Little Nothings 1: The Curse of the Umbrella (v. 1) [Paperback]

Lewis Trondheim (Author)

Book Description

Series: Little Nothings | Publication Date: March 1, 2008

The great talent behind the new generation in Europe, the Dungeon series, A.L.I.E.E.E.N. and Mr. O, pours his heart out in funny snippets of everyday life. His paranoia, little annoyances, big annoyances, chase of rainbows, love of comics, travel impressions from around the world, dealing with kids, being a kid: it’s all about life as we know it. A collection from his comics blog that expands his palette with full color painting, one can only be awed at Trondheim’s uncanny sense of observation and relate to all his experiences closely. Another touch of genius by one of today’s best and most influential comic artists.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's surprising that a book that more than lives up to its trivial title could also be satisfying to read, but the prosaic events of the acclaimed French comic artist's life are so universal that one is left feeling comforted by the shared absurdities of life in the 21st century. These one- and two-page autobiographical vignettes culled from Trondheim's blog form a very loose travel narrative, covering such clichéd topics as airport security, sightseeing in the fog and using bug spray to avoid mosquito-borne illnesses. Yet Trondheim is a playful character—he draws himself as a bird and the rest of the characters as other animals—making ordinary encounters entertaining. He is silly enough to pretend to find money on the street just to kid his friend, the ruse backfiring when a passerby insists the money is his, or to procrastinate by furiously swinging a toy light saber around the house. The soft yet vibrant watercolor images impart a unique tone, and the small details of country and city landscapes are artfully executed. Touching lightly upon marriage, fatherhood, work and success, all with a neurotic's off-kilter sensibilities, the book is a charmingly lighthearted stroll through the life of an artist. (Apr.)
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About the Author

Lewis Trondheim is the creator of such comic strips as A.L.I.E.E.E.N., Mr. O, and McConey Rabbit, and is the cowriter of Dungeon. He is the author of A.L.I.E.E.E.N.: Archives of Lost Issues, Kaput & Kosky, Mister I, and the Little Nothings series. He is the head of Shampooing, an imprint of the French comics publisher Delcourt.

Product Details

• Paperback: 126 pages
• Publisher: NBM Publishing (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561635235
• ISBN-13: 978-1561635238
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,400,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great little book., April 16, 2008

By 

Michael 'De Smurführer' Thomsen (Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Nothings 1: The Curse of the Umbrella (v. 1) (Paperback)

This is a collection of a series of one page autobiographical musings in comic strip form, originally published in Trondheim's French language online blog. As the title ("Little Nothings") suggests, the strips seem very slight at first, but thanks to having a hundred of them collected, they actually manage to gain some cummulative power and offer quite detailed insights into Trondheim's life. And he's just a regular confused guy, so don't worry, you'll most likely be able to relate. The book has stuff about family life, adopting cats, vacations, winning the grand prize at a comic con, playing with your childrens toy lightsaber, watching ER on tv, meeting strange people in the street, and lots of anxieties and paranoia about modern life. The artwork is quite beautiful, with lush watercolors. The book is pretty much essential for people who like down-to-earth autobiographical comics, and it will most likely still be a good read for everyone else. Recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars both simple and meaningfull, April 17, 2008

By 

HS - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Little Nothings 1: The Curse of the Umbrella (v. 1) (Paperback)

I really did enjoy reading this. The title describes really well what's inside the book, that is day to day small events that make life. The small little things that we can enjoy (for example, the hunt of a rainbow by all the family when it's both raining and sunny.. who never did it? and when you read this you are like "this is SO TRUE" or "just like me when I was a kid!" or whatever). Enjoying the small things life offers that are not so meaningless as we could think.

At the same time it's interesting to be "into the head" of Trondheim (the author). It's not a biography like "this guy is born in ... he was thinking that.." or even "when I was a child..", it's simply illustrations of some thoughts he had.

I strongly recommended it, I wish I could find many more!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Replete with oddities and observations, June 9, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Nothings 1: The Curse of the Umbrella (v. 1) (Paperback)

LITTLE NOTHINGS began as the author's near-daily blog and evolved to this collection of graphic cartoons about life, Lewis Trondheim's first collection. From poking fun at others to reflecting on the ironies and inconsistencies of life, LITTLE NOTHINGS is replete with oddities and observations, and is a fun pick.