Peter De Vries was a witty American novelist known for his comedic fiction. His clever novels like The Tunnel of Love and Reuben, Reuben humorously explored American life and relationships.
If you enjoy reading books by Peter De Vries then you might also like the following authors:
John Updike's novels often explore suburban life, marriage, and the quiet disappointments people face behind closed doors. His sharp, witty style points out ironies without losing empathy for his characters.
If you appreciate Peter De Vries' blend of wit and insight, give Updike's Rabbit, Run a try, a story about an ordinary man struggling to find meaning amidst life's everyday routines.
John Cheever is famous for stories about middle-class American lives, filled with charm and subtle sadness. His writing captures the disconnect hidden beneath suburban surfaces with humor and honesty, similar to Peter De Vries' approach to life's absurdities.
Check out The Wapshot Chronicle, his thoughtful depiction of family relationships and the quiet tensions within.
Richard Russo writes warm, funny novels about small-town life, often showing how ordinary people cope with life's unpredictability. His stories have a gentle humor and genuine affection for flawed but likable characters, much like De Vries' style.
Get started with Nobody's Fool, a story about a stubborn yet endearing character facing life's everyday challenges.
Patrick Dennis is known for his humorous and satirical outlook on eccentric characters and high society foibles. His tone is playful, and his writing brims with charm and comic energy, something fans of De Vries' witty satire would appreciate.
Try out Auntie Mame, a lively novel featuring an unforgettable, free-spirited woman who turns convention upside down.
Kingsley Amis offers sharp wit, humor, and a clear-eyed look at middle-class anxieties and hypocrisies. His novels portray absurdities of manners and etiquette within everyday situations, a style readers of Peter De Vries' humorous critiques would enjoy.
Begin with Lucky Jim, an entertaining story of academic life filled with comic misadventures and memorable characters.
If you enjoy Peter De Vries' witty and satirical take on modern life, Max Shulman might be a great choice. Shulman's humorous and playful style pokes fun at society's absurdities and youthful foolishness. Check out his book Rally Round the Flag, Boys!
for a funny look at suburban life and Cold War anxiety that's smart yet never loses its comic touch.
Fans of De Vries' sharp-eyed social commentary might enjoy David Lodge. Lodge writes with a humorous yet thoughtful style, exploring academic life, personal relationships, and human folly.
His novel, Changing Places, is a clever and amusing story about two professors who exchange positions and struggles, filled with insightful comedy and humor.
If you like De Vries' perceptive exploration of human nature, Philip Roth could appeal to you. Roth offers satirical and sometimes controversial portrayals of American culture, identity, and morality.
His novel Portnoy's Complaint uses bold humor and frankness to highlight the confusion, guilt, and desires that people experience—delivered with sharp wit.
J.P. Donleavy shares De Vries' love of eccentric, offbeat characters and dark humor. His writing blends comedic moments with deeper reflections on life's disappointments and joys.
The Ginger Man is Donleavy’s memorable tale of an irreverent and pleasure-seeking character stumbling through life in post-war Dublin. It's a great example of his humorous yet provocative style.
For readers who appreciate De Vries' witty dialogue and playful tone, P.G. Wodehouse is perfect. Wodehouse specializes in light-hearted, comic stories about the English upper class, full of charm and memorable characters.
Try his novel Right Ho, Jeeves, featuring the amusing duo of Bertie Wooster and his ingenious valet Jeeves, as they navigate hilarious crises and misunderstandings.
Dawn Powell's novels are witty, satirical snapshots of urban life, especially among New York's artistic and intellectual circles. She has a sharp eye for human absurdity and writes dialogue full of clever observations.
Powell's novel The Wicked Pavilion humorously portrays the personal and professional dramas among a group of bohemian friends in Manhattan, poking smart fun at pretension and vanity.
S.J. Perelman was a master of short, humorous essays that revealed the absurdities lurking in everyday life. His prose sparkles with playful language and clever wordplay, and he's an expert at lampooning American popular culture. His book Westward Ha!
hilariously recounts his travels around the world, skewering the oddities he encounters with dry wit.
Thorne Smith specialized in lighthearted, whimsical novels full of fantasy, mischief, and sophisticated humor. His characters often experience bizarre and magical events, upending conventions and expectations.
In Topper, Smith tells the humorous tale of a mild-mannered banker whose life turns chaotically fun when he encounters the cheerful ghosts of a wealthy socialite couple.
Jean Kerr was known for witty, relatable insights into domestic and suburban life, highlighting the quiet comedy within family mishaps and everyday challenges. Her humor is down-to-earth yet smart, appealing to anyone acquainted with life's daily absurdities.
Her well-known book Please Don't Eat the Daisies offers funny, sharp observations about marriage, parenting, and modern life that remain delightfully fresh.
John P. Marquand's novels often explore the ironic comforts and discomforts of upper-middle-class American society, satirizing conformity and depicting characters struggling quietly beneath social expectations.
His clear, understated writing reveals the subtle humor in ordinary ambitions and disappointments. His notable novel, The Late George Apley, humorously illustrates a wealthy Bostonian's attempt to live up to lofty family traditions while gently criticizing genteel hypocrisy.