I went through a binge of reading all the books on the Pulitzer Prize list in the last few weeks. It was a good way, I thought, of getting a steer for the next book I ought ot read.
I came across “Empire Falls” by Richard Russo and thoroughly enjoyed it.
So much, in fact, that I dipped into his other books, and they are tremendously entertaining and funny.
There is a trilogy of books based in Bath, upstate New York I think, featuring Donald Sullivan and a band of memorable characters.
The first book in the trilogy is “Nobody’s Fool”, the second is “Everybody’s Fool” and the final book is “Somebody’s Fool”.
I am in the middle of the second one at the moment and it I find myself laughing out loud when I am running or cycling. Surely a good test for a humourous book.
I would recommend all of the above books, but Empire Falls as a starting point. It is beautifully written, accessible and observes human behaviour beautifully and with perception and a violent amount of wit.