A Fine and Pleasant Misery

By Patrick F. McManus

Book Overview

Hilarious and heartwarming stories of outdoor mishaps and misadventures from the beloved five-time New York Times bestselling humorist, Patrick F. McManus, "a writer who makes people laugh out loud, hard." (The New York Times)

McManus's first story collection, gathering twenty-seven witty, cautionary tales about camping, fishing, backpackers, and bears, with an introduction by Jack Samson, long-time editor-in-chief of Field & Stream.

In A Fine and Pleasant Misery, McManus reminisces about the adolescent thrill and terror of "backyard safaris" and pedaling his "two-wheeled ATV"; he ventures down harrowing rapids and through the almost equally harrowing parking lot of a national park during the busy season; and he shares teachings from his wilderness mentor, Rancid Crabtree. The great outdoors have never been rendered as hysterically as in these tales--true and exaggerated.

Including such classic stories as "A Fine and Pleasant Misery" and "Shooting the Chick-a-nout Narrows."

"A hilarious compilation" --The Los Angeles Times

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805000321
• ISBN13: 9780805000320
• Release Date: April 1981
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
• Length: 209 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Funniest book I EVER read

I picked up "A Fine and Pleasant Misery" one day purely by chance. I was bored in an outdoor equipment store. I opened it to a random page, and began to read... Within a page I started to grin. By the second page I gaffawed (I noticed a couple customers nervously glance in my direction). At the third page I burst out in peals of hysterical laughter, tears rolling down my face. Everyone in the vicinity was openly staring at me. I slammed the book shut and made a beeline to the cash register. I have been a devoted fan ever since. Buy this book, and you will be too. Trust me on this. Only...read in the privacy of your home. It's less embarassing that way :)Best Regards, Eric Lee

Fishing and Hunting were never this funny before McManus

I have a friend who's never been hunting, has fished, I think, exactly once in his life, and who has nonetheless gleefully read every book McManus has ever written. He gave me a McManus book for my birthday over twenty years ago, and I've been a devoted fan ever since.McManus has a way of painting a verbal picture that manages to stretch the bounds of good taste without ever quite going beyond them. More than one of his stories has conjoured up an image I don't think I'll ever get out of my head- and that still makes me laugh today. Buy this book. Buy *any* McManus book. They're all hilarious.

I've never laughed so hard!

My father gave me this book when he thought I needed some cheering up. It was a life changing experience. Now I am on a quest to collect anything he has ever written. Caution to first time McManus readers: When you find your eyes are tearing up and you can't catch your breath, wait a short time before continuing. I nearly passed out from back to back fits of hysterical laughter caused by reading his passages too quickly.

Yeah, me and Pat go way back...........

The first time I ever read a McManus story was at Girl Scout camp 4 years ago. My group was on an overnight away from camp, and we had the absolute worst time imaginable. Sleeping in a poisen oak bed, mosquitoes the size of bats, and, to top it off, a fire that would be accurately described as an "inferno" to cook our food with. As it so happens, the first story I was to read of Pat's was the story of the "smudge" and "inferno"(I snuck the book from the unknowing counselor). Coincidence? I think not. Read this book, and I guarantee you, you will be stock-piling Patrick McManus' books faster than you can say "Gee, isn't that, um, funny! The sun is rising in the West now, guys, hehe."

Funniest outdoor book I've ever read!!!

Patrick Mcmanus is an awesome writer! I could hardly put the book down. It was so FUNNY! His way of describing real life outdoor situations is hilarious. He is definitly one of the best outdoor humorists of all time!!!