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15 Authors like Daniel Pennac

Daniel Pennac is a French author known for his humorous and engaging novels. His notable works include the Malaussène series, such as The Scapegoat, capturing readers with creativity and charm.

If you enjoy reading books by Daniel Pennac then you might also like the following authors:

  1. Tonino Benacquista

    Tonino Benacquista mixes humor and suspense, creating energetic stories with clever twists. He often highlights quirky characters facing absurd situations.

    Fans of Daniel Pennac will enjoy his playful storytelling in Malavita, where a mafia family hides out in France, leading to humorous clashes and unexpected adventures.

  2. Frédéric Dard

    Frédéric Dard is famous for his witty noir novels, using dark humor and sharp dialogue. He reveals human nature through absurd, comedic misadventures.

    If you enjoyed Daniel Pennac's lively and humorous style, check out Dard's Bird in a Cage, a suspenseful story with surprising turns and engaging characters.

  3. Carl Hiaasen

    Carl Hiaasen writes comic crime novels set in Florida, full of eccentric characters, social satire, and environmental awareness. His fast-paced satire and quirky situations may appeal to Pennac fans.

    Try Skinny Dip, a funny and clever story that targets corrupt businessmen and shady schemes gone hilariously wrong.

  4. Donald E. Westlake

    Donald E. Westlake is a master of humorous crime fiction, known for his witty, clever plotting and memorable characters. His stories often revolve around hapless criminals and bizarre situations.

    Pennac readers might appreciate Westlake's comedic approach to crime in The Hot Rock, a funny tale of botched heists and bad luck.

  5. Arto Paasilinna

    Arto Paasilinna is a Finnish author who creates humorous and absurd stories featuring eccentric characters faced with unusual predicaments. His style combines dark humor with philosophical insights.

    Daniel Pennac fans may enjoy Paasilinna's The Year of the Hare, an entertaining and thoughtful adventure of a journalist escaping his stressful life alongside a wild hare.

  6. Romain Gary

    Romain Gary is a playful and imaginative storyteller known for his wit, warmth, and keen sense of irony. His writing often brings humor and humanity to absurd and sometimes tragic situations.

    One of his most beloved novels is The Life Before Us, a moving tale narrated by Momo, a young boy raised in a neighborhood filled with eccentric personalities who show him the frailty and beauty of human nature.

  7. René Fallet

    René Fallet writes with affection about ordinary people and their everyday struggles, always approaching them with gentle humor and insight. His novels explore friendship, simple pleasures, and life's absurdities with a joyful and warmhearted touch.

    In La Soupe aux Choux, he tells a funny, touching story about two old friends in rural France encountering unexpected visitors from outer space, reflecting on aging, camaraderie, and the charm of a simpler life.

  8. Albert Cossery

    Albert Cossery's novels offer sharp social criticism delivered with humor and simplicity. His characters, often idlers and dreamers living at society's margins, refuse to conform and find dignity in their rejection of materialism and ambition.

    In his novel The Jokers, he presents an amusing and satirical look at authority and rebellion, showing how humor and mockery can challenge oppression and injustice.

  9. Léo Malet

    Léo Malet writes engaging detective fiction filled with energy, wit, and atmosphere. His novels frequently immerse the reader in vibrant Paris neighborhoods, blending mystery with vivid characterization and local color.

    One striking example is 120, rue de la Gare, featuring his iconic detective Nestor Burma navigating a stylish narrative steeped in suspense, intrigue, and authentic Parisian charm.

  10. Raymond Queneau

    Raymond Queneau is inventive, playful, and endlessly experimental. His works mix humor and poetry with a flair for linguistic creativity that's amusing and thought-provoking.

    In Zazie in the Metro, Queneau uses playful language and comic misadventures to follow the young Zazie's wanderings through Paris, offering delightful insights into human nature while celebrating the whimsical possibilities of storytelling.

  11. Anna Gavalda

    Anna Gavalda writes intimate, often bittersweet fiction about everyday people and the small dramas that shape their lives. Her stories celebrate human relationships through a gentle humor and emotional honesty.

    A good entry point to her work is Hunting and Gathering, a warm-hearted novel about friendship, love, and finding comfort in unexpected friendships.

  12. Jean-Bernard Pouy

    Jean-Bernard Pouy creates vivid, quirky crime stories filled with humor and sharp dialogue. He enjoys playing with language and irony, giving his novels a fresh and lively feel.

    Try his novel Spinoza Fucking Bastard, an unusual detective story that blends sharp wit with a cleverly twisted plot.

  13. Jean Teulé

    Jean Teulé tells unconventional stories, often blending history, dark comedy, and provocative themes. His quirky narratives and irreverent humor deliver stories of eccentric characters and curious adventures.

    Check out The Suicide Shop, a satirical tale of a family running a store specializing in suicide methods, told with surprising humor and warmth.

  14. Georges Simenon

    Georges Simenon is a master of psychological crime novels, best known for his iconic character, Inspector Maigret. Simenon creates vivid characters and tense, atmospheric plots.

    A great place to start is Maigret Sets a Trap, a tightly written mystery exploring deep human motivations and hidden truths.

  15. Yasmina Reza

    Yasmina Reza excels in sharp, witty observations of modern life and human behavior. Her style is brisk and dialogue-driven, often exploring relationships, misunderstandings, and social pretensions.

    Her play God of Carnage centers on two affluent couples whose civilized conversation quickly spirals into chaos and comedy, revealing biting social commentary beneath the humor.