Suitable for adults, this book traces the course of author's life in a series of wonderfully observed vignettes that take him from the awkwardness and embarrassment of growing up to the vicissitudes and frustrations of growing old.
First book in ten years by the much-loved author of The Snowman, Father Christmas, and Ethel & Ernest.
From the beloved and best-selling author of The Snowman comes his first book in ten years: a charming and beautifully illustrated work for adults. In Notes from the Sofa, Raymond Briggs traces the course of his life in a series of wonderfully observed vignettes that take him from the awkwardness and embarrassment of growing up to the vicissitudes and frustrations of growing old.
This collection features the best pieces from Briggs' regular column -- 'Notes from the Sofa' -- in The Oldie, Richard Ingrams' humorous monthly magazine. Amusing and touching by turn, these include his unwavering dedication to the arts and why he takes pleasure in being labelled a 'creative sociopath'; amusing anecdotes, such as how he became an accidental Winnie the Pooh tour guide to Japanese tourists; and general musings on life, including his confusion as a young child as to exactly where babies come from.
This is Briggs like you've never read him before, with a newfound freedom to write and draw about whatever he wants, without the restrictions of children's books and sometimes without the happy endings.
Muu info
The first book in ten years by the much loved author of The Snowman, Father Christmas, and Ethel & Ernest.
Introduction by Unbound |
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xi | |
Foreword |
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xiii | |
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Dear Reader |
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xv | |
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The cursedness of inanimate objects |
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3 | (2) |
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5 | (2) |
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The Elephant and the Bad Baby |
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7 | (2) |
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9 | (2) |
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No fridge, no freezer, no flush, no fone |
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11 | (2) |
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A chicken-and-egg situation |
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13 | (2) |
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15 | (4) |
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19 | (2) |
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21 | (3) |
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24 | (2) |
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26 | (2) |
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28 | (3) |
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31 | (2) |
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33 | (1) |
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34 | (5) |
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39 | (2) |
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41 | (2) |
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Cranky, cantankerous and crotchety |
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43 | (2) |
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45 | (2) |
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47 | (2) |
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49 | (2) |
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51 | (2) |
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53 | (4) |
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57 | (2) |
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Burning embarrassment in wartime |
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59 | (2) |
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Socialising: why make a meal out if it? |
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61 | (2) |
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The daftness of ideas about class and the idiocies of education |
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63 | (2) |
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Are crisps the new grapes? |
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65 | (2) |
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67 | (2) |
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The Ghost of Christmas past |
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69 | (2) |
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Is your journey really necessary? |
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71 | (4) |
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75 | (2) |
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77 | (2) |
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79 | (2) |
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81 | (2) |
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83 | (2) |
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85 | (2) |
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87 | (2) |
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89 | (4) |
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93 | (2) |
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95 | (2) |
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97 | (2) |
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99 | (2) |
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101 | (2) |
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103 | (2) |
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Anything for a quiet life |
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105 | (2) |
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107 | (4) |
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111 | (2) |
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113 | (2) |
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115 | (2) |
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The horror of blood-red wombs |
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117 | (2) |
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The chick from the black stuff |
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119 | (2) |
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121 | (2) |
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123 | (2) |
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Cutting edge station stops |
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125 | (4) |
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Bring back creative socio-paths |
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129 | (2) |
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131 | (2) |
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133 | (2) |
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135 | (2) |
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137 | (2) |
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139 | (2) |
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141 | (2) |
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143 | (4) |
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147 | (2) |
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149 | (2) |
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Pooh Sticks and hysterics |
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151 | (2) |
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153 | (2) |
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155 | (2) |
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Ireland is a very odd place |
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157 | (2) |
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159 | (2) |
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161 | (4) |
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165 | (2) |
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England's Green and Potty Land |
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167 | (3) |
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170 | (2) |
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The Whispering Gallery & VD |
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172 | (2) |
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174 | (2) |
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176 | (2) |
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Long ago and not so far away |
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178 | (3) |
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181 | (4) |
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185 | (2) |
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187 | (2) |
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189 | (2) |
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Snow sadists: me and Hannibal |
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191 | (2) |
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193 | (3) |
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196 | (2) |
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Healthy minds, healthy bodies |
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198 | (2) |
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Apoplectic Christmas opulence |
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200 | (2) |
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202 | (2) |
Acknowledgements |
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204 | (1) |
Bibliography |
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205 | (1) |
List of Supporters |
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206 | |
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 will be 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. Raymond lives in Sussex.