Puckoon

This book is quite simply the funniest book ever written. My Father tried to read this book to me, as a bedtime tale when I was 8 years old. He used to get about 2 pages before falling off the end of the bed laughing. This, to an 8 year old was funnier than the book. To those over 8 who have read this book, nothing is funnier, ever. I read it first, when I was 14. I laughed so hard and so loudly that I woke up everyone in the house. To this day,the lines (and I paraphrase here, forgive me) "Thank god the ground broke my fall." "Yes its handy for that." sends me into spasms of laughter. I dare you to read this book in a public place and not laugh out loud.

This is probably the funniest book i have ever read. Spike's surreal, zany homour didn't always hit the mark but when it did....pure genious! and "Puckoon" definately hits the mark.e,g. Mrs. Doonan tried to get a divorce from her husband and the solicitor says..."But Mrs. Doonan, just because you don't like him, that's no grounds for separation.""Well, make a few suggestions," she said."Has he ever struck you?""No. I'd kill him if he did.""Has he ever been cruel to the children?""Never.""Ever left you short of money, then?""No, every Friday on the nail.""I see." The solicitor pondered. "Ah, wait, think hard now, Mrs. Doonan, has he ever been unfaithful to you?"Her face lit up. "By God, i tink we got him there, I know for sure he wasn't the father of me last child!"Spike manages to find humour and hillarious characterization set amongst the unlikely backdrop of the creation of the state of Northern Ireland, and "Any hostility to the Boundary Commissioners will be penalized with fines from a shilling up to death..."The border just happens to fall right through the centre of "Puckoon"!If you like wry, askew and slightly silly jokes...buy this book!

I can only endorse and agree with everybodies praise for this piece of work. I first read this in my early teens and now at 43 I'm on my third copy. I'd love to know why this has never been made into a film, although judging by the laughter count while you read it I guess it would be almost impossible to act it.