The Long Chalkboard: and Other Stories by Jenny Allen

The Long Chalkboard: and Other Stories Reviews

• 
  Joanne

  Three little fables illustrated by the incomparable Jules Feiffer. Each story also comes with a feel-good moral. Too bad it doesn’t also come with a Chili Shouldn’t Have An Agenda t-shirt bc I want one.
• 
  Elizabeth

  This collection of short stories weaves illustrations with the text so deftly that it feels like a picture book for adults. And what stories they are! Told in a minimalist style with sparse detail and simple, black-and-white illustrations, the tales read like modern-day parables. Allen weaves humor and irony into these creative episodes, and the deceptively simple stories offer keen insight into human nature and life as we know it.
• 
  Brittany

  Super cute and easy read! Perfect for a study break to help your brain smile again!
• 
  Jane Miller

  A very quick way since it was a graphic novel. I picked it up because the stories were about baby boomers.
• 
  Sara Goldenberg

  cute and fun!
• 
  Rebecca

  Highly enjoyable book -- three contemporary fables written by Jenny Allen and illustrated by the great Jules Feiffer (who is her husband, I was surprised to read!). His characters' wide eyes, long fingers, and wonderfully expressive postures are one-of-a-kind.
  
  The second story, "What Happened," is my favorite. Audrey is a children's book author who becomes consumed with jealousy when another local author, Simon, gains fame by publishing the same kinds of holiday books. She'd like to hate him, if only he wasn't so nice to her. When he suggests splitting the holidays, she says, "You can have St. Swithin's Day. I'll take Easter."
  
  It's too long to be a picture book, its illustrations are not in sequential panels, and its protagonists are adults, so it's hard to categorize. But I have a great love for combinations of art and writing that are hard to categorize.
  
  Teens with a wry sense of humor would get it, and grownups would definitely appreciate that angst does not go away after the teen years, whether you are talking about disillusionment over a "happy ending" in your life, the fear that someone else is stealing your ideas, or the pressure to market your talents and give everything an agenda.
  
  Quotes:
  
  "Time and again, she sat for hours in front of the drawings, trying to recapture whatever it was she had lost."
  
  "It always rankled her when, because of her profession, others assumed she was better-natured than she was, but she had never actually felt trapped by the misunderstanding before."
  
  "Look," she said, "not everyone plays well with others. That's why people become writers."
• 
  Relyn

  This is a book that haunted me. Years ago when I first fell in love with Bark, George, I looked around and discovered this book by the same illustrator - Jules Feiffer. Turns out, Jenny Allen is his wife and this is a simply perfect collection. I waited and waited for my libary to track this down for me so I could read it again. It was wonderful again, and I have GOT to own it. I read so many books, I couldn't possibly buy all the ones I read. We try to live well and spend well, so I try to be choosy with which books I actually purchase. Me and books are like some women and shoes or lipsticks; you can never have too many. To help with the impending budget and space crisis, I made a rule for myself. I never buy a book I haven't read. Further, I never (OK, almost never) buy a book I haven't read more than once and totally love. Plus, I buy them in like-new used condition. Thank God for our library system. They make this bit of frugal living possible. Anyway. I said all that to tell you how wonderful this one it. It's a book worth owning. And lending.
• 
  Shannon

  My daughters have been very into cartoon collections lately - they are working their way through the collected Peanuts. While I was getting some books for them, I saw this one on the shelf. It's short - just three short stories in cartoon form - but I really enjoyed the stories and found after I finished that it was a book I could share with not only my husband, but my nine and ten year old daughters. I've found graphic novels and comics are a tough fit for young girls. The ones written for young boys are too violent, the ones written for girls are too sexual. Perhaps my solution is to seek out more books like this one that are written for an adult audience...
  
  In any event, this book told stories that I liked. While it told the stories quickly, I call recall each one with clarity and I liked the characters, even if I was only with them for a few pages. If you're looking for a book to read in the waiting room somewhere or between shopping trips, this one is a great choice.
• 
  Tamara

  I think this one would be one of those rare books that you could use for a kind of "adult storytime." It retains a lot of the feel of a traditional comic. Written as three vignettes, I think any adult can relate to the stories, and they are quite endearing.
  
  Jules, maybe something for Sterling House???
• 
  Sarah T.

  Okay. The lesson to be learned from all of the stories is not to take the little things in life for granted. Kind of a good metaphor for the book as a whole. It contains three simple, contemporary fables (for adults), all three of which are illustrated simply--really a joy to read. This book made me happy. That is all
• 
  Amanda

  my first attempt at a graphic novel, and hey I had to start with an easy one. It reminded me of reading a picture book, but for adults. It's an enjoyable read because the stories were rather endearing.
• 
  Molly

  I really liked this. There are three stories- the first I found beautiful, the second was alright, and the third one was okay. But man, that first one was good enough for me to like the whole thing.
• 
  Mayda

  Three quirky tales comprise this collection. Liberally illustrated with drawings that bring these stories to life, the book will tickle your funny bone and remind you that some of the best books are just meant to entertain.
• 
  Neelz

  Sweet, fairy-tale like stories of contemporary dilemmas.
• 
  Hannah

  3 short stories (I mean really short) each one enjoyable
• 
  Gaye

  I definitely did not know much about this book before putting on my kindle or else I would not have spent the money for such a short little book - read it in under an hour. Cute though!
• 
  Stephanie

  Three wonderful, funny and bittersweet stories with pictures by Jules Feiffer, what more could you want?
• 
  Tara

  Marvelous! Witty stories with whimsical, expressive drawings by Jules Feiffer. I was sad when it ended--I want more.
• 
  John of Canada

  I loved it.Thoughtful writing,Jules Feiffer drawings,happy endings.I want more.
• 
  Mandira Bhaduri

  A really wonderful book.
• 
  Rosemary

  Cozy clever short stories, with wonderful illustrations about ordinary people and amusing lives. Light and relaxing with a smile.
• 
  Abraham

  A fun little Jules Pfeiffer book - cartoons for adults kind of thing. A quick read.
• 
  Mel

  Several short stories. Heavy on the illustration and light on the writing.
• 
  Laurie

  A super quick read that is light and delightful.
• 
  Ryan Miller

  Fun stories. Fun illustrations. Fun little book.