Love Is Hell

Love is Hell--sounds redundant doesn't it?I love the subtitle to this: A CARTOON BOOK, as if Matt Groening were downplaying the truth behind almost every page in his book. This is hardly "cartoon" material: every page takes a very mature look at pitfalls of relationships and turns them into hilarious results! And Groening is an equal-opportunity skewerer: men, women, straight, gay, everyone gets it. And the great thing is to see a little of yourself in here, and have a good laugh at that too.

If you are a fan of the Simpsons and Matt Groening, you will love this book. From his take on the types of girlfriends to the stages of a breakup, Groening approaches each subject with sarcastic precision that will have you rolling on the floor. If you like the Life in Hell series, this is a must for you. Buy this book! You will love it.

Groening had panel cartoons (our local counter-cultural paper carried it) before the Simpsons became huge. If you haven't enjoyed Groening's non-Homer-and-Bart material, you are in for a real treat.Of the "Hell" books (and they are all as funny as hell) I like this one the best. There are plenty of Groening's signature chart cartoons, where he fills out a panel with "The 9 types of Boyfriends" or my particular favorite "The Teenage Guide to Crime and Punishment" which includes the Crime of Teenage Pregnancy with the boy sulking "I only put it in a little" and the girl simultaneously saying "We're in LOVE!" And then there is "Akbar and Jeff" --two crazy guys in fezzes, and Groening's poke at small business with his "Hut" chain of stores like Tofu Hut. (not sure if that one is in Love is Hell, but there are plenty more.) I must've bought at least 6 copies of this because I keep giving it away as presents. It's really, really funny. If you think Groening was just "Simpsons" and then dropped off with "Futurama (what's with THAT?!) then you might be pleasantly surprised by his cartoonist abilities.

Love is hell is a laugh out loud book. If you've ever been in love, lust had a crush or anything in between you'll be able to relate. Matt Groening shows us all the pitfalls of love. With cartoons such as The 9 types of boyfriends,Getting the Love You Deserve, etc you realize that people really are the same all over.Love is hell is the book you pull out when you think love isn't going to happen because after reading it and thinking a while you realize...maybe love is hell. By the creator of the Simpsons before he hit it big this is a one of a kind book that will have a place of honor in your home. Just don't lend it out because you'll never het it back! Do you want to laugh really laugh than buy this book unless your in love....than well wait awhile eventually you'll need to buy it.

We Live in a world where hearts are broken on a daily basis, often unexplained, often crushingly terrible (where you want to curl up on the floor in a fetal position and catterwall until the early morning---yes, I've been there). When one feels this way, there is only one cure. That cure is laughter. Love Is Hell hasn't changed the world or saved lives (not that I know of anyway), but it has allowed us to look at the way that we behave when it comes to romantic matters and laugh at it. Granted, it is darkly funny, but funny nonetheless. By holding the mirror up to our own insecurties, neurosis, and emotion, Groening has provided the the salve in chuckle form for a wounded heart---a book that understands the pain, makes it funny, but never makes light of it. A stunning achievement from a very gifted man.