Library

by Michael Dumontier, Neil Farber

Two of Canada’s most famous visual artists take on the book medium in their own hilarious way

Library is a collection of paintings by two of Canada’s most influential contemporary artists, Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber. From the simple premise of the book title comes a series of images that are laugh-out-loud funny. A collection of book covers adorned with titles painted in simple handwritten fonts are displayed on brightly colored hardboard. Each book forms part of an ongoing series Dumontier and Farber started in 2009.

In Dumontier and Farber’s Library, titles like I Lost the Human Race, Change Your Relationship to Your Unchangeable Past, and I Have a Medical Condition That Makes It So I Don’t Have to Talk to You offer surprising and astute observations, all in the duo’s characteristic deadpan style. The simplicity of the shapes and text evokes an immediate but lasting profundity, with each piece causing one to wonder about the thoughts that roam their consciousness, and the books that take up residence on their―and our―shelves.

Dumontier and Farber are founding members of the influential art collective the Royal Art Lodge, and have been collaborating on art projects for more than fifteen years, exhibiting internationally. Library is playful and insightful as it pokes and prods at the human condition.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Humor, Adult, Comics, Books About Books, Comix

108 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

If someone wrote your unauthorized, tell-all biography, what would it be called? The Calm Before the Storm Was Only Calm in Relation to the Storm? Once You’re Bulletproof They’ll Just Make a Stronger Bullet? This River Flows Both Ways? What if it were your memoir? Would it be I Wasn’t Paying Attention and Now It’s Over? You Can Burn the Bridge, but I’ll Just Swim? I Said the Wrong Words, but I Pronounced Them Correctly? If these titles speak to you, if you long to write or read the pages of their books, check out the literary art-comic Library by Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber and imagine that There Was a New Emotion, and I Was the First Person to Feel It, and They Named It After Me.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surely, every literate person has at some time, if not all the time, scanned over a bookrack promoting books deserving of more honest titles. A Boring Day of My Life in Fine Detail, say, or The Answer Is a Bunch of Science. Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber have performed a service for such literate persons by painting dusk jackets for books that do or should exist. Perhaps you have a taste for tough-guy fiction—may I suggest Dig Him Up, Let’s Kill Him Again or maybe My Way Is the Highway? The Rod McKuen-esque What Does Thunder Taste Like? and the non-apologetic apology I Said the Wrong Words, But I Pronounced Them Correctly both fit comfortably within this Library, along with a couple-hundred more. Browsing is encouraged.

[Hannah Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library of what looks like hand-painted book covers and spines. Some funny, some witty, I can tell the author/artists likes puns. I'm glad I checked this out from the library, because I'm not sure I would reread it. But it's a fun and cute and sometimes poignant series of paintings.

[AllBookedUp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two contemporary artists collaborated and came up with a fun book filled with titles for book covers. Their spin on "if you can be as pithy as you can to describe the entire book."

Some, you look at and you can see Harry Potter, Self-Help books, the Bible, even Fifty Shades of Grey.

This is not meant to be taken seriously but rather as a humous collection of contemporary art book jackets.

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one wasn't for me. A few panels made me chuckle, but ultimately it did not accumulate to much, unfortunately. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Zachary Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"WHETHER I HELPED OR NOT, AT LEAST IT WAS APPARENT I WAS SMART.

This was a really delightful surprise. This book is a series of paintings of imaginary books that start off as quirky jabs at the book industry ("A Boring Day of My Life In Fine Detail" or "Want To Know a Bunch of Stuff You'll Wish You Didn't?") and then slowly morph into... well I'm not really sure.

The closest comparison I have is that these titles turn into something like a more light hearted version of Jenny Holzer's Truisms. Short little statements that are sometime absurd, sometimes sad, but mostly humorous. Here were some of my favorites:

-"I Wasn't Paying Attention and Now It's Over"
-"The Rats and Mice Are Using My Credit Cards"
-"The Human Interest Story Wasn't Interesting To This Human"
-"I Will Never Forgive This Country"
-"Every Corner Is The Same And Every Corner Is Different And I Have Seen Every One On My Own Terms"
-"Hey That's The Same Sadness I Have"
-"You Won't End Up Where You Plan, But You Still Need The Plan"
-"I'm Going To Hell To Show The Devil Who's Boss."
-"I Said Weird Stuff And They Understood Me"

Had a good time with this book! It's like Twitter but without the feeling of complete emptiness afterwards

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library combines two of my favorite things art and books. Two Canadian contemporary artist painted books with creative titles. I found my self snorting, giggling and outright laughing at some of the titles the authors/painters came up with. A few were so esoteric I'm not sure I caught the humor. This is the kind of book you can read through in 15-20 minutes or you can go slower and read titles aloud to people around you. This is appropriately in the humor section and it brightened up my day. Thank you NetGalley and Drawn and Quarterly for a temporary ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

“…a series of images that are laugh-out-loud funny.”

Then why didn’t I laugh-out-loud? Not once. A tiny smirk, once or twice. I had a hard time even appreciating any potential artistic value as it didn’t seem horribly complex (says the person who needs a ruler to draw a straight line). The only book that gave me pause was a blue one with an eye on the cover, an eye on the back, and, on the spine, the words “nose” in the center and “mouth” at the bottom. I thought “Hmmm, looks like Gatsby.”

So, this was a big no from me: no humor, no laughs, could not find artwork I found intriguing.

[Amanda Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have three ideas for this book.
1. Share this with a group of people and all of you have to share which book title resonates with you the most (also good for a therapy setting?).
2. Apples to apples style- read the title of the book and everyone in the circle has to choose a real life book that they think could also go by that title. It’d be a real hit with English majors and insufferable adults (a Venn diagram that is just a circle).
3. Combine the first two. Apples to apples style where everyone else tells you what book you are.

Let me know if you’d like to get in on the ground floor with these million dollar ideas!!!

[Juushika · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of book covers that aren't, not in any particular arrangement. Some are "honest book covers" pastiche, and many have contemporary literature vibes, preoccupied with loneliness, social prestige, and death. I could see myself liking this if this were structured, if it had an internal narrative; if this were more fantastical, if the titles inspired wonder or curiosity. As is: tedious, pointless; at best, cute.

[HEichEL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read & I really enjoyed reading it.
I would like a copy for my bookshelves.

I was the first person to check out this book from my city Library & there was a teal sticky note in the front cover that said, "too artsy fartsy."

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book is written by 2 guys who got stoned and brainstormed book titles. Some of them are funny or seem like they could be actual books, and other ideas here could have been developed more.

[Kristina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book in a library because I liked the idea. And a few of the covers were actually witty, especially those cleverly combined with a graphic element. Alas, most other "book titles" turned out to be either depressing, unsettling, or outright mean.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Carol Youssif · Rating 3 out of 5]

What the heck did I just read?

[Becky Osmon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A neat little art book. Clever.

[Caroline Mcphail-Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasure for the eyes & the brain with some laugh out loud titles alongside some titles that make a person sit back and ponder! Quick fun read!

[Viviana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Art 2-3 stars

[Patricia Q · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really hit or miss. I only found 1 or 2 titles funny.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of their Instagram account for years, so I couldn't wait to get a copy of this book! 📚

[el · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kinda humor as book titles. Perfect.

[Callie]

I want to read all of these books

[Cristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I needed when I needed it.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever and playful imaginings of book titles. You might get a few chuckles from it.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smoking and Croaking = 10/10

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat odd.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is genius and hilarious.

[Lydia Timpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning. I really liked the whole concept of book titles as art and the different configurations. After a while It did get a little repetitive but some of the titles were so clever they made me grin.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the concept, the color, the humor, and the heartbreak. I can’t wait to share it (again).

[Antoinette Van Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my favorite thing. Art and several-word-stories wrapped up into one. As random and witty as it gets and a super dumb sense of humor will help. Just a delight (and also a great coffee table book). Paid too much money for it, but I'm not even mad because now I can look at my favorite art whenever I want without opening my phone.