Michael Dirda: The 100 best comic novels

1.
Crome Yellow
Crome Yellow 3.42 avg rating — 8,762 ratings
2.
Appleby's End (Sir John Appleby, #10)
Appleby's End (Sir John Appleby, #10) 3.88 avg rating — 453 ratings
3.
The Crock of Gold
The Crock of Gold 3.89 avg rating — 917 ratings
4.
The Travel Tales of Mr. Joseph Jorkens
The Travel Tales of Mr. Joseph Jorkens 4.03 avg rating — 35 ratings
5.
Cold Comfort Farm
Cold Comfort Farm 3.88 avg rating — 53,852 ratings
5.
Amphigorey (Amphigorey, #1)
Amphigorey (Amphigorey, #1) 4.06 avg rating — 61,767 ratings
7.
The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye 3.80 avg rating — 3,800,426 ratings
8.
The Sword in the Stone (Once and Future King, #1)
The Sword in the Stone (Once and Future King, #1) 3.89 avg rating — 27,944 ratings
9.
God Save the Mark
God Save the Mark 3.75 avg rating — 1,552 ratings
10.
South Wind
South Wind 3.63 avg rating — 322 ratings
11.
The Flower Beneath the Foot: Being a Record of the Early Life of St. Laura de Nazianzi
The Flower Beneath the Foot: Being a Record of the Early Life of St. Laura de Nazianzi 3.52 avg rating — 124 ratings
12.
The Phantom Tollbooth
The Phantom Tollbooth 4.20 avg rating — 301,801 ratings
13.
Mort (Discworld, #4; Death, #1)
Mort (Discworld, #4; Death, #1) 4.24 avg rating — 265,340 ratings
14.
The Moving Toyshop (Gervase Fen, #3)
The Moving Toyshop (Gervase Fen, #3) 3.75 avg rating — 7,615 ratings
15.
Riotous Assembly
Riotous Assembly 4.07 avg rating — 4,327 ratings
16.
Leave It to Psmith (Psmith, #4)
Leave It to Psmith (Psmith, #4) 4.28 avg rating — 12,085 ratings
17.
The Pyrates
The Pyrates 3.73 avg rating — 1,472 ratings
18.
Augustus Carp, Esq. by Himself, Being the Autobiography of a Really Good Man
Augustus Carp, Esq. by Himself, Being the Autobiography of a Really Good Man 3.80 avg rating — 626 ratings
19.
Trials of Topsy
Trials of Topsy 4.08 avg rating — 13 ratings
20.
The Unfortunate Fursey
The Unfortunate Fursey 4.05 avg rating — 148 ratings
21.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 3.60 avg rating — 6,830 ratings
22.
Mapp and Lucia (Lucia, #4)
Mapp and Lucia (Lucia, #4) 4.22 avg rating — 3,059 ratings
23.
What a Life! An Autobiography
What a Life! An Autobiography 3.85 avg rating — 47 ratings
24.
The Young Visiters
The Young Visiters 3.78 avg rating — 1,128 ratings
25.
Tik-Tok
Tik-Tok 3.70 avg rating — 754 ratings
26.
His Monkey Wife
His Monkey Wife 3.50 avg rating — 209 ratings
27.
Lucky Jim
Lucky Jim 3.75 avg rating — 31,468 ratings
28.
Decline and Fall
Decline and Fall 3.83 avg rating — 15,502 ratings
29.
Party Going
Party Going 3.49 avg rating — 961 ratings
30.
An Armful of Warm Girl
An Armful of Warm Girl 3.77 avg rating — 53 ratings
31.
Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things
Imaginative Qualities of Actual Things 4.02 avg rating — 366 ratings
32.
Catch-22
Catch-22 3.99 avg rating — 873,324 ratings
33.
Pictures from an Institution
Pictures from an Institution 3.46 avg rating — 508 ratings
34.
Bullivant and the Lambs
Bullivant and the Lambs 3.44 avg rating — 490 ratings
35.
A Severed Head
A Severed Head 3.74 avg rating — 6,551 ratings
36.
Lolita
Lolita 3.87 avg rating — 919,197 ratings
37.
Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars
Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars 4.35 avg rating — 1,043 ratings
38.
The Night Life of the Gods
The Night Life of the Gods 3.79 avg rating — 582 ratings
39.
Murphy
Murphy 3.81 avg rating — 6,325 ratings
40.
The Eyes of the Overworld (The Dying Earth, #2)
The Eyes of the Overworld (The Dying Earth, #2) 4.12 avg rating — 4,989 ratings
41.
Cakes and Ale
Cakes and Ale 3.78 avg rating — 7,778 ratings
42.
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit 3.73 avg rating — 89,520 ratings
43.
The Silver Stallion
The Silver Stallion 3.89 avg rating — 201 ratings
44.
The Napoleon of Notting Hill
The Napoleon of Notting Hill 3.83 avg rating — 3,889 ratings
45.
All About H. Hatterr
All About H. Hatterr 3.86 avg rating — 462 ratings
46.
Seven Men
Seven Men 3.87 avg rating — 208 ratings
47.
The Sirens of Titan
The Sirens of Titan 4.15 avg rating — 153,671 ratings
48.
The Chronicles of Clovis
The Chronicles of Clovis
by: Saki
4.09 avg rating — 890 ratings
49.
The Gate of Angels
The Gate of Angels 3.61 avg rating — 2,683 ratings
50.
You Know Me Al
You Know Me Al 3.81 avg rating — 928 ratings
51.
The Locusts Have No King
The Locusts Have No King 3.94 avg rating — 568 ratings
52.
A Fan's Notes (A Fan's Notes, #1)
A Fan's Notes (A Fan's Notes, #1) 4.05 avg rating — 4,612 ratings
53.
Lady into Fox
Lady into Fox 3.64 avg rating — 2,376 ratings
54.
Letters from Iceland
Letters from Iceland 3.71 avg rating — 269 ratings
55.
Too Many Cooks (Nero Wolfe, #5)
Too Many Cooks (Nero Wolfe, #5)
by: Rex Stout
4.10 avg rating — 6,068 ratings
56.
Portnoy’s Complaint
Portnoy’s Complaint 3.71 avg rating — 72,165 ratings
57.
The Thurber Carnival
The Thurber Carnival 4.21 avg rating — 3,368 ratings
58.
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls 4.07 avg rating — 755 ratings
59.
The Thin Man
The Thin Man 3.90 avg rating — 37,389 ratings
60.
Or All the Seas with Oysters
Or All the Seas with Oysters 3.72 avg rating — 173 ratings
61.
Two Serious Ladies
Two Serious Ladies 3.58 avg rating — 4,156 ratings
62.
At Swim-Two-Birds
At Swim-Two-Birds 3.85 avg rating — 14,061 ratings
63.
Flaubert's Parrot
Flaubert's Parrot 3.65 avg rating — 16,252 ratings
64.
The Road to Oxiana
The Road to Oxiana 3.90 avg rating — 3,327 ratings
65.
On the Shoulders of Giants: A Shandean Postscript
On the Shoulders of Giants: A Shandean Postscript 3.94 avg rating — 64 ratings
66.
A Cab at the Door
A Cab at the Door 3.80 avg rating — 94 ratings
67.
Candy
Candy 3.14 avg rating — 1,650 ratings
68.
Federigo or the Power of Love
Federigo or the Power of Love 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
69.
Thus Was Adonis Murdered (Hilary Tamar, #1)
Thus Was Adonis Murdered (Hilary Tamar, #1) 3.87 avg rating — 5,882 ratings
70.
Wise Children
Wise Children 3.90 avg rating — 9,435 ratings
71.
Tropic of Cancer (Tropic, #1)
Tropic of Cancer (Tropic, #1) 3.66 avg rating — 76,596 ratings
72.
The Pursuit of Love (Radlett & Montdore, #1)
The Pursuit of Love (Radlett & Montdore, #1) 3.95 avg rating — 21,961 ratings
73.
Animal Farm
Animal Farm 4.01 avg rating — 4,356,252 ratings
74.
The Tin Men
The Tin Men 3.51 avg rating — 359 ratings
75.
Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry
Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry 4.02 avg rating — 1,908 ratings
76.
Up in the Old Hotel
Up in the Old Hotel 4.33 avg rating — 4,190 ratings
77.
A Frolic of His Own
A Frolic of His Own 3.89 avg rating — 1,725 ratings
78.
The Most of S.J. Perelman
The Most of S.J. Perelman 4.20 avg rating — 309 ratings
79.
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces 3.89 avg rating — 291,777 ratings
80.
Enderby
Enderby 3.91 avg rating — 336 ratings
81.
Sixty Stories
Sixty Stories 4.18 avg rating — 6,084 ratings
82.
Life Among the Savages
Life Among the Savages 3.97 avg rating — 9,055 ratings
83.
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis 4.08 avg rating — 306 ratings
84.
Lake Wobegon Days
Lake Wobegon Days 3.64 avg rating — 8,324 ratings
85.
Will This Do? An Autobiography
Will This Do? An Autobiography 3.74 avg rating — 99 ratings
86.
Man and Superman
Man and Superman 3.85 avg rating — 4,661 ratings
87.
Is That What People Do? Short Stories
Is That What People Do? Short Stories 4.10 avg rating — 130 ratings
88.
Five Children and It (The Psammead Trilogy, #1)
Five Children and It (The Psammead Trilogy, #1)
by: E. Nesbit
3.86 avg rating — 27,825 ratings
89.
The Rebel Angels (The Cornish Trilogy, #1)
The Rebel Angels (The Cornish Trilogy, #1) 4.02 avg rating — 5,975 ratings
90.
A Glass of Blessings
A Glass of Blessings 3.92 avg rating — 3,334 ratings
91.
Hindoo Holiday
Hindoo Holiday 3.59 avg rating — 483 ratings
92.
Small World (The Campus Trilogy, #2)
Small World (The Campus Trilogy, #2) 3.88 avg rating — 6,312 ratings
93.
The Dick Gibson Show
The Dick Gibson Show 3.67 avg rating — 304 ratings
94.
The Mezzanine
The Mezzanine 3.83 avg rating — 10,004 ratings
95.
Expecting Someone Taller
Expecting Someone Taller
by: Tom Holt
3.84 avg rating — 4,378 ratings
96.
The History Man
The History Man 3.61 avg rating — 1,959 ratings
97.
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush 3.96 avg rating — 6,855 ratings
98.
Rumpole of the Bailey (Rumpole of the Bailey, #1)
Rumpole of the Bailey (Rumpole of the Bailey, #1) 3.99 avg rating — 5,153 ratings
99.
United States: Essays 1952-1992
United States: Essays 1952-1992 4.40 avg rating — 925 ratings
100.
Ulysses
Ulysses 3.77 avg rating — 138,340 ratings