The Man in the Ceiling

by Jules Feiffer

He's bad at sports and not much better at school, but Jimmy sure can draw terrific cartoons. And his dream, like that of his Uncle Lester, who writes flop Broadway musicals, is to be recognized for what he loves doing most.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens, Graphic Novels, Comics, Middle Grade, Juvenile

185 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1993

About the author

Jules Feiffer was an American cartoonist, playwright, screenwriter, and author whose work left a significant imprint on American satire and cultural commentary. Emerging from the postwar era of newspaper comics, he first gained recognition through his long-running comic strip published in The Village Voice, where his loose, expressive line drawings and psychologically sharp dialogue captured the anxieties, contradictions, and social performances of contemporary life. Feiffer used humor to critique politics, relationships, and everyday neuroses, developing a voice that felt conversational, self-aware, and deeply engaged with the shifting cultural moods of the United States. His graphic style, which often emphasized gesture and tone over detailed renderings, was equally distinctive, and helped expand the visual vocabulary of editorial and literary cartooning. Beyond his cartoons, Feiffer became an accomplished writer for stage and screen; his play Little Murders offered a darkly comic exploration of violence and alienation in urban America, while his screenplay for Mike Nichols’s film Carnal Knowledge drew widespread attention for its unflinching examination of intimacy and desire. Feiffer also wrote children’s books, including the popular The Phantom Tollbooth, for which he provided the illustrations that helped establish the book’s imaginative visual identity. He demonstrated an enduring commitment to making art accessible, engaging with students and general audiences alike through teaching and public appearances, and continued producing work across multiple genres throughout his life. His comics and writings were often autobiographical in spirit, even when fictionalized, providing commentary on his experiences growing up in New York and moving through decades of cultural change. Feiffer received numerous honors for his contributions to American arts, including major awards recognizing his innovation in cartooning, his influence on graphic storytelling, and his impact on theater and film. His later work included longer-form graphic novels and personal memoirs, reflecting on childhood, family, and the evolution of his artistic voice. Feiffer remained an active and inquisitive creator well into his later years, consistently exploring new creative forms and responding to contemporary political and social issues. His legacy is seen in the work of generations of cartoonists and writers who drew inspiration from his willingness to bring emotional depth, social critique, and literary ambition to comics and satire. Feiffer’s work stands as a testament to the power of humor to illuminate the complexities of human behavior and the cultural forces that shape everyday life.

Reviews

[Lars Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently attended a conference on Learning and the Brain. One of the speakers was Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford who has been doing breakthrough work on motivation and learning. In her talk--as well as in her book "Mindsets"--she referred to two types of mindsets, fixed mindset and growth mindset. Studies she's conducted show the benefits of a growth mindset, where the learner believes that intelligence is malleable and effort is the key to improving intelligence. This bears a direct relationship to Jimmy, the cartoonist hero of Feiffer's most excellent novel, who struggles due to his fixed mindset: But Jimmy is good at cartooning, and when he discovers he has to go through pain and effort even in that area, he begins to change his mindset (with the help of his Uncle Lester). A beautiful and inspiring story with the added bonus of Feiffer's drawings.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ay que bonito este libro. I remember reading this in high school and being totally blown away!! Reading it as an adult definitely makes it resonate on a whole different level. It goes really deep when talking about creativity, failure, being an artist, etc. I also just loved the way it captures a child's view of adults -- always slightly suspicious and bewildered, as in, what is it with these grown ups? En fin, this makes a great read and a great gift for any creative type. If I could get a hold of Spanish translations, I would be giving this book away right and left. (There's a Spanish edition on Amazon selling for $35?? Damn!)

[Jetta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I picked this book up by accident thinking it was something else by a similar title. Boy am I glad I did. It was an easy read, and even one that didn't fully engage me for awhile. However I was so pleased with how it ended and the feeling and message of the book. Also feels very timely for me right now. Would recommend this book for anyone.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking, as well completely uplifting in a way that isn't cheezy or overdone. I wish I had more books like this to read when I was young. Instead I just read this one over and over and over.

[Holly Walling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was weird. But so are people, so maybe it’s deeper than I think. The beginning was better than the middle and end, just didn’t really feel like it went in any particular direction. Just, kinda weird.

[Paula Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Há tempos eu estava para ler um livro do Jules Feiffer e, rapaz, valeu a pena a espera. Este é um livro sensível, sobre apego, carinho, infância, vocação, fase adulta, aceitação, tudo. Provavelmente um dos finais mais lindos que já li; ou que eu já vi c:

[Nicky Neko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful and inspiring book. So funny in parts, and incredibly moving.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

adorable read
(cuter annotations)

[Lisa M · Rating 4 out of 5]

My brother recommended The Man in the Ceiling byJules Feiffer because he said I would enjoy it. Because my brother read it as a kid and thought it was essential for me to read. At first, I was taken back on how childish the book was. Then, I was told it was a book written in a kids’ perspective but it had mature themes and symbolism.

The story is about a kid named Jimmy who lives with his mom, dad, and two sisters. Jimmy has a talent for drawing. Instead of playing baseball like all the other kids, he spends hours making up cartoon stories with his amazing imagination and skill. His father doesn’t appreciate Jimmy as an artist and believes that doing jobs that don’t make your brow sweat isn’t good enough. All Jimmy wants is his father to enjoy his drawings and the hard work he puts into them. After Jimmy’s uncle became rich off a Broadway musical, Jimmy's father had a better appreciation for the arts and Jimmy believed in himself more. Uncle Ester helps out Jimmy by telling him it's necessary to make mistakes before you succeed. Throughout the story, Jimmy learns more about himself, the things he draws, and others expectations for him. For example, when the kids at school want Jimmy to draw their stories, he has less fun because he isn’t using his own imagination. By the end of the story, Jimmy overcomes his obstacles and helps others along the way.

While reading the story, I enjoyed how kiddish the writing and drawings were. I felt like I was a kid reading in my third-grade class again. The storyline was very simple and uneventful, but the relationship between the characters and the message make it a good book to read. I also thought I saw myself in Jimmy. I often connected with Jimmy when he worried about his career as a cartoonist. Jimmy believed cartoonists do not get paid that much and he will never live up to his father’s expectations. As a highschooler, I also worry about my future and the job I will have. I also enjoyed how the book spoke directly to the reader by saying phrases like, “If you flip back to page 117, she only said blue.” My favorite part of the book was discovering the different relationships Jimmy had with the other characters. For example, when the reader reads the beginning of the book, they think Jimmy often gets annoyed by his little sister, Susu, always asking him to tell her a story. Then, as you read, you realize Jimmy enjoys storytelling with his sister and thinks it comforting and humbling. I recommend this book for people who lack motivation or hope. I also believe this book is for all ages because the book can be perceived in different ways according to your age. Just because it's a picture book doesn’t mean it's a kid's book. I think adults can relate to it more due to the quest of discovering your passion.

As I said before, the story isn’t very uneventful and it's definitely not captivating. The only action the reader gets is from Jimmy’s cartoon drawings. Even though the story often fell flat, I enjoyed the resolving ending. I also sometimes got confused if Jimmy was narrating the story or a narrator.

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

To begin with, I think our library has this book in the wrong section. It was in the Juvenile area,and after reading it, I really think to be appreciated you need to be at least a pre-teen. The author does a masterful job of introducing us to Jimmy and his artistic thoughts and struggles. With excellent illustrations, the reader will fall in love with Jimmy. Jimmy loves to draw comics, but his father considers it useless talents. Jimmy finds that drawing for others isn't nearly as fun as doing it for yourself. A wonderful ending makes this a great read for anyone wanting to get someone interested in reading.

[J.T. Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best kids books I have read, and reread and reread some more. A true joy.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story of a young boy’s battle with family, his art, expectations from friends and relatives brims with hilarity, aggravation, frustration and contradictions. Jimmy wants approval from his father for his artistic leanings. But the first time his father talks frankly to him about his conflicted emotions over Jimmy and his Uncle Lester’s creative inclinations, Jimmy is deeply uncomfortable. Jimmy idolizes his schoolmate Charlie Beemer. But Charlie’s subtle manipulations and critique over the best parts of Jimmy’s work render him miserable.

This book brims with the story of a boy finding and feeling his way through the use of his comic drawings, drawn in Mr. Feiffer’s recognizably unique style. Jimmy’s family comes off as typically normal and endearingly oddball—much like anybody’s family. Above all, we feel love. It’s the love that is there among the folks when they bicker, scream, yell, argue or tiptoe around each other. It’s the love that presents itself on the final page with a wordless image of simple triumph.

For Jules Feiffer fans, for anyone who’s ever chafed at the ties that bind but stand with their family no matter what, this book is a lovely affirmation of what it means to try, try, try again with the support of those who care about you.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of an oddball of a book. At times I was connected to it and was identifying with some of the musings of the main character Jimmy. At other times I felt that there was a disconnect and the story would take somewhat of a strange turn. I liked it though. It was a very honest look at the feelings of a young boy in relation to his parents, his peers, his siblings, his uncle and his talents or in some cases his lack of talent. The observation of these feelings by the author were touching at times and so intimately described it felt like this was a look back at the author's own childhood. Since the main character, Jimmy is an aspiring cartoonist, this observation would almost seem obvious.

I bought this book for our school library, but there are some disturbing cartoons about killing people and dismembering body parts that I just am not sure it is appropriate for an elementary library. It's hard to know what is acceptable or appropriate anymore. All the same, I think this would be more appropriate for a secondary school.

[Parker Mulligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you into books with creative characters? If so read The Man in the ceiling by Jules Feiffer. This book is about a boy who is a aspiring artist and wants to be creative However his dad thinks artist are dumb and unnecessary. Since the mothers brother wrote plays that would never make it in the real world the father thinks this idea is very dumb. The boy has a friend a school that reads his comics and tells them if they are good. The friend did not like one of his series so made him start something new that was more graphic. Jimmy did not feel comfortable writing this. So he kept trying and it worked for a little bit. When jimmy went into his “sanctuary (the ceiling) he felt more comfortable and could write more and better. I think that the author used very good detail in the book when she described what he was drawing when she drew for the reader. I would recommend this book to readers that are being pushed back by something and need to do what they want to do.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Feiffer's children's books, borrowed from the library, really enjoyed it. Sufficiently funny and charming that parents reading it to their kids will enjoy it. Nice accompanying illustrations, but it's largely a prose book. Recommended for anybody with young 'uns.

Jimmy wants to be a cartoonist, but his ideas are derailed when a more popular boy shows interest in his work, but wants Jimmy to draw the popular boy's ideas rather than Jimmy's own. Meanwhile, Jimmy's uncle, a longtime wannabe playwright, finally gets his show on Broadway, and the two men's creative dreams face compromise and failure. Essentially... there's more; Feiffer crafts a great family dynamic with Jimmy, his two sisters and his parents as well. Insightful peek into the family relationship, and into creativity. So, yeah, definitely recommended.

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent! I loved reading it aloud to my 11yo. Funny, full of angst and learning from an aspiring young artist. So much to either relate to or see from a different point of view. My daughter couldn’t wait to finish it. And DON’T peek at the last page early. It was worth the wait.

Jimmy might have guessed that failure was a disease you couldn’t cure or a dark tunnel you never came out of but not in a million years would get have guessed that failure was the ugly ducking. “You don’t get to be a beautiful swan by accident… the only was is to start out as the ugly duckling. And you get through it”

Failure was normal? The hardest part: failure only worked if you went on. And on. And on.

Jimmy understood the facts of childhood: you don’t get very far pointing it mistakes to grownups

[Austin Storm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember having a strong reaction to this book in grade school, and I revisited it to see if it would hold up. It does, and then some. Jules Feiffer is best known for his illustrations for "The Phantom Tollbooth", and his illustrations here are just as effective. The feel is a bit of the more melancholy parts of Roald Dahl, with family dynamics that feel perfectly true and also a little like a YA J.D. Salinger. He inhabits the inner life of the 10-year old protagonist. It also feels a bit like The Little Prince (verging on precious in places, in a childlike way), and also reminded me distantly of the little cartoon story in Blue Like Jazz.

The portrayal of a loving if dysfunctional family who do not always know how to relate to one another may upset younger YA readers or alienate those who are from stable homes, but this was a balm to my soul when I first read it and I enjoyed reading it again.

[Suz Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part inspiration, part infuriation... the story follows a young boy who is unique in his love of cartooning as he experiences some typical, and some not-so-typical, challenges. The parents are appalling in their poor management of their children, which is made somewhat enjoyable by small moments of comeuppance. There are some lovely moments in this story, but only barely manage to override the frustration that permeates each chapter. Nevertheless, it has a charming finish, and you get the sense that the boy has come out the other end of the story with the best result possible.

[Michael Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about finding success as an artist written by a famous cartoonist about a young boy who longs to grow up to be a famous cartoonist. You will not find another book like this better than this book is. Of course, it is the only book like it that I am aware of in all existence. You should acquire it, read it, and I will bet you will love it as much as I do. The cartoons in it are good too.

[Kiyora Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about a boy, whose family didn't understand him. The boy loved doing art. Jimmy, the boy wants to be a cartoonist someday but his parents think he is wasting his time.
How can he make his parents understand and his passion of art? I rated this book a 4 out of 5 because it could of been funnier.

Date Finished: 10/18/17

[Sc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I wanted to like this much more than I did. Parts I identified - the boy has to do everything because the Mother is afraid of the sister. I didn't like the cartoons, I didn't like the parents and I didn't like the boy. He would dump his friends in a minute.

I liked the uncle though.

[Christopher Trend · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed Jules Feiffer cartoons since I was a child. This book tells the story of a boy who wants to be a cartoonist. With tensions in his family and at school he tries to draw comics.
There’s a good moral tale about being true to yourself and not trying to impress others.
I wonder if this is partly autobiographical.
It certainly reminded me of the little comics I used to draw as a boy.

[☀️Carden☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five amazing stars for a badass protagonist with ambitious bit realistic dreams and for being the best book to read over the weekend!

Fun fact: This book is by the illustrator of who drew my all time favorite THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH.

[Marcio Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quem dera uma vida só de sucessos

Através de uma história de fracassos, entendemos que estes são necessários para o sucesso.

Talvez essa seja a mensagem principal de um livro com algumas outras mensagens. Um livro que desperta em nós auto reflexões, sobre até que ponto nossas frustrações devem ter alguma relevância no rumo de nossas vidas.

Ótimo livro para quem está saindo da inocência da infância e começando a lidar com os problemas que esse mundo nos trás.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wonderful children's chapter book.

[Maureen G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another one of my all-time favorites. It will stay with me for a loooong time

[Megan Edge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatable tale of the frustrating failures of living your passion. Jimmy reminds us that growth is painful, but so sweet when you achieve it. An inspiring story, and easy read.

[Elaina Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really great book about getting back
Up again. About bringing someone in to help you when you feel like you are stuck! Very encouraging.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Susan Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Statsfyingly quirky.