The Singles Theory

Monsieur Jean

by Philippe Dupuy, Charles Berberian

Monsieur Jean is a young writer whose everyday life and its inescapable existential woes are comedically told by the talented team of Dupuy & Berberian, winners of the 2008 Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême. Whether it’s the unexpected visit of an old friend, a trip to his in-laws, the arrival of a child, the frustrations of writer’s block, or even dealing with his moody landlady, Monsieur Jean’s life and times all share a tenderness and a dash of irony.

A series full of the nostalgia and droll absurdity that invariably come with adulthood.

Genres: Comics, Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels, Adult, Relationships, Humor

136 pages, Hardcover

First published March 15, 2000

Reviews

[Nadia Costa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toujours un plaisir de suivre Monsieur Jean dans ses périples d'adulte des années 90/00. J'aime beaucoup sentir cette époque et Dupuy et Berberian arrivent sans nul doute à transmettre la vie qu'on s'imagine bien être celle d'un trentenaire, parisien, aspirant à écrivain, ses aventures familiales, ses ami/es, copines et tout se qui gravite autour de son quotidien. Même si une époque spécifique se dégage de ces aventures, il en reste que j'y reconnais toutefois des rituels et des habitudes si caractéristiques du quotidien de vie et de la culture française. Une invitation au voyage, et un hommage à Paris.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vietin muutaman päivän paksun tiiliskiviromaanin seurassa, minkä jälkeen tämä tuntui ihanan stressittömältä ja viihdyttävältä välipalalta. Kirjan sinisävyinen värimaailma sopi yhteen epäonnisen ja yksinäisen päähenkilön kanssa.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Monsieur Jean stories in the Drawn and Quarterly collections (volumes 3 & 4), and in the book Get A Life, but this one seemed a little slight in comparison. That said, it's still worth reading if you can track it down.

One pet peeve: the inside cover tells you where this book fits in chronologically with the rest of the series, but it does so with the French titles (which don't correspond to the English ones at all, from what I can tell). So as a tip to English readers, I recommend reading them in this order: (1) Get A Life (2) Singles Theory (3) Drawn & Quarterly vol 3 (4) vol 4.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too shabby. Kind of like a French sitcom, featuring middle class people just like American sitcoms, only they have more sex, have pseudo-intellectual conversations, nudity is revealed, they eat fancier and smoke more. Some of the jokes were funny, when I got them, and some of the scenarios made me chuckle. I didn't get the crew of assassins until the end of the book though, and what was with the toaster scenario ending? I think they could have added a panel to smooth that out.

True rating: 2.6 Stars (if you've noticed, I usually round up from .5)

[Anne-Catherine Vanhove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niet slecht, niet super. Verschillende korte stukken die wel bij elkaar horen, maar niet één groot verhaal. Enkele leuke scènes, maar ze waren nogal ongelijk van kwaliteit. Blijkbaar is het onderdeel van een reeks, maar dat was niet aan het boek te zien en de andere delen zijn niet beschikbaar in de bib dus het zal bij deze ene blijven.

[Manfred Moonlight Ackermann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quelques trucs sympas mais globalement pas ouf non plus.

[Jukka Häkkinen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sinkkumiehen ajatuksia ruotiva kirja on paikoitellen osuva, mutta on lopulta aika kevyttä tarinointia, josta ei jää paljon mieleen.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A popular series of French graphic novels, the stories of a thirty-something Parisian writer garnered creators Dupuy and Berberian numerous awards over the past 20 years including a prestigious Angoulême International Comics award. Originally published in 2000, Monsieur Jean—The Singles Theory works perfectly a stand alone volume to meet Jean in a series of insightful and humorous tales. His friend Felix, bitter from a recent break up, moves in. Seemingly inspired by The Odd Couple, the vignettes often showcase Felix's struggles and Jean's efforts to help. Funny in the Seinfield vein, the simple, two color Dupuy and Berberian art matches perfectly with the subject and content of the dialogue-centric stories.

[Mikael Kuoppala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dupuy and Berberian's Monsieur Jean series began as a wonderfully bittersweet story of a slightly lost 30-something Parisian author in search of himself. As Jean found more meaning in his life, got married and established a family, a lot of the magic dissipated. The stories weren't as original or filled with wisdom as they were before. It's no wonder then that the duo behind Monsieur Jean has decided to give us this special collection of new stories set during Jean's single life. I'm happy to report that the magic is all back.

[Aapo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ranskan Kramppeja ja nyrjähdyksiä teki aikahypyn. "Teoria yksinäisistä ihmisistä sijoittuu Jeanin elämänvaiheiden kronologiassa albumeiden Naiset ja lapset ensin sekä Onni hymyilee, minä en väliin." Albumikoko on vähän pienempi ja alunperin mustavalkoinen sarjakuva on saanut yhden värin lisää. Eli vähän eri formaatti kuin muissa Jeanin elämää -albumeissa, mutta samaa huttua tässä pyöritellään. Mukavaa ja sujuvaa, toki vähän on kitkeryyttäkin, ainakin Felixin repliikeissä.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny, well written and realistic, this short graphic novel follows the friendship of a writer and his strange buddy. Published for the first time in English, it's easy to see why it has won awards overseas. Quick read.

[Carlos Rioja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me gusta el dibujo, y las historias no están mal, pero es demasiado «ambiental» para mi gusto.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been meaning to grab more foreign comics, and luckily I was gifted this and another Monsieur Jean GN from two friends. This was a fun, accessible little peek into the world of Monsieur Jean.

[Michael Rhode · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, but not memorable. Because I bought it and read it twice...