Book of humorous Christian short stories for men?
June 21, 2013 12:33 PM Subscribe
Can you recommend a Christian book for men, that contains a humorous collection of short stories?
I'm not looking for feel good stories like a Chicken Soup for the XXX book. Those tend to have sad or moving stories and our goal is to make him smile. You see, this will be a gift for a dying distant relative. We don't know him that well, except that he is a Christian and a kind man.
We want the book to be a clean book (or Christian) that is funny and will make him smile or laugh. Also we need them to be short stories, due to his weakness, because he won't be able to read or concentrate for very long. Also, we obviously don't want a book geared toward women. lol!
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I'm not looking for feel good stories like a Chicken Soup for the XXX book. Those tend to have sad or moving stories and our goal is to make him smile. You see, this will be a gift for a dying distant relative. We don't know him that well, except that he is a Christian and a kind man.
We want the book to be a clean book (or Christian) that is funny and will make him smile or laugh. Also we need them to be short stories, due to his weakness, because he won't be able to read or concentrate for very long. Also, we obviously don't want a book geared toward women. lol!
Many thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Tasked with choosing something to read to convalescents when I was a young lad, I used Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor. His Christianity is muddled and he doesn't write specifically for men, but the man's not short on kindness or wit.
posted by seemoreglass at 12:40 PM on June 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by seemoreglass at 12:40 PM on June 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's not specifically Christian, but any of the James Herriott books are fairly wholesome and super funny. Not great for the squeamish though, there are descriptions of, for example, re-inserting a cow's uterus that has fallen from the vagina after giving birth.
Hilarious descriptions.
posted by windykites at 12:41 PM on June 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Hilarious descriptions.
posted by windykites at 12:41 PM on June 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Jan Karon's first Mitford book? It is a novel, but it's very episodic, easy to put down after one chapter, easy to pick up again. It is also funny and Christian.
If it doesn't have to be Christian-focused, I recommend Three Men in a Boat (to say Nothing of the Dog), Jerome K. Jerome, extremely funny Victorian novel about three men spending a weekend in a boat. Again, it's a novel but each chapter is self-contained and could be read alone.
posted by pie ninja at 12:50 PM on June 21, 2013
If it doesn't have to be Christian-focused, I recommend Three Men in a Boat (to say Nothing of the Dog), Jerome K. Jerome, extremely funny Victorian novel about three men spending a weekend in a boat. Again, it's a novel but each chapter is self-contained and could be read alone.
posted by pie ninja at 12:50 PM on June 21, 2013
In the vein of Three Men in a Boat, the Jeeves books of P.G. Wodehouse are clean and hilarious in a light and cheery way that may suit your purposes.
posted by gauche at 12:57 PM on June 21, 2013
posted by gauche at 12:57 PM on June 21, 2013
As well, the Drones Club book, also by P.G. Wodehouse, which is more short-story-oriented but still light and cheery and funny.
posted by gauche at 1:00 PM on June 21, 2013
posted by gauche at 1:00 PM on June 21, 2013
Response by poster: Wow! These are excellent ideas so far. Thank you so much!
I love all the suggestions!
James Herriot is my absolute favorite author of all time, but he does have some squeamish moments and since I don't know him that well (I've known him all my life, just not well) I'm reluctant on that score. Also, there are some pretty sad stories in there (like the Golden that was neglected... even though thankfully a woman adopted him), which I am trying to avoid. I am such a Herriot fan that I own all his books (in print and those available on Kindle) and even a signed copy of Herriot's Yorkshire. GO ME! ;)
As for the Twain, Jerome and Wodehouse books, those are excellent choices and I'm going to add those to my own reading list (I love classic literature, Oscar Wilde is one my absolute faves and these sound very in line with his books), but again, I'm not sure if he's a classic lit kind of man. He may very well be, but I'm not sure.
I've read (and own) Karon's entire Mitford series (to even include the cookbooks!). You don't think they are kind of a women's book series? I guess that's hard to say. My husband didn't read them, but loved the updates I gave him as I read them. lol! They are definitely light reading.
I will certainly talk to my mother about these to see what she thinks, but I'm still open for ideas!
posted by magnoliasouth at 1:35 PM on June 21, 2013
I love all the suggestions!
James Herriot is my absolute favorite author of all time, but he does have some squeamish moments and since I don't know him that well (I've known him all my life, just not well) I'm reluctant on that score. Also, there are some pretty sad stories in there (like the Golden that was neglected... even though thankfully a woman adopted him), which I am trying to avoid. I am such a Herriot fan that I own all his books (in print and those available on Kindle) and even a signed copy of Herriot's Yorkshire. GO ME! ;)
As for the Twain, Jerome and Wodehouse books, those are excellent choices and I'm going to add those to my own reading list (I love classic literature, Oscar Wilde is one my absolute faves and these sound very in line with his books), but again, I'm not sure if he's a classic lit kind of man. He may very well be, but I'm not sure.
I've read (and own) Karon's entire Mitford series (to even include the cookbooks!). You don't think they are kind of a women's book series? I guess that's hard to say. My husband didn't read them, but loved the updates I gave him as I read them. lol! They are definitely light reading.
I will certainly talk to my mother about these to see what she thinks, but I'm still open for ideas!
posted by magnoliasouth at 1:35 PM on June 21, 2013
I read a book about 20 years ago called The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass Aged 37 and 3/4, by (naturally) Adrian Plass. It's an explicitly Christian book (Plass is a Christian speaker and evangelist), but deliberately light and funny in tone. It's not short stories, but the diary format and straightforward style would make it an easy read for someone with limited energy/attention. It was successful enough to give rise to a number of sequels, IIRC.
posted by meronym at 2:41 PM on June 21, 2013
posted by meronym at 2:41 PM on June 21, 2013
Just so you know, my grandfather loved the Mitford books as much as my grandmother did.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:20 PM on June 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 5:20 PM on June 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I'm a fan of Robert Fulgham - who is a minister and whose stories often have a religious bent. He was a Unitarian minister, not evangelical or fundamentalist, but still definitely Christian.
posted by clerestory at 11:37 PM on June 21, 2013
posted by clerestory at 11:37 PM on June 21, 2013
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