loser narratives

[underdawg]

I know it's a very specific question, but do you guys know of some witty first-person narratives of "decent guy loser" protagonists?

My favorite books in this "genre" are

1. Jeeves and Wooster books by P.G. Wodehouse
2. The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
3. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
4. Sideways by Rex Pickett

Thanks,

 

[novella]

I do so love losers. I do so love Hugh Laurie, mostly for his comedy with Stephen Fry.

But, I might recommend Douglas Coupland as an author if you like the other two. Also, Edward St. Aubyn doesn't come out great in his stuff. And if you can stand pure American, Jonathan Lethem is a good loser.

 

[funes]

I've never thought of this as a genre before, so I'll have to give it some thought. Off the top of my head, you might want to check out Walker Percy's The Moviegoer, or maybe T.R. Pearson.

 

[RobertM]

Novella said:

"I do so love Hugh Laurie, mostly for his comedy with Stephen Fry."

Oh, yes.
Hugh was the only one who actually delivered his lines well in the box-office bomb remake of 'Flight of the Phoenix'. The rest of the cast just showed up for the paychecks and mailed in their performances.

"It's all YOUR fault...you shouldn't say things like that while we're sitting on the bloody tarmac..."

My favorite Hugh scene in the film: Laurie's pointing a gun at Mr Toy Plane Designer's head...he says: "I'm a very important man, you know..." etc.

 

[zooeyg]

Not quite the "loser narrative," more of a slacker memoir similar to Egger's Staggering Genius, but written with significantly less pretension, Never Mind The Track by Sy Nazif. I saw a story about the guy in Urban Moto mag, and just finished reading the book about a week ago. Great writing style.

 

[Peronel]

I would consider Arthur Dent of H2G2 to be the most lovable loser I have ever read about - unlucky in love, dragged unwittingly across the universe with no cup of tea in sight, beaten in the cool department by a narcissistic alien with two heads - he has it all.

And Marvin would also qualify, i think.