Rien n'est simple

by Jean-Jacques Sempé

Book by Sempe, Jean-Jacques

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Humor, France, Fiction, Cartoon

128 pages, Pocket Book

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Français:
À 17 ans, Sempé roule à bicyclette pour un courtier en vins. En 1960, il démarre avec René Goscinny l'aventure du petit Nicolas, dressant une inoubliable galerie de portraits d' "affreux jojos qui tapissent depuis notre imaginaire" (dixit Goscinny). Son humour fin, subtil et allusif allié à un formidable sens du dérisoire caractérisent toute son ouvre. Sa plume traduit sa vision tendrement ironique de nos travers et des travers du monde. Aujourd'hui, Sempé est l'auteur d'une trentaine d'albums. En 1988, il a illustré Catherine Certitude, de Patrick Modiano. Il dessine régulièrement pour L'Express, Télérama, le New Yorker et expose ses dessins et ses aquarelles à Munich, New York, Londres ou Salzburg, où il rencontre toujours un très vif succès.

English:
Jean-Jacques Sempé, usually known as Sempé (French: [sɑ̃pe]), is a French cartoonist. He is known for the series of children's books he created with René Goscinny, Le petit Nicolas, and also for his poster-like illustrations, usually drawn from a distant or high viewpoint depicting detailed countrysides or cities.

Reviews

[Ebba Simone]

Nothing is simple. Cartoons in black and white from the early 60's. My favourite cartoon is the sixth one because it is sweet, creative and unexpected. 🤍 The second cartoon is sweet too which I like. I enjoy cartoons by Sempé that take me by surprise and make me chuckle, especially the cartoon number 11 (if I am counting correctly) and the one about the 🐴.

Éditions Denoël et Sempé, 1962. Page size F6. Folio.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I found this book to be only mildly humorous, but Sempé's cartoons quickly grew on me. Like many of the other cartoonists I've seen featured in The New Yorker, his comics are really little works of art. These are wonderful line drawings, simple, yet brimming with detail.





Many play on class distinctions, and the wide gap between the rich and the poor.



There's also a bit of a dark side to Sempé, somewhat reminiscent of Charles Addams. In one cartoon a husband fantasizes about pushing his wife off a cliff, while in her thought balloon, we see the wife ducking just in time to send her husband sailing over her head, and plummeting into the ravine.

Now that one was funny!

[Philippe Malzieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four month ago, the very serious french revue "Philosophie" dedicate a special numero to Sempé : Nietzche, Freud... and even Marx are convocated to confront with the artist. And the dialog is fruitful.
When I read Sempé, I understand it easily. First, there is the precision of the feature, the importance of the decor. And small characters tormented by concerns metaphysics, between greatness and ridiculous.
And I can't prevent me to smiling and from taking in affection these characters so close, so far.
Françoise Mouly, the chief editor of "The New Yorker" proposed to him to work on New York. His coloured drawing are, from my point of view the best report as possible on this city.
Sempe give to us a sociological and philosophical analysis of human condition but always with humour and tenderness.

[معصومه توکلی · Rating 4 out of 5]

به رغم این که حق کاملاً به جانب خانم شریفی است وقتی که می‌گویند نباید بلافاصله پس از خواندن یک کتاب، ستاره دارش کرد و بلکه بایستی گذاشت تا «طوفان جَو»ی که به راه انداخته، از سر گذرانده شود...
فعلاً چهار ستاره! :)
[آیکونِ حرفِ خانم شریفی گوش نکننده]

[پگاه · Rating 5 out of 5]

چه شروع معرکه‌ای بود واسه 2014م! :)
مرسی لیلی!:)
بعضی صفحاتش از خنده روده‌بر شدم و تو بعضیاش انقدر که خوب یه چیز دردناک رو به تصویر کشیده بود، کم مونده بود اشکم درآد!

[Larnacouer de SH · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find Sempe's minimalist style and storytelling quite cute, enjoyable tho.

[Delaney Hefke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing illustrations and clever little stories. I laughed out loud at almost every page.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tres Classique! If you have lived or spent time in France.... you will adore this book. I had a smile the whole way through.

[J. Sebastian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique illustrations and good clean humour. The drawings speak for themselves, though three or four of the cartoons in this volume include a text in French. Sempé’s sense of humour is wonderful, and often made me laugh. The drawings would also work well in any foreign language course, where the teacher can offer them to the students to describe and discuss.

[Mynameisandycostello · Rating 5 out of 5]

J'adore ces dessins. J'étais vraiment bouleversé avec chaque page.

[Mohsen Rajabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

بی اغراق، عالی است.

[BaiLing · Rating 1 out of 5]

2019年看得第一本書是圖畫書。

我只知道作者是畫「淘氣尼古拉」的人，這本1962年出版插畫集中的人物，很多造型，像尖尖的鼻子、短短的身子，都很後來的「尼古拉」的樣子。

可惜此書的大部分內容要不是反映當時時事，不然就是特有的法國式幽默，總之，能心領神會或努力參透而最終能恍然大悟的部分並不是太多。以至於一開始全心全意想要響應「改變閱讀習慣」的雄心壯志，到末了還是在哈欠連連中黯然地消失無蹤。

2019的閱讀，還是字、字、字吧！

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drawn c1961, so older even than I. Shades of Hulot and Clouseau. Drôle. Très drôle.

[Minh P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

No text here.

[Flora Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

2015/10/12

[Turnip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Oh, to draw like this

[Pedro Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une sélection d'œuvres de Sempé. Un livre extraordinaire.

[Mathieu Dionne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le maître de la ligne.

[Variaciones Enrojo]

Edición impresa en Impreco Gráfica en marzo de 1977. Se supone que el libro contó con una edición anterior en mayor tamaño, ya que en las primeras páginas se advierte:
Algunos dibujos de la edición en gran formato de Nada es simple no figuran en la presente edición por la imposibilidad de reducirlos.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series of books, the little details in the illustrations are so endearing. The wonderful little anecdotes, such a joy to read and never fails to make me smile.

[Cecile · Rating 5 out of 5]

I become more French every time i read this book. Sempé holds this childhood charm, I expect to find a copy of this book at every flea market I go to.

[Wuwun Wiati · Rating 4 out of 5]

très sempé.. drôle et ironique. Deux choses que j'adore s'ils sont bien melanges.

[Fugo Feedback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nada es simple, pero al menos es bastante divertido.

[Dony Grayman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edición reducida a la que le faltan algunos dibujos.