Books might be the most challenging medium to employ and convey humor in. Funny lines and comic situations have a much greater impact when you can see or hear them being unveiled. Hence, we may have missed and not caught quite a few funny lines from books the authors intended to be humorous because we read them in the wrong tone in our head or weren't "mentally" prepared for the "joke part." A language gap might also be to blame.
However, it shouldn't be surprising that wordsmiths, as many of the greatest writers are, would also possess the best wit. And sharp-sighted and quick-witted readers are quick to catch any funny quotes from books they've read. Funny quotes from literature might not be everyone's preference for comedy since funny book lines are often contextual. However, not all of them. One doesn't have to be book-smart or know the author's background to find funny book quotes to be quality comedic content. After all, authors and writers are people just like us, and comic situations and occurrences were just as prevalent when the book was written, be it 10 or over 100 years ago. The wording may be different from what we use today. Still, situations remain the same; hence, comedic quality doesn't get diminished. Therefore, with funny literature quotes, no matter how current the source is, there's still a lot to relate to!
We've combed the internet, including the r/books subreddit beloved by bookworms, to find some of the best funny book quotes and, for convenience, compiled them in a list below. If you found any of these quotes from novels and literary works amusing, make sure to give them an upvote. Also, don't forget to share this article with a friend or a family member who would also enjoy reading through some intellectual witticisms!
#1
"In the beginning, the universe was created. This made a lot of people angry and is widely considered a bad move."
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
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#2
"The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't."
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
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#3
"Nobody's perfect. Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him."
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
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#4
"The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast."
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime by Oscar Wilde
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#5
"There's a door."
"Where does it go?"
"It stays where it is, I think."
Eric by Terry Pratchett
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#6
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams
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#7
"Some factual information for you. Have you any idea how much damage that bulldozer would suffer if I just let it roll straight over you?"
"How much?"-asked Arthur.
"None at all," said Mr. Prosser.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
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#8
"They're trying to kill me,"- Yossarian told him calmly.
"No one's trying to kill you,"- Clevinger cried.
"Then why are they shooting at me?" Yossarian asked.
"They're shooting at everyone," Clevinger answered. "They're trying to kill everyone."
"And what difference does that make?"
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
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#9
"Let's have no fighting, please. This is, after all, a council of war."
Jingo by Terry Pratchett
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#10
"This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it."
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
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#11
"When you look like your passport photo, it’s time to go home."
When you look like your passport photo, it’s time to go home by Erma Bombeck
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28points
#12
"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life."
Jingo by Terry Pratchett
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#13
"It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression ‘As pretty as an airport.'"
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams
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#14
"I was a drunk, you have to be richer than I was to be an alcoholic."
The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
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#15
"Hours passed, like a kidney stone."
Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
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#16
"The dress looked like it had been sown in a rage and put on in a tempest."
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
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#17
"We’re going to tell you about three of the children in Mrs. Jewls’s class, on the thirtieth story of Wayside School. But before we get to them, there is something you ought to know. Wayside School was accidentally built sideways. It was supposed to be only one story high, with thirty classrooms all in a row. Instead, it is thirty stories high, with one classroom on each story. The builder said he was very sorry."
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
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#18
"Paranoids are only paranoid because people keep telling them not to be paranoid."
Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
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#19
"For a while, Los Angles and New York City were like yin and yang. You would go to Los Angeles to wear colorful exercise gear and eat local organic and be on television, and you would go to New York to wear no colors at all, spend a lot of money on rent in order to be murdered, and eat more cream cheese than a bagel."
You Don't Have to Like Me by Alida Nugent
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#20
"It was the day my grandmother exploded."
The Crow Road by Iain Banks
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