A Barrel of Laughs, a Vale of Tears [Library Binding]

Jules Feiffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1995 | Age Level: 9 and up

King Whatchamacallit sends his son on a quest intended to turn the clown prince into a sober young man, but Roger's encounters with the Forever Forest, the Dastardly Divide, and the Valley of Vengeance do not go as planned.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Jules Feiffer won hearts and a whole new audience when he leapt from the realm of cartooning to create books. His The Man in the Ceiling, the story of Jimmy the boy cartoonist, was a boisterous calling for us to believe in our dreams. In A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears Feiffer gives us more help in understanding our dreams: If we don't end up where we think we're going in life, maybe we're better off somewhere else--like where we are now. He introduces us to Roger, a prince with such a sense of humor that the king's wizard sends him on a quest to sober him up a bit. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the quest backfires: Roger enters the Forever Forest, traipses over the Dastardly Divide, and ventures downward into the Valley of Vengeance only to find himself on an entirely different quest than the one the wizard sent him on. Lucky for us, Feiffer's cartooning experience makes him an adventurous author, and he takes us on the ride of our lives, complete with timely asides, wizened wisecracks, silly drawings of characters walking in and out of the story, and more. A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears will give people of all ages (especially rowdy teenagers who sneak comic books to classes) a barrel of laughs and a wallop of wisdom! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

An inordinately cheerful prince embarks on a quest for greater gravity. "Feiffer's worldly-wise, confiding tone and sense of the absurd are highly congenial, and the drawings are a vintage Feiffer delight," said PW. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 180 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (September 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062050990
• ISBN-13: 978-0062050991
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,769,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jules Feiffer lives in New York City with his wife, Jenny. Along with being a famed cartoonist, Feiffer is also the author of numerous novels, children's books, plays and screenplays, including Carnal Knowledge, Harry, The Rat with Women and Little Murders, which was made into a celebrated movie.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Die Laughing -- a review by Olivia, age 9, April 30, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears (Paperback)

In the beginning Roger is a prince, but not a normal prince. Roger has a strange effect on people. If he gets too close to a person, they could die laughing. When J. Wellington Wizard tells Roger to go on a quest, Roger asks, "Isn't a quest where you have to go somewhere or find something?" J. Wellington says that he sees him entering the Forever Forest, and tells him to take a sack of magic powder, and whenever he sees someone, to dust a little on himself, so that Roger can turn into a thing, maybe even a leaf. Then, whoever he is near won't laugh. Roger sets out on his quest, gets stuck in the Forever Forest, and meets a lot of new people, such as little Lucille, Andrew, and Tom. Some are evil and some are nice. Roger hates it in the Forever Forest, but he knows it will get better and he will be the happiest man on earth.

This was a very funny book to read because the author pretended that he doesn't have control over his book, such as when, in chapter 5, Night of the Frogs, he says that he was just trying to fool Tom because chapter 5 is really called Tom. Tom is a character who is supposed to leave on page 9 but he refused. The author always talks about how Tom can walk in and out of the book, and come back at the perfect time. I thought this book was hilarious, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous and Quirky (Is that a word?) Quest, March 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: A Barrel Of Laughs, A Vale Of Tears (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

I can't tell you how many times I've read this book. When I first started reading it, I was disapointed because it seemed like a total toddler's book. But the more I read, the more absorbed I became. So many things happen so quickly that you want to keep reading just to find out what's coming next. Jules Feiffer doesn't write like other writers; he plays around with his work, and you can tell he was having a good time writing this book. And although the book is very fun and light reading, I think there are also some hidden meanings and life lessons to be learned from it. I plan to read this book many times more. I also think this book would appeal to the "Phantom Tollbooth" audience, and vice versa.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Happy Book, July 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears (Paperback)

When I first read this delightful book, I immediately reread it to experience the joy and wit again. The book is full of wit and whimsy, absurdity and truth. I've read the book several times, and every time it brings a smile and a chuckle. I've described it to co-workers as my happy book because reading it is truly a "feel-good" experience. It is a tongue-in-cheek fairy tale that can be enjoyed by readers of any age.