Tom Sharpe

[Acesare*]

A couple of years ago I was living with my boyfriend and his extensive library and asked him to choose a book for me. This was a huge gamble for him as he know just how small my sphere of interest is, but he recomended 'Blott on the Landscape' by Tom Sharpe and I haven't looked back!

 

Tom Sharpe is able to write the type of book that makes you laugh out loud, and has, on many occasions, cause me to receive a number of dodgy looks on the bus before now! He starts with a fairly normal situation with perhaps a few 'eccentric' characters and a series of coincidences, misunderstandings and over reactions lead to situations that have left me gob-smaked!

 

If you are so far not acquainted, I can recommend any of his stuff, but should advise that, as most were written in the 70s, some of the language may seem rather non-PC now, espcially 'The Great Escape' set in a very divided South Africa.

 

Jo xx

[Maureen]

I have read the Grantchester Grind, but although I enjoyed it, I would not have appreciated it for sure, as I do not have any background of traditional english colleges - so some things are lost on me.

Did you read this?

[poppy]

I've read a few of his books but the one that really sticks out is 'Blott on the Landscape'. Also saw the TV series of this years ago featuring Geraldine James, David Suchet, George Cole and Simon Cadell. Was absolutely hilarious, satire at it's best.

[Mia]

My older brother read his books, so there were always plenty lying around the house. Around the age of 13 I read quite a few of them - Wilt, Blott on the Landscape, Riotous Assembly... the rest of the names escape me. I hardly remember anything about them (except the inflated condoms for some strange reason!), but I remember they were pretty funny. I just stopped reading them (I'm not sure why), and haven't picked one up for years.

[Welshman]

I've read and enjoyed most of Tom Sharpe's work and enjoyed them. In partilcular, I enjoyed the Wilt series although I confess to being disappointed by his last outpouring - Wilt in Nowhere.

[Christie]

My favourite has to be Ancestoral Vices!! I actually think I woke up the whole bus while traveling to France one time. I love them all though!

[XanderRichards]

I read 'The Throwback' on holiday one year and just about wet myself with laughter. It's very, very rare that a book makes me laugh out loud, but this one did several times (the only other example is Milligan's 'Hitler: My Part In His Downfall'). I love Sharpe's style: witty, intelligent and perceptive. His writing reminds me of the kind of letter one writes to a bank manager that one no longer wishes to be involved with; polite but nonetheless scathing.

[Sagesmith]

The Wilt series is an obvious starting point for Sharpe.

My personal favourite, though, is Vintage Stuff. Absolutely, side-splittingly, hilarious.

If you like Tom Sharpe and haven't read it, you're really missing a trick.

[emelee]

Riotous assembly is one of my all-time favorite novels. I just fell in love with the characters, especially policeman Els. 

[sgreen1234]

Witt series is fantastic. Mel Smith played the role beautifully in the TV version. Porterhouse Blue is another classic. David Jason played this one in the TV series!! Just goes to show how highly thought of Tom Sharpe is. As always, though, the books are better than the TV series

[JustJackTheLad]

Just started reading Wilt.

 

only read a couple of pages last night whilst the football was on, looking forward to getting into it. Not sure on what order to read them all yet.