In the Mirror Book Club’s rundown of this week’s best reads, Paul Merton’s vast anthology of comic stories unearths unfamiliar material and gives old friends a new run-out.
Elizabeth Strout’s cranky heroine Olive Kitteridge returns in astoundingly good interlinked stories.
A gripping thriller about a journalist dubbed Britain’s most hated woman is full of twists and turns.
While Abir Mukherjee’s new book in his series set in 1920s India returns with sardonic wit. His portrayal of British rule in India is his best yet.
Funny Ha Ha, selected and introduced by Paul Merton
This enormous new anthology of comic stories is a mixture of old favourites (James Thurber’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost) and new discoveries.
So old friends such as Just William and Adrian Mole make welcome appearances, but Merton has unearthed unfamiliar material, such as an essay by PG Wodehouse on fly swatting. And I had no idea that Noel Coward was such a good short story writer.
There are also extracts from comedy scripts by Victoria Wood, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, and episodes of radio shows such as Hancock’s Half Hour.
Not everything here deserves to be anthologised. But the book is so vast that you’re bound to find stories that put a smile on your face.
BY JAKE KERRIDGE
Head of Zeus, £25
Olive Again, by Elizabeth Strout
The cranky heroine of Olive Kitteridge returns in astoundingly good interlinked stories exploring loss, loneliness and love. As Olive, a widow, prepares to remarry and works on being a better person, she also negotiates the emotional and physical trials of her 70s and 80s. Often other characters take the starring role in these tales, but they all reveal a truth about a woman who will never be popular but is entirely unforgettable.
BY EITHNE FARRY
Viking, £12.99
Hated, by Yara Silva
This gripping thriller follows journalist Louise, whose controversial column sees her dubbed Britain’s most hated woman. But her cruel persona is a lie – a way to financially provide for her family as she battles cancer.
Her questionable choices make her a difficult character to root for. But as Louise’s unpopularity grows, she becomes the target of sinister threats. And the plot is full of enthralling twists as she tries to identify her stalker.
BY JULIE DELAHAYE
Amazon KDP, £12.99
Death In The East, by Abir Mukherjee
Abir Mukherjee’s series set in 1920s India, with British policeman Sam Wyndham and his sidekick Sergeant ‘Surrender-Not’ Banerjee, is a treasure. Here Sam tries to kick his opium addiction at a retreat in Assam, but a mysterious death seems to be connected with his past. Mukherjee brings sardonic wit to his portrayal of British rule in India, and the action is perfectly paced. It’s his best yet.
BY JAKE KERRIDGE
Harvill Secker, £12.99
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