The Man in the Ceiling

This book is subtle yet transcendent. Jules Feiffer tells the story of Jimmy Jibbett, a boy whose talent as a comic book cartoonist is not acknowledged by his family. The book follows Jimmy's progression to acceptance.

The best part about this poignant story is the layout. The book has many illustrations (Feiffer also illustrated The Phantom Tollbooth and created comics for various magazines) which depict Jimmy's family life. So, we see his older sister Lisi's temper tantrums in their full intensity, and we also take a glimpse into his mother's upstairs lair, the "Sanctum Sanctorum." But, Feiffer truly shines when he gives us pages from the comic books that Jimmy creates. The reader can track Jimmy's growth through these comic book show more pages. There are moments early on when Jimmy succumbs to peer pressure and just draws what others tell him to. But, by the end of the book, Jimmy is able to draw a hand. This drawing is so important, it is the final page of the book.

What really strikes me about this book is how understanding and thoughtful Jimmy is. He's a truly admirable character and his success at the end of the book comes as a celebration for Feiffer's readers. This book is beautifully crafted. show less

The Man in the Ceiling is a great book for children ages 12 and older. The boy in the story is trying to find his identity and he is looking for support from his parents. He has never really been good at sports and he does not have a lot in common with his dad, or anyone in his family, except for his uncle. He is simply trying to figure out what works best for him and how he wants to live his life while still craving support from his family. I feel like a lot of older children would be able to relate to this story because they are at that age when they are trying to "find" themselves and figure out what they want and what they do not want. However, i feel this book is more for young boys than it is for young girls simply because it is show more told throught the young boy's point-of-view. show less

Having enjoyed other Feiffer works such as Passionella, I was disappointed and depressed by this book. It was described by one blurb as "wickedly funny", usually a sure sign that I'll like a book -- but I found it unfunny, wickedly or otherwise.
My beefs with this book are three:

1. Writing classes teach that you should "show, rather than tell;" but Feiffer tells us about our protagonist, Jimmy -- and tells us, and tells us.

2. The plot struck me as discouraging, though it was intended to be inspiring.

3. Jimmy's family behave abominably to him (and on occasion, to each other), with no negative consequences to themselves. If this was based on Feiffer's own family, I can only feel very, very sorry for him. The parents do not "parent"; in show more fact, the mother seems irresponsible as a parent, the father nearly oblivious. Jimmy's older sister is a nightmare who wouldn't have known an ungrounded day if she'd grown up in the house of actual *adults*; Jimmy's parents let her get away with murder (figuratively). This is the kind of family where someone will scream or argue for an hour, trying to get someone else to do a 10-minute chore for them...instead of just doing their own task themselves.
The adults seem equally bad at handling problems: I mean, how hard is it to insist that an untrained dog be put on a leash in your house, instead of destroying it?

The takeaway message seems to be, in part, that nobody else in life is reliable, no one will really support you if you have talent, so you have to just put up with their abuse until you succeed on your own -- and even then, someone might take that success away from you.

Positives: Each character behaves in a consistent, if maddening, manner. I liked the idea of expressing yourself through cartoon concepts, and the book does a good job showing the creative process. show less

Kinda cute story about a 10 yo boy and the family that he doesn't quite fit into. Unfortunately most of the time the characters are losers, and I am just tired of reading about people who don't really try. Jimmy heroically tries to wake them up, but they're mostly self-absorbed and self-pitying.

Although this book took me forever to read because it kept putting me to sleep, I really liked this story about a budding cartoonist and his family. It's all about failure and trying.

Best ever. One of my all-time favs. Poignant, hilarious story of a young boy in an odd family, trying to balance his needs with his idol's wants.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. As a child, and as an adult. Quirky and smart. And its currently being adapted by Feiffer and Andrew Lippa as a musical. I cannot wait.