Gentleman Jim - Softcover

Briggs, Raymond

3.68

483 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0241106982 ISBN 13: 9780241106983

Publisher: Puffin, 1981

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

A graphic novel classic from one of the world's best-known cartoonists

Gentleman Jim is the story of Jim Bloggs, an imaginative toilet cleaner who, dissatisfied with his station in life, devotes his time to envisioning a world beyond it. His walls are lined with books like Out in the Silver West, The Boys' Book of Pirates, and Executive Opportunities, which provide fodder for his ruminations on career change. Encouraged by his wife, who is also eager to incorporate more adventure into her life, Jim sets out to bring these dreams to fruition by accumulating various accoutrements, only to discover that the life of an executive, an artist, or a cowboy is more complicated and costly than it appears.

Jim's childlike understanding of the world that surrounds him is enhanced by Raymond Briggs's subtle and inventive illustrations. Fantasies are portrayed as organic clouds that move between and overlap outlined panels of his reality, and myopic Jim is drawn smaller and softer than the policemen and bureaucrats interested in impeding his search for adventure. As he begins to infringe more seriously on the law, the city workers and their speech boxes become increasingly angular, much like the rigid rules and regulations restricting his sincere quest. With this playful style, Briggs expertly transforms common feelings of inadequacy into an endearing and enjoyable experience that speaks across generations, concluding with an optimistic implication that even a misfortunate outcome can be better than no change at all.

This classic novel, originally published in 1980, is presented by Drawn & Quarterly in a new edition.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Raymond Briggs is one of our most respected and beloved artists. Born in Wimbledon Park in 1934, he studied at the Wimbledon School of Art and later at the Slade School of Fine Art, and went on to produce a treasure trove of work. He has created characters that are now icons for generations of children, including Fungus the Bogeyman, Father Christmas and, of course, the beloved Snowman. The biography of his parents in graphic novel form, Ethel & Ernest, became a bestseller in the UK, and an animated feature film based on the novel was released in 2016. He has won many awards over his career including the Kurt Maschler Award, The Children's Book of the Year, Dutch Silver Pen Award, and the prestigious Kate Greenaway Award twice for his Mother Goose Nursery Treasury and Father Christmas. In 2017 Raymond was awarded the Booktrust Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in Sussex.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 7 Up—Jim Bloggs is a middle-aged toilet cleaner who dreams of a life filled with adventure. Influenced by his nightly reading of children's storybooks, he imagines himself as a pirate, a cowboy, and even a successful Renaissance painter—anything to help break the monotony of his daily life. While the storybook-inspired illustrations appear simple, Briggs makes skillful use of every element on the page; from layouts to the look of text boxes, everything functions to match and enhance the moods and themes of the tale. Jim's imagination is little more than a quaint eccentricity until it starts to bleed into his real life. His desire to become a highwayman prompts him to wear a dramatic cape and toy sword; he finally comes to the attention of the authorities when he illegally buys a donkey for a valiant steed and rides it around the city, looking for excitement. But his charming, childlike innocence wins in the end; when confronted with circumstances that could have been very sad, Jim's fertile mind manages to turn it into another triumph. This edition of a 1980 work includes an introduction by cartoonist Seth that explains how influential Briggs has been over the years. While the innocent-looking art might turn off readers looking for an edgier story, anyone picking up this title will be treated to a sweet, whimsical tale.—Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA
Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.