How to Be Perfectly Unhappy

I always enjoy The Oatmeal's drawings and this book does not disappoint. I like what it explores about what it means to be happy. As a generally upbeat person, I could understand where someone might balk at the ideas presented in this book. But I think that it causes the reader to stop and reflect on what happiness means to them.

The title seemed familiar, but I was hoping there would be some new material in this one. Sadly, the answer is no. If you follow The Oatmeal/Matthew Inman on Twitter, and check his site quite a few times a month, then you have already read the entirety of this one there.

I still read it, and I noticed a few little changes (like the picture of the guy on fire in the running part).

It was good, and the message still came over clearly, just like it did when I read it the first time. It is a strong message, and I think it is one that needs to be read by everyone.

But I do think it is a bit silly to make a book just for this one comic. It would be nicer if he made a big compilation book with this one, several others, and also some new material not yet shown on his site/twitter. I would love that. I would buy that in a heartbeat. This may sound rash, but well, I have to post my honest review and I can't help but mentioning this.

All in all, still a good book, but I had expected more of this book.

This book is by the author of 'The Oatmeal' comics. Though I am not an avid follower of this series, I found this very thought-provoking. Instead of a set of separate comics, the entire set focuses on the single statement mentioned in the title.

There is something very serious presented in simple caricatures that will definitely start more than a conversation or two. Since it is a small book in itself, It requires an equally concise review, so I will stop with the fact that it is very interesting read ( despite seemingly having less content, word wise)

<i>How to Be Perfectly Unhappy</i> is a short graphic novel which challenges the thought that being happy is the ultimate goal in life. It goes over the vagueness of the term "happy" and whether a person can only be happy or unhappy.
Although it is under fifty pages, this graphic novel made me think about what being happy and unhappy means and I am impressed by that. To illustrate this I will give you a quote:

<i>I'm not unhappy.
I'm just busy.
I'm interested.

And that's ok.</i>

If you want to open your mind to a new definition of being happy, then you should definitely pick this little book up.

It's a very quick read, and I think I read it on his website already. But I love the sentiment here.

He talks about how he isn't necessarily unhappy, he feels very fulfilled by what he does. But he argues that our definition of happy if flawed.

It spoke to me, because people don't really tell me I'm unhappy, but I feel like I fall short of some goal.

It's nice to have someone tell me it's an unattainable goal.

Classic The Oatmeal material. I do love the approach to this book. He still gets his point across while still using his brand of humor. I can relate to the feeling he is trying to explain.

I like the Oatmeal books that I have read. They have always had a peculiar sense of humor with the illustrations and what Matthew Inman discusses. This also has great humor throughout and I enjoyed it for the most part. A good short read for those that like the Oatmeal books.

I received an advanced copy of How to be Perfectly Unhappy from NetGally in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I think How to be Perfectly Unhappy may be my favorite collection of Matthew Inman’s work to date. Not only does it still have the sometimes insane humor that we all know and love, but it blends it together with a surprisingly deep message, one that I personally resonated with.
I’ve read bits and pieces of How to be Perfectly Unhappy on the Oatmeal website, but it was actually really nice to be able to read through it all in one go. I think that anybody that’s ever struggled with the issue of “not being happy enough” should give this a read. It’s very well done and exceptionally insightful.
If you’re a fan of Matthew Inman and the Oatmeal, you may want to consider buying this book. It is deeply personal and touching, and I feel like I know him better now because of it. I certainly feel like I can relate to him more now. And as a bonus, supporting an artist you like is always amazing!

How to Be Perfectly Unhappy is a short, sweet graphic novel that questions the state of being happy and unhappy. The Oatmeal explores the depth of our thoughts and explains that “happy”, as the world writes it, is not real.

The art is just incredible. Though simple, the art varies in style and colour that readers just can’t get enough of it. With the splashes of colours on some pages and lack thereof in other, the illustrations perfectly complement the writing. It almost reminds me of watching a stop motion film: I can imagine the characters moving within the page.

What I loved most about the book was that it approaches happiness in a different light. It reminds the reader that sometimes the things that are meaningful to you aren’t always the things that make you happy, and that’s ok.

I found myself genuinely smiling as I flipped past the last page. Bittersweet, How to Be Perfectly Unhappy delivers with such deepness and simplicity that allows readers of all ages to understand..

In this short graphic novel/comic The Oatmeal shows readers how to be perfectly unhappy while enjoying life. According to the author, the idea of being happy has become so forced that it's nearly impossible to truly achieve it. Rather than living a life struggling to find "happiness" one should simply do what they enjoy and find interest in.

I straddle the fence when it comes to agreeing with this sentiment because to me you can do the things you are interested in and still be unhappy. Likewise you can be happy doing something you don't honestly enjoy. It can go either way depending on the person, because every person is different and has their own opinions and definition of happiness.

The Oatmeal always makes their comics pretty straight forward without a lot of bells and whistles artistically. What illustrations are incorporated are cute and an evident tie in to their brand. It's easy to take one glance at the cover or any pages and recognize this is an Oatmeal publication. Fans should be sure to look for it on October 31, 2017. With that release date you can even TRICK your friend or an unsuspecting family member into TREATing you to it. 😉

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing this early review copy.

The Oatmeal always puts out great work. However, this book is in a different vein: less sarcasm, and a more powerful message. It was not what I expected, but that is a good thing! Despite it's short length, it really made me as a reader think about the concept of happiness as a social construct, and how we use the term in today's society. It confronts happiness as an illusion, and fights back against the way we try to place a binary nature upon it (happy vs unhappy, with nothing in between).

The illustrations were fantastic, as always, and I especially loved the comparison involving Pluto.

I was pleasantly surprised and a little thrown off by this one. Whenever I read something from The Oatmeal I expect strange, crude humor but this was actually quite a bit more. At the end of the book, it's explained that this was done as a specific writing exercise known in the psychiatric world as "flow." The written part of the book is actually a lot deeper than I ever could have expected. The visual part though is what we've all come to expect from The Oatmeal. While it matches the text, in that the text is technically depicted, it does not match the feeling I got from reading the words. I did get a few smiles from the artwork but I thought of the art and writing as two separate things. If I hadn't, I doubt I would have enjoyed the book nearly as much as I did.

A humorous take on the ever-elusive "happiness." The Oatmeal has been making me laugh for years!

This would make a lovely gift. It explores the meaning of the word 'happy'. The author explores what this word means to him and he accompanies his thoughts with some lovely cartoon illustrations. The prose is thoughtful but simple. I think the drawings convey the prose in a gentle way giving the reader time and mental space to form their own response.

A lovely amusing but thoughtful graphic novel.

Copy provided by publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

A lot of people think Matthew Inman's work is all fart jokes and dogs licking themselves, and I mean, that's most of it, but sometimes, Matthew gets really freaking insightful and makes me contemplate the universe and my existence and such. This book is definitely one of those times.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I love The Oatmeal and will read anything that Matthew Inman puts out. If you aren't already following him on Twitter, I highly recommend jumping on that bandwagon. I read this lovely little book just after I finished another graphic book called Quiet Girl in a Noisy World and this edition covers some of the same ground. Less full on belly-laughing humor, Inman in this one takes on the idea of the dualism of being happy. (That is, if you are not happy, you MUST be unhappy). Instead, he illustrates that the problem is not that he is a grumpy, nasty, unhappy monster, but that happy is too unattainable, and something he's not really interested in attaining nor well-suited for. Instead, he is driven and hardworking and funny and many other things that are quite wonderful, thank you very much. Just not so much "happy".

The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)

Amusing read that made me giggle a few times. I also never considered that you don't necessarily have to be unhappy when you're not happy. Fun read.

"Happy is a monochromatic word used to describe a rich, painful spectrum of human feeling"
Is our perception of happiness nothing more than an illusion?
I loved the way the author argued and explained his point of view.

"It's irrelevant.
because I'm not happy,
And I don't pretend to be.
Instead,
I'm busy.
I'm interested.
I'm fascinated.
I do things that are meaningful to me, even if they don't make me happy.
...
I run until my feet bleed
and my skin burns
and my bones scream

I read
I read long, complicated books about very smart things.
And I read short, silly books about very stupid things.
...
I work.
I work for twelve hours a day.
Until I can't think straight and I forget to feed myself and the light outside dims to a tired glow."


Thanks Netgalley!

I loved this book and the message it tried getting across. If you're not happy by society's definition of the word, does that make you unhappy? Inman' graphic novel explores the in-between, that there is so much more to just being happy. With his humour, his art, and his storytelling, I leave feeling content. Definitely a favourite for me.

I always love The Oatmeal. Matt Inman has such an interesting way of looking at the world. I really enjoy how one comic is very introspective and the next one is about dog farts. You never know what you are going to get.

I am a massive fan of The Oatmeal, my all time fave is My Dog: The Paradox. It has a sweet yet funny side to it. How To Be Perfectly Unhappy is much the same. It takes on a seriousness that a lot of the previous books haven't had. It makes you think, it makes you wonder, it makes you look at things a little bit more closely. As always the illustrations are amazing and they make the words in this book stand out just that little bit more.

One of my favorite Oatmeal comics in convenient book form. It examines our culture’s obsession with happiness over satisfaction and worthwhile work. Uplifting and satisfying.

How To Be Perfectly Unhappy is a tiny little gift book which gently suggests that we as a society need to redefine what being happy means. It's central point being that Pluto was downgraded, because we initially did not have a very clear definition for what a "planet" is. As the definition become more clear, Pluto clearly did not conform to the necessary requirements. 

This is a premise I buy into, as sociability is with more than even obsessed with perfection in our world of social media where anyone can spy and everyone. And when you start to look at happy and what happy means, you realize how brittle that definition is and it quickly falls apart. 



How To Be Perfectly Unhappy makes you think. With it's barely 48 pages it invited discussion about something where there is a mutual agreement that everyone should be happy and if you are not happy, then you are miserable.

The book makes several suggestions of what you can be instead of being happy, unhappy not being one of them.  With its quirky drawings and interesting rhetoric, the book is engaging from beginning to end and will be a great gift any miserable book lover you know.

There is not just happy and unhappy. Satisfied, interested, joyful, bliss, these are all different places on the happy spectrum and that's perfectly ok.

Wow, wow, wowee, wow.

I loved this. I'm a moderate fan of The Oatmeal...as in, I'll always read it if I see it in my feed, but I don't have it on my daily reads. I feel like I should after this, of course.

Great, quick read. The graphics are as familiar and friendly as I've come to expect out of the Oatmeal. Definitely liked it, and the happy-unhappy descriptions.

You know what, this book isn't going to be for everyone but it really rang home and met with me on so many levels, I could actually have written most of the pages in the book - it really is like they took all my thoughts and ideas and made this fantastic book about them! I have things I love to do, things I hate to do, things I don't mind and things I just about tolerate. I never have been and never will be a little ray of sunshine that is happy all the time, but if I was, I wouldn't be me and this book makes you realise, you don't have to be happy all the time, be yourself and do what you enjoy and that's your own version of "happy" - 5 stars from me

The Oatmeal is more than just jokes about dogs and cats, Matthew Inman often looks into life and truth. How to be perfectly unhappy is the essential volume in looking at life and seeing yourself.
How to be Perfectly Unhappy looks at the idea of "happiness" and how it's not all it's cracked up to be. Les funny, than moving this is a perfect example of how many people feel on a daily basis and how we end up thinking we aren't good enough because we aren't "happy." Sure, it could have been longer with a better conclusion but it's a marvelous piece of work.
When this hits bookshelves I have some friends that will be getting this as a gift.

I'm a fan of The Oatmeal and thought that this was a great read. Very sweet and kind without losing its humour.

This book is SUPER short, but it has possibly the best art of all of these. Its super pretty. This one isn't funny like the others, its raw and honest and I felt I could really connect with it.

Check it out!

I loved it! The Oatmeal is consistently funny and true to life and this volume is no different.

*thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

3 stars.

This is the first book I've read from Matthew Inman and it was quite good. Some of the artwork is basic, but its good, it works well. His ideas of what happiness is and unhappiness is interesting and a few of the pages I absolutely loved. They show understanding. Will be keeping an eye out for this authors other books as I see he has a decent amount of them.

I have never belived in happiness as a constant state of being for a lot of reasons but mainly because it's really not practical. It's not an end point to seek because what happens after we get it? What then? How are we supposed to maintain a fleeting emotion? I think being content is what we ought to hope for and I think this is what Inman feels.
He got it right when he said that our feelings aren't binary. It's not one or the other. We contain a spectrum of emotions.

"... I'm not happy and I don't pretend to be. Instead I'm busy. I'm interested. I'm fascinated."

Isn't that a beautiful way to look at life? You are not alone and it's okay that you're unlike the others. & remember that life is full of things that make it worth living even when you don't feel like it is.
This book is something that I see myself reading time and time again and I hope you feel something like that when you pick up a copy for yourself.

--------------------------------------------------------

This was inspired by Augusten Burroughs' essay "How to Live Unhappily Ever After" which is worth checking out.

What a lovely and poetic short graphic novel!
I can totally relate to the questions and answers in this book. After all, what means to be happy nowadays? Is happiness or a pretense of happiness the ultimate goal? Or is it fine to be "busy, interested, fascinated" and "perfectly unhappy"?

As soon as I finished this book, I added it to my Amazon wishlist, so that I had a copy for the future. Pretty sure it's also going out as a few Christmas gifts this year.
HOW TO BE PERFECTLY UNHAPPY is a great reminder that the concept of "happiness" is a not black and white, but a million shades of grey that add to the experience of just being human. Short and simple, it's one of the books you'll see at a checkout counter at your local bookstore and hopefully flip through and say "You know, I know someone who could use this..." and that someone might just be yourself.

How to Be Perfectly Unhappy by The Oatmeal is a short graphic novel that playfully explains how happiness isn't 100%. People don't do things for the happiness, they do it because it interests them. I love the message of it's okay to not be happy like how everyone else says they are. Happiness is just an illusion that we create. In reality, we just need to do what we're interested in even if it causes us pain because wounds heal, but regret stays forever.

This is not what I was expecting from an Oatmeal book. I was expecting a lot of sass and brashness. Instead I got an in depth look at happy. It’s one guy explaining why he is not “happy”. It about how he sees the meaning of happy. He may not be happy, but he is interested, engaged, and sometimes frustrated. I loved everything about this, including the illustrations. He masterfully uses color to get his point across in illustrations that are noticeable as Oatmeal right away.

The Oatmeal has done it once again !

this comic book is simple and funny you could almost read it to a child or have them read it.. but its VERY ADULT at the same time so I wouldn't actually recommend it. this book isn't one you store on your phone and is best as a hard back ..I don't actually think its being released any other way. If my chance you get a ecopy I recommend using Aldiko to open it (app is free) .

this book basically asks the overall question.. what do we really need to be happy? can we just be who we are without meeting societies thoughts? .. my favorite part is about pluto ... grab the book and figure out why I said that!

I love it! Cool illustrations and thought-provoking. First time reading the works of Inman so I guess I will do love even his other books.
Happiness might not be a general term for all as this book suggested. There are sometimes differenced on how we accept it.
The humor is greatly laid out and simply creative. This is a short read but I have lots of learning through all of it.

I've been following The Oatmeal for a long time, and I adore his silly comics, but this is his first book I read. Of course, it's awesome and funny, this is The Oatmeal duh, but this one was also a bit emotional for me. He tells us the story of his meaning of happiness, and how you don't really have to fit in with others' expectations and rules, and you can still enjoy life and love living it, because the expectations are what's wrong - not you. I'm not happy either, but I enjoy life to the fullest, thanks Oatmeal.

Inman is an artist I love to seek out (not that I'm not already obsessively watching for any new content he provides, anyway) particularly when I'm feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by life. This isn't necessarily because he magically makes me feel better (though that is frequently the byproduct however unintentional) but because he understands and validates the complicated and nuanced emotions I experience.

How to Be Perfectly Unhappy is the best example of this I've seen thus far. He articulates something I've only recently only begun to consider; something that should be more readily apparent and accepted in our lives: happiness or unhappiness isn't really a thing. There's this belief out there in the world that if you're not one, then you're the other. That there can't be any gray area or even just a rejection of either concept.

See? I'm butchering it. I can't come close to Inman's elegance and depth.

Inman shares the things that make his life better and helps him experience a state that is neither happy nor unhappy but simply richer and deeper.

The Oatmeal has two new books out, actually, this one (provided to me by Andrews McMeel) which comes out on Halloween, and If My Dogs Were a Pair of Middle-Aged Men, which I hadn't the need to request from the publisher because I've read it over and over on his website, but which I'll probably buy anyway for the sheer beauty of it (and just in case there's more in the book!)

I requested this book because of the cover - it was one of those 'hm, I think I need this in my life' moments. I am so glad that I read this to. It is comics but it is about being unhappy and how that is ok. The author talks about how people only think there is happy or unhappy but you can be unhappy but still fulfilled and content.

The artwork was a lot of fun and kind of macabre, but that is how it is supposed to be and the author makes some very good points about happiness and embracing meaningful things versus striving for happiness. Happiness is the end game -you should be happy when you finally have everything you need.

I really liked this and happened upon it when I needed it. If you are looking for a comic style self help, this might be for you.

This is another fantastic release by the creator of The Oatmeal, it's the perfect gift for anyone who has ever struggled with the concept of happiness. There are illustrations throughout, and I for one love his style.
I agree with a lot of what he has written and love the way that he had expressed himself.

What does Pluto, Frodo and happiness have in common? You'll find out if you read "How to be Perfectly Unhappy."

"How to be Perfectly Unhappy." is a dynamic graphic novel. The novel is supportive and informative about mental health. The mix of color and black and white images teach that it is okay not to be okay.

" I'm not "happy" because our definition of happy isn't very good."

How to be perfectly unhappy is a great short read art book which brings the funny style of the Oatmeal comics into this feature length comic.
I enjoyed the easy to read nature of it and the matching art is funny as always to his work.
It is hard to write much more due to the size and nature of the book but it really is a good story.

The Oatmeal is beloved for its special brand of insane humor. Quirky and silly and over the top. But sometimes, they get things so right, and in their serious moments, they touch on a topic and it fits so perfectly into a space you didn't know was empty.

That's what this book is. It's a book for people who are happy by their own definition, but not by everyone else's. It's for people who aren't HAPPY!, and that's okay. And it's okay to ignore people who try to make you feel like you're not happy because you're not their definition of happy.

We're okay. Because the crazily drawn cartoon book says so.

I'm a big fan of The Oatmeal and Matthew Inman's comics, and "How to be Perfectly Unhappy" is perhaps my favorite of all his works. It's all about our inadequate definition of the word "happy" - we're so obsessed with our very narrow idea of being "happy" that we forget the richness and nuances of human emotion. Inman illustrates this in a manner that is both beautiful and hilarious. Highly recommend to anyone currently questioning whether or not they're truly "happy."

I love The Oatmeal comics. So when I saw a new graphic novel created by the wonderful Matthew Inman OF COURSE I requested it.

And I was not disappointed in the slightest.

"...journeys require endpoints otherwise you're not Frodo, you're just a homeless guy wandering around with stolen jewelry"

Being happy is overrated and quite often unrealistic. This is Inman's discussion point, complete with rabid, eleven eyed bunnies, cats carrying anatomically sound hearts as balloons, and much expulsion of substances from both ends of the human form.

The blurb describes "another helping of thoughtful hilarity" which just about sums it up.

The book is thoughtful and personally I think his entire point is spot on. And you just can't help but be amused at the presentation of Inman's discussion.

Once again The Oatmeal manages to distill a complex idea into a clear and humorous message that can be shared with the masses. There are some really great images in this book, and the overall idea that our definition of happy is flawed is a powerful one.

Happiness is…irrelevant?

Sounds flippant, but makes sense here. Not general, but specific.

Inman challenges the idea that it's bad to be unhappy. Challenges the idea that saying you aren't happy means you're unhappy. There are other options.

We get the wonderful style we've come to expect from The Oatmeal and the thoughtful treatment that he gives in his longer works.

Being a book, I was expecting something deeper than what I get online. I didn't get that here, so was a little disappointed. But it's about expectations. If you want something similar to what The Oatmeal puts out for free, but in a more stand-alone form, if you want to support his work, this is the way to go.

I am so happy that I read this book! It makes me want to sit atop my pile of unhappy and revel in glorkappiness.....just read the book, you'll get it. Way too much fun, and, enlightening.

“Our sense of happiness is so brittle it can be destroyed simply by asking whether or not it exists.

I started reading this during my lunch break so that I can getaway from work. Little did I know beforehand that it will start a mini-crisis. A good crisis (is there such a thing?).

The book is short but explained sooo much. Am I unhappy? Yes, I definitely am, and I’m proud to say it out.

It's irrelevant.
Because I'm not happy,
and I don't pretend to be.

Instead,
I'm busy.
I'm interested.
I'm fascinated.

What does it mean to be happy?

How to Be Perfectly Unhappy does a great job in showing that not society feels you can only be happy or unhappy. There seems to be no in between. A great, quick, yet inspiring read!

If you enjoy Inman's The Oatmeal, chances are this will hook you in. Is happiness a binary state? No. Inman challenges us to move beyond the thought that if one isn't happy then one must be unhappy. This is a great short book that I hope will spark thought-provoking conversations over happiness, joy, bliss, and all that lies in-between.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This charming collection is a great read. It is well drawn and well written. I strongly recommend it.