Get a Life

Monsieur Jean

by Philippe Dupuy, Charles Berberian

A celebration of the sophistication, wit and charm found only in the singular collaboration of French cartooning team

For twenty years, French cartoonists Philippe Dupuy and Charles Berberian have collaborated on every aspect―sharing both the writing and drawing―of their highly acclaimed Mr. Jean short stories, creating one of the most endearing, clever, and readable series in contemporary French comics. Their award-winning, critically acclaimed series has sold more than 120,000 copies in France and has won one of comics' most coveted awards, the prestigious Angoulême Alph-Art
Award for the Best Book of the Year.

Get a Life is a collection of the early Mr. Jean stories where the reader is introduced to the life of the titular character, a laconic, single Parisian male struggling through the usual calamities of bachelorhood in his twenties and early thirties and the impending responsibilities of marriage, kids, and deadlines for his publisher. Mr. Jean is a typical everyman―a scholar who fancies himself a man of letters, a nostalgist whose memories carry a weight few can understand, a lover whose heart knows the greatest of burdens. Melancholic yet joyful reflections on past loves, favorite authors, marriage, and fatherhood are laid out in a breezy, comic style.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Humor, Comix, Family

144 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2006

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comics for the most part are a collaborative medium usually with one person writing, another drawing, another inking, colouring, lettering, and so on. Rarely do you find two people who work on a comic and do both the writing and drawing together, but such is the case with Charles Berberian and Phillippe Dupuy. In fact, their drawing/writing styles are so similar, they’ve said that even they have a hard time figuring out who did what in their comics!

Get a Life collects the first of their acclaimed and bestselling Monsieur Jean comics from 1989 to the early ‘90s, a time I only mention because you’ll notice that when people want to make a phone call outside they go to a phone box, and they can smoke indoors everywhere! Besides small details though, these comics are timeless and wonderful.

Jean is a young writer in Paris and we follow his travails with women, friends, his concierge (landlady), the everyday material mixed up with fantasy/dream sequences, comedy and a vivid, eye-catching art style. The stories are often entertaining and funny like when Jean looks after his friend’s cat and ends up arrested for suspected sex in a public park, or when he takes on a screenwriting job for an unscrupulous film producer and has to dodge mob enforcers.

But there’s some beautiful, slice of life stories here too that are quite poignant. Like when Jean realises he and his childhood friend have grown apart, or the time he recounts his first break-up, or the story where he battles his critical “dark side” who tries to convince him that his writing is as worthless as the critics say it is. There are also stories that apply to his age of late 20s/early 30s like trying to find a decent flat for a reasonable rent, seeing friends having kids of their own, and being nagged about marriage by his nearest and dearest (he’s something of a playboy).

The art is absolutely lush in true Gallic style - Jean has the same bulbous nose as the more famous French character, Asterix! Charming European architecture, the colours, and the settings: moonlit parties in apartments, lengthy meals in exotic restaurants, glamorous nightclubs, contrasted with smashed up flats, rainy nights, heartbreak, insomnia and food poisoning. Regardless of what they’re writing about, all of Dupuy and Berberian’s panels look amazing.

If you collect gorgeously produced comics, this is a great one to get. High quality, thick paper, excellent printing, well-designed - it’s a lovely object in itself. Full marks to Drawn & Quarterly! Also, if you love these comics and want more, check out the Drawn & Quarterly Anthologies Vols 3 and 5 for some lengthy 50+ page Monsieur Jean stories that follow the character as he ages, gets married, becomes a dad, etc. - they’re also really good!

I first bought/read this back in 2007 and, re-reading it 7 years later, it’s still as fantastic as I remembered. If you enjoy non-superhero comics and want to sample some of the best grown-up comics France has to offer, look no further than Dupuy & Berberian’s Get a Life. Funny, moving, romantic, enjoyable and totally compelling, Monsieur Jean is the best!

[Drew Canole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Collects Monsieur Jean books 1-3. Only complaint is the book is a bit too small, these stories should be presented oversized like a Tintin book.

[Raina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing anecdotal snapshots of the life of a struggling artist and his dating, familial, friend, and professional life in Paris.
Enjoyed seeing Paris from the inside, and yay full-color. Also appreciated a few comics which featured his internal struggles with longterm friendships.

[StrictlySequential · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the type of book that you read over a long while because the short stories don't lock you into the next. They are all good but I did a few at a time over more than ten sittings.

Surely you will identify with someone within because the cast is large and very varied from suicidal seniors to male secretaries and man-eater landladies.

I was the guy who's always tripping over himself because he's rad at being bad- who's good with women and natural with children. The "Grownboy". Selfishly, I think he was the most interesting, along with the quirks of the females, because Jean himself is utterly boring and only gets women because they are written in the story for him. But I think that's the point- an everyman (Jean) who's popular because he's good at something and caught up in his whirlwind life just riding it by the seat of his pants.

[Peacegal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should have been called Get a Life Script. Too many relationships and too many babies.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful surprise. Beautiful cartooning, and Jean is so human it hurts. Oh, and it is SUPER Frenchy. As in the book practically smells like brioche and expensive cigarettes.

[Hank Stuever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't quite hold up the way I remembered my first readings of the "Monsieur Jean" comics, but still delightful in drips and drabs and, vicariously, soooo French.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book collects the earliest of Dupuy and Berberian's Monsieur Jean comics. It's all solidly done, but somehow mostly forgettable. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it.

[Ray Nessly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this at my local library. The artwork grabbed me. Had never heard of this team, Dupuy & Berberian. Teams in comic strips are common, of course, but my understanding is that, generally, one does the story and the other the drawing. But Dupuy and Berberian tackle both, and apparently their artistic styles and personalities blend so well that they reportedly have trouble, in retrospect, determining who did what in each strip. Very good artwork, as I said, and Mssr. Jean is a good character. He's a writer, likeable, has as many faults as he has girlfriends (ie, lots), and gets into some interesting predicaments. The stories are poignant and often funny. I especially liked the series re Insomnia, I suppose, partly because graphic novels are one of my first choices for bedtime reading. Not quite five stars. Make it 4.5

[Stef · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection was okay. I recall reading the intro that referred to the protagonist as a "nice guy," but it didn't seem that way -- he just seemed normal, but that description put me off him. I was never really excited to return to this book after putting it down, and I don't really recall the stories I did read aside from the character's gossipy, judgmental landladies.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breezy, nostalgic and somehow Parisien a nice series of vignettes of modern single life.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! i certainly want to read more by these two writers/cartoonists.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

this review first appeared on [http://intraspace.blogspot.com]

with a hour to kill while i waited for my tyre to be replaced and wheels aligned, i wandered into town to visit the library. they're renovating the library at the moment and that day the entire non-fiction floor was closed. this meant i had to browse the fiction section instead of the usual art and design sections. fortunately, the fiction section contains a small but rather well-maintained graphic novel shelf. so i ended up leaving the library with two new graphic novels and a book of truman capote's short stories (reviews to come...)

the next day, having decided to take a morning off church, i got some extra sleep and launched into one of the two graphic novels - 'get a life' by french illustrator/authors dupuy and berberian.

i have two basic criteria for selecting graphic novels: 1. drawing style and 2. not too much moral debauchery. this one seemed to fit the bill - especially on the drawing style criteria. dupuy and berberian use a classic french style that reminds me of certain books i read as a kid - one was called 'dustman dan' or 'dan the dustman' or something.

anyway, this is the first time i have come across the work of dupuy and berberian, but apparently they are quite well known. 'get a life' is a compilation of shorter stories about their character monsieur jean - a moderately successful author who is on the cusp of turning 30. according to the introduction, monsieur jean is how dupuy and berberian work out their own angst at having to grow up and take responsibility.

jean's existence is seinfeld-like, but the stories are told with french je ne sais crois. despite the trials of everyday life (insomnia, a dragon landlandy or rather concierge, past girlfriends, current girlfriends, annoying old friends and book signings), jean manages to stumble through life in quite a charming way that stops him from looking pathetic and ends in a nice little happy ending.

recommended.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where can I find more of the Monsieur Jean books? I loved the previous autobiographical book by the two artist collaborators and was pleased to find a copy of their fiction work. It's fun to see how their lives are intertwined with that of their fictional hero, a young French single guy who weaves through storylines about dealing with his landlady, dealing with insomnia, dealing with his friends, and dealing with dating. In my exploration of single life through reading, I rather loved getting the perspective of a 30-year-old male. I think the goal is the same for men and women, finding love, though the method does look different. It was heartening to see that break ups feel just as lousy for guys too; not that I enjoy the knowledge that there is so much misery in the world, but that it is not just me who hates that part of dating. And the art and storytelling is just delightful. I love the bold lines they use and bright colors. Any time I spot those two things in a quick grab browse I know there is a good story ahead.

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't the main character have a worse, more pathetic, depressed life?
I sort of have a thing for those characters and still have some tolerance left for Graphic Novels and their depressed story-lines, so therefore I wanted to give this book my 5 stars and possibly move on the happier Graphic Novels.

The reason for the 5 star rating is:
The graphics are great, some parts are intriguing and hilarious, and the stories end after each chapter. I think a continuations story of a depressed being would bore me. So, the little breaks in between were refreshing and once I finished a chapter - I was intrigued and wanted to dive back into the character's misfortunes, "life of a Parisian male struggling through the usual calamities of life" - well and I liked that it takes place in Paris, since I enjoy the French life.

It sort of reminded me of Asterious Polyp - another similar Graphic Novel I read few years ago, but "Get a Life" is more flamboyant and florid.

Only recommend to die-hard Graphic Novel fans or newcomers.

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm new to the graphic novel genre, as I have only recently discovered they are not all about Japanese vampires battling evil and searching for large breasts.

Get A Life is something else all together. It has humor but it is small, gentle humor. It doesn't have thick plots, no deep pains or truths to exorcise.

It's just a French guy living a French life flanked by interchangeable attractive women and so-so friends. In fact, all the characters are so-so people, no heroes and few villains, very real in that respect.

Compelling, not boring, but no deep shakes. Another book I liked even though I sense I (American female a generation behind Jean) am not the intended audience. If I were the intended, I might think it was genius.

[Diane Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd never read any of the Get a Life stories before reading this collection, but shortly after diving in I realized that I adored them. Main character Jean is richly portrayed, with sometimes exasperating moments of weakness, or self-involvedness, or even ill-advised acts of kindness. He falls in and out of love at the drop of a hat, imagines horrible events for his adversary-of-the-moment, and tends to deal with his life by escaping into the castle in his mind. However, he is so likeable that his world becomes nearly irrestible. I am glad I've found Jean and look forward to finding out what happens next with him.

[Jeff Lanter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monsieur Jean is a somewhat innocent and charming character. This French indie comic is somewhat sentimental and sweet, but it is also entertaining and worthwhile. Much like comics in the newspaper it frequently ends on some sort of punchline which I actually kind of liked. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy for $4 and it was totally worth the price of admission. While the graphic novel never gets as heavy as I like, I really had fun reading it and would recommend it to anyone that can get their hands on it.

[Bill Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've got to admit that I didn't love this book as much after reading it a second time. I noticed a couple things that I had glossed over the first time. The racist rendering of black airline passengers in "A Trip to Lisbon" was disappointing. Equally disconcerting was the male characters' lack of patience with and verbal abuse of children.

However, despite these faults, I still enjoyed it. Love the artwork, the character development, and the stories. I look forward to reading more.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essentially a series of ordinary stories about an ordinary French man as he lives and works through his late twenties and early thirties. The stories are well told, but this is only a small collection of the Monsieur Jean comics and it didn’t do anything to make me want to pick up more. I did really like the art though, and it’s pretty impressive how Dupuy and Berberian seamlessly share both writing and drawing duties.

[Erik Wirfs-Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it a lot even though my copy was aa ARC with seemingly xeroxed art. Charming taless of an aimless? 20-something author, but different than most american indie comics with the same subject matter since it's French and the main protaganist isn't living in utter poverty. The art is also very charming.

[Damon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Frenchy. Though in a similar vein, I don't think this is as good as Michel Rabagliati's "Paul" books (but maybe that's too simple of a comparison?) but it's entertaining enough. Not one you'll be hurrying home to get back to, but also not something you're likely to put down and not pick back up.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't a bad book, but it's a really disjointed one; if there's a story arc, I guess I missed it. There are some really funny moments, but overall it was so unmemorable that I read it today without ever being 100% sure that I had finished it once before. (Gave it three stars last time, apparently, and I still agree with that.)

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dupuy and Berberian's collection of their "Monsieur Jean" works...the tales of an average guy leading an average life in France. A big nose. A few women. And all the empathy in the world. It's the best that comics get.

[Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

After I finished Michel Rabagliati's books, my buddy the librarian recommended this one, along with another graphic novel by the same pair of French comics artists. It was a fast read, pleasant and entertaining but not particularly consequential.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book read so smooth. I became an instant fan. I do love a good breezy turn at european comics.

Now if only D&Q could get the rights to print Corto Maltese and Moebius in the US, I'd be a happy cartoonist.

[Gordon McAlpin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Monsieur Jean books are impossibly well-drawn. I could stare at their pages for hours. While the stories have a certain thinness to them, they're still so damned warm that endearing that I can't help but adore them.

[Jeff Raymond · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of small stories about a French comic character. Whether a lot of this was lost in translation, or whether it just wasn't really good, I couldn't tell you. It certainly had its moments, but I ultimately couldn't connect with anything here.

[Mark]

Dry, Gallic wit, quite clever with fine artwork, this is not exactly my cup of tea. I started out giving it three stars knowing that, by objective critical measure, this is probably a five star book, just, again, not for me.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Monsieur Jean GN I was gifted. This one had a bit more meat to it in terms of story, and I really liked it. The little one-shot stories about the battle between Jean and his concierge were funny, and the bulk stories were great too. Definitely interested in reading more.