Book club reading, upbeat suggestions needed

[matthewscott8]

Hi folks,

I'm involved in a book club with 3 friends from analog space. We did some good reads so far, however I think we had some dark discussions from where authors had killed themselves or died soon after writing the books, and were very troubled, then my choice last week was a downer

My friend requested some happier material. So the question is are there some books that manage to be more enjoyable and less depressing?

I said that, ok the essence of drama is conflict so it's not an easy request.

Also we're doing short books so people actually read them for the meeting.

So far we've done:
The Alchemist - Paulo Coehlo (3 thumbs down 1 thumbs up)
The Endless Summer - Cesare Pavese (3 thumbs down 1 thumbs up)
Chess - Stefan Zweig (4 mehs)
Ghost Wall - Sarah Moss (3 thumbs up 1 thumbs down)
Babel-17 - Samuel R Delany (2 thumbs up 2 mehs)
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint Exupery (4 thumbs up)

Next up is The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

[mightysparks]

The Princess Bride is a nice one, not sure if it's too long though.

[clemmetarey]

Bulgakov's Heart of a Dog is short and quite funny at times.

[brokenface]

One i read recently that might fit bill, Sayaka Murata - Convenience Store Woman. Not entirely upbeat but has a great deadpan style and I think would make good one to discuss.

Some classics that come to mind that are funny and, as far as i recall, fairly short: Evelyn Waugh - Scoop, Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat, Stella Gibbons - Cold Comfort Farm, Graham Greene -Travels with my Aunt, Raymond Queuneau - Zazie dans le Metro

Some of these might be a bit too pure escapist to be much good for book group discussion though.

[sebby]

One i read recently that might fit bill, Sayaka Murata - Convenience Store Woman. Not entirely upbeat but has a great deadpan style and I think would make good one to discuss.

Some classics that come to mind that are funny and, as far as i recall, fairly short: Evelyn Waugh - Scoop, Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat, Stella Gibbons - Cold Comfort Farm, Graham Greene -Travels with my Aunt, Raymond Queuneau - Zazie dans le Metro

Some of these might be a bit too pure escapist to be much good for book group discussion though.

I loved Convenience Store Woman. Did you read her follow-up? One of the most unsettling things I've ever read.

[brokenface]

One i read recently that might fit bill, Sayaka Murata - Convenience Store Woman. Not entirely upbeat but has a great deadpan style and I think would make good one to discuss.

Some classics that come to mind that are funny and, as far as i recall, fairly short: Evelyn Waugh - Scoop, Jerome K Jerome - Three Men in a Boat, Stella Gibbons - Cold Comfort Farm, Graham Greene -Travels with my Aunt, Raymond Queuneau - Zazie dans le Metro

Some of these might be a bit too pure escapist to be much good for book group discussion though.

I loved Convenience Store Woman. Did you read her follow-up? One of the most unsettling things I've ever read.

Not yet. I'm keen to read more by her, though you've made me a little apprehensive now!