Our Reviews
Words from the Wise and Witty
David Henderson
I spent my career reading heavy academic texts, so this collection is a welcome change. Gerard O’Boyle does not lecture the reader. He presents sharp truths and lets you sit with them. The section on age is particularly poignant because it stays lighthearted while exposing how society views getting older. This book is now a permanent fixture on my bedside table.
Sarah Jenkins
This book is brilliant and biting. It is the perfect volume to dip into when you only have a few minutes to spare during a busy day.
Marcus Thorne
I appreciate the curation in this work. It is easy to find a book of jokes, but it is rare to find one that balances wit with meaningful insight. The entries are short and memorable, which makes them perfect for sharing in conversation. The tone is intelligent without being pretentious.
Elena Rodriguez
This is a collection of observations that feels relatable across generations. I originally bought a copy for my father but ended up keeping it for myself because the themes are so universal.
Thomas Wright
The chapter on alcohol is a masterclass in social observation. The quotes are funny while remaining very honest about human behavior and judgment.
Dr. Linda Kaspar
Gerard O’Boyle has a fascinating approach as a collector. He captures the contradictions of our nature through simple and powerful commentary. This is more than a book of jokes. It is a study of the human condition in an accessible form.
James Porter
The observations are sharp, clever, and timeless. These lines stay with you long after you close the book and return to your daily routine.
Karen Lewis
I love that there is no overarching argument being pushed. You can open to any page and find something that makes you reconsider a familiar idea through a humorous lens.
Robert Smith
This is a witty and theme-based collection that I can read anywhere at any time. It is exactly what I was looking for in a gift for a friend who enjoys smart humor.
Sophie Miller
The power of a one-line observation is often underestimated. Gerard Boyle reminds us that a single well-phrased sentence reveals more than a whole chapter of explanation. The minimalist style of the book reflects the clarity of the wit inside.
TJCooke
If you are stuck at the airport, or waiting for a train, or in any other situation where you have little choice but to twiddle your thumbs and wait, then hope against hope that you’ve come well prepared, and have a copy of ‘Quotes, Jokes and Anecdotes’ with you.
This book would cheer up even the most curmudgeonly traveller, taking you off into a world of snappy one liners and worldly-wise wit.
There’s Woody Allen’s sardonic take on life, Oscar Wilde’s classic quotes on existence, and Groucho Marx’s whipper-snapper one liners on just about anything. That’s to name just three, for as the book kindly informs us there are 1,443 entries from 561 sources on 190 subjects! And the author isn’t averse to throwing in his own two-pennyworth either.
What I really liked about this book is that it doesn’t matter if you’ve got five minutes to spare or five hours. You can dip in and out as you please and not worry about which page you read last. You’re just as likely to find something funny and profound on page 1 as you are on page 252!
Perhaps one word of warning- this may not be for the faint hearted, or the politically correct, and some of the humour is a touch old school, in a 70’s comic sort of way, but by and large it’s jam packed full of fun and frolics – and when you’re a bit down in the dumps I can imagine it proving just the tonic for a whole range of folks.
Get a copy of Quotes, Jokes and Anecdotes – especially if you’re stuck in hospital with gallstones- after all, laughter is the best medicine.
Mr. L. Bedell
Something old, something new, something borrowed and something a little bit blue. This book has it all. Something for everyone it is a remarkable collection of gags, words of wisdom and aphorisms. Gerard’s own contributions displays an incisiveness that must have been essential to the mammoth task of trawling for such an impressive compendium.
Mya
After scrolling through dozens of quote books, looking for something different, I finally found this one and I’m so glad I did. I was buying it as a gift and it has proved to be a complete hit. You will definitely spend a few hours chuckling your way through this book.