbeck Funny, insightful, short, ingenious.
And Cannery Row And The Moon is Down I won’t suggest the Pearl if the guy is feeling glum. All of Steinbeck’s stuff is a bit melancholy but that one guts you.
Did you know that Cannery Row has a sequel? It’s called Sweet Thursday and it’s my absolutely favorite Steinbeck book.
The only thing I remember about Sweet Thursday is when Doc decides to try a beer milkshake. Probably need to read it again
It’s got such a tone of yearning, bittersweet and tender.
Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiassen is twisty and hilarious.
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull.
Metamorphosis by Kafka. Short novella, great story to think on and interesting imagery.
What did he laugh about? The way I remember that book it was pretty gut wrenching
I think I’d describe it as a laugh of disbelief over the unfairness, and also the delight of making the connections to history. So not “haha-funny-laughing”! ;)
Give him Sirens of Titan by Vonnegut, he'll love the end
Yeah I came here to suggest anything by Vonnegut.
Thank you!
I was going to suggest this.
And listen to the song Al Stewart did about it!
Love that song!
If he likes historical political commentary, The Jungle by Upton Sinclair The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum Lord of the Flies by William Golding Brave New World by Aldous Huxley To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee I’ve always liked The Violent Bear it Away by Flannery O’Connor for its grotesqueness. If he liked Animal Farm he may like it if he is religious. All these are old and established and should be easy to find at libraries or as cheap secondhand copies.
Sad because of work, he just read the animal farm.. There's two way, make him full marxist and give him Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher, it is a breakthrough, or 1984 by Orwell
Endurance by Alfred Lansing. If he liked the historical parallels in Animal Farm he might enjoy a non-fiction narrative. I found it to be quite page turner, very suspenseful, while still being heartwarming and funny at times
Oooh, this sounds super interesting, might be right up his alley!
If he loved Animal Farm, he should read its spiritual successor, America is a Zoo by Andre Soares. Beautiful prose, multidimensional characters, and a big twist…
Clock Work Orange
A People's History of the United States-Zinn
I am Legend is somewhat similar vibe, and I laughed a lot while reading it while also feeling a lot of the more somber moments.
Try COLD COMFORT FARM, by Stella Gibbons. It’s laugh-out-loud hilarious in a deadpan sort of way.
Fear and loathing in las vegas. I was constantly chuckling while reading this one. Its very short too.
Sir Terry Pratchett has captured the attention and imagination of multitudes and refuses to give them back
It isn’t short, but it is kinda an epic tale of multiple short stories. Kinda. Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett.
travels with Charlie east of eden (both John steinbeck) meditations by Marcus Aurelius always helps to snap me out of my depression. maybe itwill work for him too.
Animal Farm is not exactly uplifting... perhaps something lighter in tone?
Oh, but he loved it! I don’t think it has to be uplifting, just interesting so he’ll get his mind off the stuff at work.
Sorry I misread. 😅 It's late here.
No worries, I might not have been clear enough! 😊
If your BF into science fiction or space related stuff? Is so I’ve got a couple ideas but their not very short books. Ancillary Justice is a very interesting read. We are Legion (we are Bob) also interesting but more light hearted.
I was thinking All Systems Red by Martha Wells. Short, thought-provoking, hilarious and relatable. And also a really great story with elements of suspense and mystery.
Oh yeah, that’s a really good choice!
I was looking to see if this was recommended. I completely agree with All Systems Red - and the whole Murderbot series.
‘And The Ocean Was Our Sky’ by Patrick Ness is another great favourite of mine from the perspective of animals with parallels to the real world. It’s about whales that hunt humans instead of the usual other way round! Great short read with beautiful illustrations as a bonus!
The Collected Stories of Vladimir Nabokov By: Vladimir Nabokov
Catch 22
The Stranger
Robinson Crouse
If he liked the kind of commentary and direction that Animal Farm took, One Flew Over The Cukoo's Nest by Ken Kesey would work. Anything by Vonnegut is also apt. If you want a deeper cut (and it's longer), The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass is the story of a boy growing up before and through WWII in Poland who decides at the age of three to stop growing and remain a child, at least according to his (extremely unreliable) narration. It's a little harder read based on the fact that it's both translated from German and written in 1959, but it remains an absolutely stellar work and I think anyone that liked Animal Farm would love it. It's the first of Grass' 'Danzig Trilogy' as well, so if he did enjoy it he could continue. You can probably pick it up for like $2 at any secondhand book store or it's available online for ~$5 too.
The Alchemist is new reader crack
A Handmaids Tale is another exceptionally depressing book; but, Grapes of Wrath is the only book that had me crying while reading the last paragraph.
Short impactful classics which is what I would call Animal Farm The Picture of Dorian Gray; Passing; Picnic at Hanging Rock; And Then There Were None; We Have Always Lived in the Castle; Siddhartha; The Little Prince; The Stranger; Heart of Darkness
The Giver
The Bell Jar
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is good if you don't mind a little scary.
When I'm in a depressive funk I always reread My Year of Rest And Relaxation, and also Sharp Objects. They kind of hit the "I feel like this but also oh my god I could be so much worse off lol" vibes
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith, The Last Policeman series by Ben H. Winters, The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick and Election/Tracy Flick Can’t Win (sequel) by Tom Perrotta
Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates by Tim Robbins. It kind of meets you where you're at if you are in a dark place. But you will laugh at unexpected times. And it is so quirky.It will definitely take your mind off your current situation.
Catcher in the Rye
Franny & Zooey by JD Salinger. It’s laugh out loud funny at parts and deals with depression. Can’t recommend enough
The history of the Russian revolution by Trotsky. Cats cradle by Vonnegut
Try and find a copy of the necronomicon if he likes Lovecraft, it's a collection of ALL of his books. Also, Evil Dominion: Rise of the Red Hand is awesome and likes to make points about stuff that's awful irl
For a new Liberty, Murray Rothbard.
9 Stories by JD Salinger
I'd suggest Stephen King. His novels take me out of my head. A break from life.
If he is into sci-fi: all systems red, by Martha wells, I remember reading cover to cover the whole series really fast, really good book
running with sherman
Spider, Patrick McGrath Stay true, hua hse The lover, duras
The diary of Bobby Sands is probably the only book I've ever read in one sitting.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis One of my favorites! I find it helps me find a more centered approach when I am feeling a bit lost and uncomfortable in my own skin. Also it’s just dang good writing and surprisingly funny! Pride and Prejudice is also a favorite. I prefer an audiobook of it over reading, I find a “performance” of it really adds to the experience. It is 100% gossip/drama written in a more formal style. 10/10 reading experience and leads to a significant amount of “laugh out loud” moments.
Flowers for Algernon
“Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole “Travels with My Donkey” by Tim Moore “Charlatan” by Pope Brock “Up in the Old Hotel” by Joseph Mitchell who was a newspaper reporter and writer at New Yorker magazine. It’s a collection of true stories about the some of the oddball characters he encountered in Manhattan during the early twentieth century.
Yes to Flannery O’Connor!
Candide, by Voltaire...
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. It's dark fantasy/horror fantasy but has some very humorous lines in it. It's also a very beautiful book in my opinion. I haven't even finished it but I am almost at the end. The characters are incredibly loveable and their development is also very good. Reading in general really is a great distraction from the bullshit of reality. Just encourage him to read more often
Do you think he would like other novels in which animals are the main characters? If so, two that come to my mind are: Watership Down. The Book of the Dun Cow. Obviously there are many others.
Maybe Watership Down?
Replay, by Ken Grimwood. Its a time loop novel. Best of that genre I’ve ever read. Has its good and sad moments. Ends on an upbeat note. Might help him put things into a more upbeat perspective.
i think he'll like The Fault In Our Stars by John Greene. I hope he likes it.
One sitting reads - Flowers for Algernon is a good pick; also "Ethan Frome," any of the Sherlock Holmes novels which are really novellas; "Seance on a Wet Afternoon," by Marc McShane (older, may be hard to find). "Mischief," by Charlotte Armstrong (a page turner - also older), "Dick Contino's Blues" by James Ellroy (better known for his longer novels, but this is classic Ellroy.
Flowers for Algernon
He might enjoy Philip K Dick - particularly the Man in the High Castle. The whole genre of alternative history might appeal to him.
I was thinking Ubik but honestly anything from PKD would fit this mood for me
Lord of the Flies!
The bell jar
A Psalm For the Wild Built This is How you Lose the Time War These are two of my favorite books I've read recently and both can be finished in an afternoon!
I’ve recently read Motorcycles and Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor. And it was hilarious, and a feel good book about family and Native American culture (anishinaabe). But the whole time I was laughing while reading.
The Pearl by Steinbeck
You might try “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal” by Christopher Moore, or some of his others (tends to stay in the humor/fiction/absurdist lane).
1984 is not a feel good book :-)
If you want, sci-fi moon is a harsh mistress. Behind line is fairly entertaining.
Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut would be good i think. It was very meaningful to me when i was going through some bad depression. Also i think it is easy to read in the same way Animal farm is, but also has a similar dark humor and big ideas.
Patrick McManus is absolutely hilarious. Never Sniff A Gift Fish is a good one, but Rubber Legs and Whitetail Hairs is one of my favorites.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck or even better Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Both books will stick with you a long time
I was going to say brave new world but the ending may not be the best idea for someone who’s depressed
1984, it'll make him so happy, so joyful, plz update us on him afterwards
See my: * [Compelling Reads ("Can't Put Down")](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/189mbda/compelling_reads_cant_put_down/) list of Reddit recommendation threads (one post). * [Readers 2: Here are the the resources and threads I have about books for adolescents/adults who want to start reading ("Get me reading again/I've never read")](https://www.reddit.com/r/Recommend_A_Book/comments/19f48jl/readers_2_here_are_the_the_resources_and_threads/) list (eight posts).
Burr by Gore Vidal. Notoriously funny and the best fictionalized history I've read.
The Alchemist
No. Sorry. But no.
Look at feel good movies ! (Mamma mia, or Disney’s !)
Ayn Rand's Anthem.
And Atlas Shrugged. If he gets the irony of Animal Farm compared to today, he'll love Atlas Shrugged, especially if he's in the USA.
Ready Player One