La malédiction du parapluie

Les Petits Riens de Lewis Trondheim #1

by Lewis Trondheim

Jardinier malheureux (il extermine involontairement toute plante verte lui passant entre les mains), voyageur hypocondriaque (lors d'un séjour à la Réunion, le chikungunya fait son apparition), pède de famille déboussolé (Alien ennuie profondément son fils alors qu'il devrait être époustouflé), Lewis Trondheim affronte une existence pleine d'imprévus, qu'il transfigure en petits instantanés.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Bande Dessinée, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor, Memoir

124 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

The phenomenal Lewis Trondheim is never where you next expect him. As an artist and writer, Trondheim has earned an international following as one of the most inventive, versatile, and prolific graphic authors. From autobiography to adventure, from bestselling fantasy and children's books to visual essays, Trondheim's unique, seminal imagination consistently dazzles. His work has won numerous awards, including the Angoulême prize for best series with McConey and he also co-created the titanic fantasy epic Dungeon with Joann Sfar.

He is one of the founding members of the alternative publishing house L'Association, a proving ground for many of the greatest talents in European comics working today. He is also the editorial director of a new imprint called Shampooing, dedicated to comics for all ages.

Lewis lives in the South of France with his wife, Brigitte Findakly, and two children.

Reviews

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

La maldición del paraguas es el reverso amable de Mis circunstancias. Anécdotas cotidianas de un Trondheim entrando en la cuarentena, sin entrar en temas espinosos, centrándose en el humor de sus obsesiones, la relación con su mujer y sus hijos, otros autores de BD... En este conjunto de historietas de una página hay secuencias desternillantes, como la parte dedicada a su presencia en Angoulême cuando fue galardonado como gran autor. Otras divertidas (la adopción de unos gatos, un viaje a Hong Kong). Además, hay páginas sueltas donde está sembrado (su visita al Museo del Prado), y otras en las que resulta inevitable sentirme identificado (cuando se puso a ver Star Wars con uno de sus hijos). En su sencillez entre la autoficción y lo autobiográfico, lo he disfrutado.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think James Kochalka's American Elf deserves the credit it gets. It's a good and entertaining journal comic, and is definitely the best Kochalka that I've read.

That said, Trondheim's "Little Nothings" put all other journal comics to shame. It's not just his mastery of the form-- his highly detailed watercolors and masterful development of themes and even storylines in his own life is extraordinary. Even better, though, is his sense of humor. Trondheim is a master of delivery, and whether he's relating a perfectly unique experience or telling a fart joke, the nuanced way he tells jokes helps them surprise me every time. At the same time, I feel like I get to know the artist through his work, in a very genuine and uninhibited way. A+.

For more on comics, humanity, morality and the world check out The Stupid Philosopher, aka a place where I put my words.

[LuckyVV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top ! Des saynètes qui s'enchaînent sur fond de voyages et de paysages de vacances, et la vie de Lewis Trondheim peuplée de révélations, petites et grandes, qui nous fait un peu plus ouvrir les yeux. Et c'est très drôle !

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly one of the better diary comics I've read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen Trondheim's work before and heard many good things about it, but this is actually the first time I've read anything. At first glance, I wasn't sure I liked his art enough to read a whole book of it. It's loose, cartoony work, but slightly sketchy. After reading this book, my first impression of his art was very, very wrong. I like Trondheim's work a lot.

He uses nice watercolors throughout the book, something I haven't always seen when flipping through other works of his. Everything looks very natural, postures, panel layouts, etc., which helps ground the reality of the strips.

This book, each page is a one-page observation about life. Frequently self-deprecating (one page has Trondheim swinging a plastic lightsaber very animatedly, only to end with the caption "41 Years Old" - he's also something of a hypocondriac, though it seems that he just acts out the little things that we all think to ourselves) and humorous, but always very gentle. There's no harsh or caustic humor. He's frequently noticing that a few "good luck" moments have occurred, and then dreading the invetable "bad luck" turn, and he can only shake his head when the bad streak comes upon him.

Plus, behind-the-scenes stories from the European comics market! Trondheim and Sfar at Angouleme! Awesomeness abounds!

Beautiful art + warm, funny observations = recommended comics.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

For whatever reason, I found this to be middle-aged humor. I couldn't get into it.

[Liz Yerby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is anyone else else interested in these comics about very little? I don't know

[Sara DeVault · Rating 1 out of 5]

A few stories were cute, however, most of them bored me. It was comic strip pieces by the author of his everyday life. I was so bored that I literally could not have cared less about it. And unless you know that it’s comic strip entries, and not an actual story with a plot and everything, you’ll get so confused.

[Thomas Perscors · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an aspiring comic artist I read Lewis Trondheim as much for pleasure as for instruction. This book is the first in a series of four, a comic blog that recounts Trondheim’s life as a father and comic artist. Trondheim is one of the funniest comic artists I know of. The humor here is different than that in say Donjon. It’s more amusing and subtle.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belle découverte, les dessins sont sympas et les petits riens donnent le sourire :)

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

So satisfying. Filled with moments of humor, neuroticism, and personality.

[Cori Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky / relatable graphic novel with a smidge of through story

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet, breezy European comics that picture a world I once visited and hope still exists.

[Avi Alany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun! It's almost like a daily cartoon strip. Reading it straight through might be more unsettling than humorous.

[Zyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUPpSLAg...

[Eddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

La paranoïa, ça me parle.

[Malapata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pequeñas anécdotas de la vida cotidiana de Trondheim, contada cada una en una página.

[Nick Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trondheim makes it look so easy…

Great comic timing, as usual.

[T Rex · Rating 3 out of 5]

C’est tellement vieux qu’il y a de la neige à Angoulême

[Jamil · Rating 2 out of 5]

the best bits are the interactions at Angouelme between Trondheim & other cartoonists (Joann Sfar, Christophe Blain, Moebius) drawn in his inimitable anthropormophic style. these comics were all originally part of his blog. i also liked his relentless (okay just two) criticisms of CSI, "The series that's neither for scriptwriters nor scientists." it's not gonna win him the grand prize at Angouelme or anything, but it has that nice slight observational humor about it that Seinfeld raised Americans should love.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone mentioned that Trondheim is a "parisian Woody Allen" and I think that's spot on. I love Trondheim's Mister I and Mister O stuff. He is utterly funny and thought-provoking. And I enjoy autobiographical graphic novels. And I did, I suppose, but not as much as I would have liked, precisely because Trondheim is too much like Woody Allen... (I don't like Woody Allen in his films.) Sometimes it is really funny, and sometimes downright annoying. Nevertheless, the drawings are exactly the good stuff you can expect from Trondheim and the stories of little things are surprisingly insightful.

[Mjhancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wound up enjoying this book more than I thought I would. Essentially, it tells of Trondheim's life as he does little things: inadvertently kill houseplants, play with a cat, accept a grand prize for artistic excellence (okay, maybe not that last one). I know Trondheim from the Dungeon series, and I didn't think that style would translate well into something comparatively low key, but it works really well here. It reminded me of Guy Delisle's stuff, in its artistic simplicity and low-key, autobiographical examination.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one lived up to its title, but in a good way. I love Trondheim's sketchy little drawings that float on the page, unencumbered by panel borders, and how he draws his people with animal faces (reminds me of Jason, one of my favorites). I also like his self-deprecating, charmingly paranoiac personality. This is the good side of autobio comics -- little riffs on the small pleasures and annoyances of modern life.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I forgot to add these to my books. This is the first of a series of autobiographical comics by French cartoonist, Lewis Trondheim.

I really loved this book. He draws himself and other people as anthropomorphic animals, as he illustrates those little moments of confusion, frustration and triumph in his life. There is plenty here that we can all identify with.

I recommend his books.

[Eric T. Voigt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I forgot November only had 30 days, and that I was starting this on November 30, and thought I'd be able to squeeze this onto my Fall shelf, and start Winter off with "Infinite Jest," and be able to look at my Winter shelf and see "Infinite Jest" there, pristine in its solitude, but that all fell apart like a goddamn burrito. Anyhow, this book is pretty quaint. The least exciting pages still left me feeling a "Hm. Well then" of contentment. It was worth the risk.

[Korynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lewis Trondheim's creates a series of personal vignettes from his life, the most entertaining of which are his views on his work in comics, and his actions when left alone with his children' lightsaber. A well-sketched portrait of the artist himself and his personal superstitions and a wonder if people working in comics ever really need to grow up?

[Joe Decie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite of the Little Nothings series. Basically diary comics, but as the author is one of France's most celebrated (rightly so) cartoonists you get a nice insight into his life, very easy to read.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, simple watercolours. A sort of autobiographical comic, where people are depicted as different kinds of animals and birds-although it doesn't seem to mean much, (if at all?) which kind of animal or bird someone is. Very well done, full of the irony of life.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

See discussion here: http://shazhmmm.blogspot.com/2008/04/...

[Tita · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've only got the book today and haven't done reading it. I like it a lot, so far.