11 years ago, Xmastime buddies Marah released an album named after the Patrick Hamilton trilogy 20,000 Streets Under the Sky. It took me this long to be reminded by Dave Bielanko that I should read it, which I finally just did. And as a semi-tragic, depressing look into the life of poor London between the World Wars it obviously did not make this list of funniest books ever, and yet has at least three of the funniest lines in a novel I've ever read are in the first book of the trilogy, The Midnight Bell:
(On finding his desired love's ex-boyfriend had abused her)
Joy! He had knocked her about! A lyric thankfulness to the man arose in Bob.
"And the prettiest," said Prunella. "She's the prettiest girl in the West End"
Bob's heart sank.Any testimonies to her beauty, from an extraneous source, crucified him - augmenting, as they did, her preciousness and remoteness. He had always vaguely hoped it was merely his own private madness.
(Talking with his desired love.)
I'm quite good at dancin.' I've been in a chorus, you know."
"Have you?"
He had now to deal with an actress. Would it never end?
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