They shoot canoes don't they?

[FlaMtnBkr]

Has anyone here read any of Patrick F. McManus' books? Each book is a bunch of short stories (3-5 pg avg) that are outdoor humor and wild tales of fishing and hunting and things done as a kid.

I'm sure most of it is made up but I sure do find them funny books. There is one or two I haven't read but I mainly read them growing up. I remember going on road trips with my parents and I would read them outloud and I would end up laughing so hard I couldn't talk or see because of the tears in my eyes. Everyone would be cracking up in the car, sometimes for hours as I read them.

Just curious if anyone else has read them and if they find them funny. I have tried to get a few friends to read them and I guess they don't have quite the sense of humor I do. I still crack up even though I have read them many times. They make a great bathroom book being so short.

So have you read them and if so did you find them funny? Are there any other authors that have a similar style? Thanks!

Ryan

 

[Cougar Allen]

I haven't read Patrick McManus for a long time! I should see what the local library has.... You know his books are compilations of pieces that appeared first in outdoor magazines, right? I'm not sure if he's still around or not ... hmm, seems he has a website: www.patrickfmcmanus.com

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

Thanks for the reply.

I was not aware that his stories first appeared in magazines. Do you know which ones? I know some of them are written like they were an article in a magazine but just figured that was his style.

I also didn't know he had so many new books out. It has been a long time since I looked so I will have to try to find some of his newer ones to see what they are like.

These are the ones I have read and are of the style that I mentioned in my original post:

A fine and Pleasant Misery
They Shoot Canoes, Don't they?
Never Sniff a Gift Fish
The Grasshopper trap
The Night the Bear ate Goombaw
Real Ponies don't go Oink! (I think I have read this one but don't know for sure since it is so new?)

 

[Cougar Allen]

He had a column in every issue of Outdoor Life for a long time. I think he was in Field & Stream a lot, too. I don't have time to do any research at the moment but between his Wikipedia entry, his own website, and maybe a little googling, you ought to be able to find some info....

 

[fivefold]

Pat McManus is one of my favorite writers. I started reading his "Last Laugh" in Outdoor Life when I was a teenager, some 30 odd years ago. When my daughter was in 6th grade, they asked me to come in and read to her class. Instead of Dr. Seuss, I chose "The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw." I warned them that I had never read through the story without cracking up, and sure thing, about half-way through, I broke down. The kids started laughing and rolling around on the floor (they were sitting on the floor to begin with) when I looked back, their teacher had her head down on her desk, laughing so hard she could hardly breathe. A good time was had by all.

 

[oldrifleman]

I have a number of his books, or at least I used to (wife and cleaning, you never know). They are great, for a while I thought Jacknife was Pat on a serious side. His stories about scouting are amazing!

 

[Ed T]

I have read most of them. I loved each one. The grasshopper trap was pretty good.

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

I don't remember which book it was in but I think my favorite story was the one where he was a kid and rode his bike up the mountain past a hunting camp full of hunters to his hunting spot. He shot a deer and couldn't figure out where he hit it but he strapped it to his bike and started heading down the hill. I'm sure you can figure out the rest but the way he writes you can almost see it happening in your mind. I'm not sure I have ever laughed as hard as the first time I read that. I literally could not see straight because of the tears in my eyes and would have to put the book down so I didn't get tears and snot on the book while I wiped away the tears so I could see the words again.

Definitely my type of humor so I really need to check out some of his other stuff. It sounds like his newer books might be actual books and not a bunch of short stories.

 

[STDK]

If you like Mcmanus you would probably like Gene Hill also. He did the the "Hill Country" articles in Field and Stream. Alot of his writing was similar to Mcmanus.