The Suicide Shop – Jean Teule (2007, trans. Sue Dyson 2008) 169 pages
It’s a funny one this. I only post about books I recommend and I do recommend this quirky, gothic, post-apocalyptic tale, but something stopped me loving it as much as some of Gallic Books other offerings.
The titular shop is run by the Tuvache family, who for generations have offered people ways to end their lives. They are mournful in nature and bleak in outlook, apart from Alan, the youngest Tuvache who is bad for business.
“please PLEASE stop smiling! Do you want to drive away all our customers? Why do you have this mania for rolling your eyes round and wiggling your fingers either side of your ears? Do you think customers come here to see your smile?”
Poor Alan’s schoolwork is no better, failing to capture the environmental desolation that humans live with:
“A path leading to a house with a door and open windows, under a blue sky where a big sun shines! Now come on, why aren’t there any clouds or pollution in your landscape? […] Where’s the radiation? And the terrorist explosions? It’s totally unrealistic. You should come and see what Vincent and Marilyn were drawing at your age!”
Alan and his siblings are named after famous suicides: Turing, van Gogh and Monroe. Vincent refuses to eat and is planning a grisly theme park where people can die in various inventive ways, Marilyn is depressed and feels ugly and cumbersome. They are a perfect fit for their family; only Alan resolutely forges his own path, despite living in a shop where the carrier bags state: “Has your life been a failure? Let’s make your death a success!”
There isn’t a plot so much in The Suicide Shop, rather we follow the family through the years as Alan proves an irresistible sunny force, exerting more influence over his family than they initially realise. Their bafflement with Alan reminded me of The Addams Family, (which I loved as a child), completely at a loss as to what to do with someone who doesn’t share their world view.
“We force him to watch the TV news to try and demoralise him”
As you’d expect, the humour in The Suicide Shop is very dark. It sells rusty razor blades with a sign that says “even if you don’t make a deep enough cut, you’ll get tetanus” but overall it’s a gentle humour, like the woman who grows attached to the trapdoor spider she buys to end her life, names it Denise and starts knitting it booties.
Looking on goodreads, there’s plenty of people who adored this story and I’m not entirely sure why I’m not one of them. But I still found The Suicide Shop a quick, diverting read with some entertaining touches.
“Life is the way it is. It’s worth what it’s worth! It does it’s best, within limitations. We mustn’t ask too much of life either. It’s best to look on the bright side.”
The Suicide Shop was made into an animated film in 2012, directed by Patrick Leconte. Here’s the English language trailer:
I’d missed this one but from those quotes your Addams family comparison sounds spot on. Maybe the humour was a little too dark for our pandemic times.
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Yes, maybe that was it Susan, just the wrong time. I did still find much to enjoy so I hope you do too if you get to it!
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This book had passed me by too, but it does sound intriguing. The Addams Family seems spot on it terms of a touchstone, shot through with a mordant seam of humour. You really are covering quite a wide variety of books in your novella series!
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Yes, it’s very much like the Addams Family, which is only a good thing 😀
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I have to admit that does sound like my kind of dark humour (although, having volunteered for the Samaritans, I can see why it can feel too close to the bone and inappropriate). The quotes are great though, and it sounds very inventive and playful.
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It’s definitely playful! I usually enjoy dark humour, I’m not sure why this didn’t totally work for me. I hope you enjoy it if you get to it!
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I loved the Addams Family too, and I feel this *would* appeal to me (though I think it could be quite triggery for some). May have to look it out (and the cartoon…)
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I hope you enjoy it Kaggsy! I’d like to see the animation too.
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I had this in my hands the other day as it’s been on my piles for ages. I wonder now if I would be among those who love it or like you, a bit less.
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I’d be really interested to know how you find it Caroline, especially as I’m not sure why I didn’t love it.
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I’m not sure I’ll get to it this month. I need to be in the mood for it.
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This sounds very darkly amusing – I do like the sound of it.
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I hope you enjoy it if you get to it Cathy!
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This might actually be the right kind of humor for me, right now. I am in a dark mood and the dark jokes sound about right.
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It could be just the ticket for you Jeanne!
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I thought some of the quotes you highlighted were funny but I wonder is the whole thing a little tone deaf?
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As I wrote the post I was thinking, these quotes are good, why didn’t I enjoy it more? It’s really strange, I just don’t know…
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It sounds very funny and it reminds of a cartoon I used to watch when I was a child. It was about a dragon who wanted to become a fireman. His family was devastated, this child didn’t want to light fires but to extinguish them!
Teulé has a great sense of humour but I wonder if the whole book of it didn’t tire you in the end.
Have you read A Charming Mass Suicide by Arto Paasilinna ?
It’s the story of two people who stumble upon each other in a clearing where they’d both been to commit suicide. They decide that committing suicide on one’s own is a lonely affair and create a society to gather other suicidal people and commit suicide together. It’s a lot of fun.
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That sounds like a great cartoon 😀
Yes, maybe a short story would have worked better. I would definitely read Teule again.
I’ve not read the Paasilinna but I really enjoyed Year of the Hare so I will look out for it – thank you for the recommendation!
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I completely get that dark humour is one way in which we humans cope with difficult subjects. But I can’t decide how I feel about the concept of this book. I am on the board of the Scottish Association of Mental Health and we have far too many conversations about rising suicide rates. On the other hand, I can see from your review that there is a lighter side to the story – perhaps along the lines of It’s a Wonderful Life? On balance, I don’t think it is one that I will be rushing towards – you have provided me with plenty of other titles to look out for instead. 😀
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Yes, it’s a tricky one Liz. I had similar feelings about the subject, but I thought I’d go with it for the story, but even then it didn’t quite work for me. If I’d lost someone to suicide I don’t think I could read it. The suicides aren’t dwelt on at all, its the interactions in the shop and the family relationships that are the subject really. But even so I’m still undecided on this novella.
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I’m glad you did post about this, even if it wasn’t a real favourite, as you’ve described it in such a way that I immediately thought of two readers who would just LOVE this. Oh, three! In a certain reading mood, I think I’d find it hilarious too. It’s certainly a nice change from the other books so far this month, in any case, thematically, I mean.
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That’s great! I’m so glad you know people who will enjoy this.
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