Love Is Hell

Rating:
Summary: Funny as hell
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: where the Simpsons fear to tread...
Review: I heartily agree that "Life is Hell", of which this book, _Love is Hell_, is part of that Genre, has got to be Matt Groenings' finest work. Yes, the ubiquitous Simpsons have their moments, as does "Futurama", but...anyway, I actually owned the original edition of this book and only comparatively recently sold it to a 2nd hand bookseller (D'oh!), which was a mistake because I only comparatively recently fell intensely into and painfully out of love with a too-hot-to-handle 22-year old woman from S. America...the book would have made a nicely sardonic "St. Valentine's Day" / "Goodbye Forever" parting gift.

Alas...I may actually buy the most recent edition, since from what I read here it has some added material from my original copy; More "Love is Hell"??--ooh, baby, gimme more! Or I could just splurge and pick up "The Big Book of Hell" which has all the original "Hell" books (this one included) compiled under one complete cover. I had to snicker when I saw under "people who bought this title also bought titles by..." and saw the name of David Sedaris! Well, of course! Anyone who appreciate's Matt's warped sense of humor and doesn't know about David Sedaris should do an Amazon.com search for "Sedaris, David". They are kindred spirits in the world of "dark" humor. Love 'em both! Remember JP Sartre's dictum: "Hell is other People". A philosophical truth--but Matt Groening shows how funny this truth can be.

Rating:
Summary: where the Simpsons fear to tread...
Review: I heartily agree that "Life is Hell", of which this book, _Love is Hell_, is part of that Genre, has got to be Matt Groenings' finest work. Yes, the ubiquitous Simpsons have their moments, as does "Futurama", but...anyway, I actually owned the original edition of this book and only comparatively recently sold it to a 2nd hand bookseller (D'oh!), which was a mistake because I only comparatively recently fell intensely into and painfully out of love with a too-hot-to-handle 22-year old woman from S. America...the book would have made a nicely sardonic "St. Valentine's Day" / "Goodbye Forever" parting gift.

Alas...I may actually buy the most recent edition, since from what I read here it has some added material from my original copy; More "Love is Hell"??--ooh, baby, gimme more! Or I could just splurge and pick up "The Big Book of Hell" which has all the original "Hell" books (this one included) compiled under one complete cover. I had to snicker when I saw under "people who bought this title also bought titles by..." and saw the name of David Sedaris! Well, of course! Anyone who appreciate's Matt's warped sense of humor and doesn't know about David Sedaris should do an Amazon.com search for "Sedaris, David". They are kindred spirits in the world of "dark" humor. Love 'em both! Remember JP Sartre's dictum: "Hell is other People". A philosophical truth--but Matt Groening shows how funny this truth can be.

Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: To quote Homer Simpson: It's funny becasue it's true!
Review: It is not that the idea that "Love Is Hell" is news to anybody; after all, there is a sense in which the phrase is redundant and repetitive. What matters here is that Matt Groening gets us to laugh at the most painful aspect of human existence, namely having your heart and other body parts ripped to shreds by someone you love (e.g., "The 22 Stages of Heartbreak"). The 13-chapter miniseries "Love is Hell," which begins the collection of "Life is Hell" strips circa 1982-1986, is not so much a "self help" treatise as it is a "self defense manual." Whether you are a girl who needs to be aware of the difference between having "Joe Sensitive" and "The Sneak," or a boy who should recognize "Ms. Vaguely Dissatisfied" as being different from the "Woman From Mars." As the brutally honest back cover blurb tells the potential reader, "Many men and women have reconciled themselves to their hellish doom" after reading this "frankly illustrated" and "profusely written" volume.

However, there is the proverbial much, much more besides the "Love is Hell" cartoon mini-series. Some also deal with love, as in "What Not to Say During Moments of Intimacy," but others deal with the opposite, as in "Kids' Questions About Death." I shared "How to Be a Clever Film Critic" with my Pop Culture students so that would know how to impress me in their film papers, and the collection's final single panel cartoon provides the words that every young kid needs to know to get through life (but do not tell anybody that I said this). "The Simpsons" is wickedly funny, but it seems like a cartoon show compared to these comic strips.

Rating:
Summary: To quote Homer Simpson: It's funny becasue it's true!
Review: It is not that the idea that "Love Is Hell" is news to anybody; after all, there is a sense in which the phrase is redundant and repetitive. What matters here is that Matt Groening gets us to laugh at the most painful aspect of human existence, namely having your heart and other body parts ripped to shreds by someone you love (e.g., "The 22 Stages of Heartbreak"). The 13-chapter miniseries "Love is Hell," which begins the collection of "Life is Hell" strips circa 1982-1986, is not so much a "self help" treatise as it is a "self defense manual." Whether you are a girl who needs to be aware of the difference between having "Joe Sensitive" and "The Sneak," or a boy who should recognize "Ms. Vaguely Dissatisfied" as being different from the "Woman From Mars." As the brutally honest back cover blurb tells the potential reader, "Many men and women have reconciled themselves to their hellish doom" after reading this "frankly illustrated" and "profusely written" volume.

However, there is the proverbial much, much more besides the "Love is Hell" cartoon mini-series. Some also deal with love, as in "What Not to Say During Moments of Intimacy," but others deal with the opposite, as in "Kids' Questions About Death." I shared "How to Be a Clever Film Critic" with my Pop Culture students so that would know how to impress me in their film papers, and the collection's final single panel cartoon provides the words that every young kid needs to know to get through life (but do not tell anybody that I said this). "The Simpsons" is wickedly funny, but it seems like a cartoon show compared to these comic strips.

Rating:
Summary: Wnat's hell got to do with it?
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: How much do I love this?
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: LOVE REALLY IS HELL!!!!
Review: Matt Groening shines in Love is Hell. Some of the more m=notworthy things in the book. LOve Hetero vs Homo and how to handle breaking up. Look for this book to be great if your heart was just broken. Oh and if you see a couple that is too happy in their Love give them this bookand I guarantee an arguement is soon to follow. I really enjoyed it. :)Graciela Solis

Rating:
Summary: Required gift for any wedding
Review: Second only to Work is Hell, this book depicts all important aspects of any relationship in an easy-to-read format. For those who are not already aware, the Life in Hell series is a precurser to Goening's biggest hit, The Simpsons, and is, in my opinion, his best comic. I personally buy this book for every wedding I am most unfortunate to attend. I'm not sure how well it is received as the thank-you notes rarely mention the book. I would nevertheless recommend it as required reading for anyone thinking about making the big leap.