The Man in The Ceiling
By Kate B., Oshkosh, WI
I had set a goal to be always reading a book, and it was time for another selection. My friend pointed out The Man in the Ceiling by Jules Feiffer at the library, whispering, "That looks pretty funny." Little did I know this book would earn a spot on my list of favorites.
The plot revolves around, well, failure. Jimmy Jibbett is ten and a half years old, and loves to draw comics. He lives with his parents and two sisters. His parents are working all the time, and his sisters are always annoying him. Jimmy believes drawing is his ticket to popularity. Charley Beemer, a popular, athletic boy, is the only one Jimmy shows his comics to, but he criticizes each one. And when Uncle Lester finally writes a Broadway musical that makes it to Broadway, even it fails. This book is also about perseverance, critical to combat failure. Jimmy needs to learn to keep trying, even if no one likes his comics. He and his uncle need to learn that failure can actually equal success.
This book has a range of emotions, the most prevalent being humor. A lot of the ridiculousness is a result of the characters' extreme personalities.
Of course this book wouldn't be complete without Jimmy's torturous sisters. They are both bossy and stubborn, and are always distracting Jimmy from drawing his cartoons. All the characters add delicious attitudes for your enjoyment.
I didn't find any boring sections because of Feiffer's great use of figurative language. He includes hilarious hyperboles and metaphors to let you soak up all aspects of the situation. I am confident Feiffer could write an entire novel about something depressing and still make readers smile with his fun language.
This book is written as though Feiffer is talking directly to you, like you are an old friend, which makes it easy to identify with the characters. Feiffer lets you in on the good and bad aspects of the characters. I found myself so absorbed with Jimmy's life that I missed it when I put down the book.
If you are looking for some laughs (and hey, who isn't?), this book is for you. So, anywhere, anytime, grab a copy of The Man in the Ceiling and lose yourself in the hysterical characters and winding plot.
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