- Hey guys, so I am moving to LA,
which means that I am
packing up all of my stuff,
including all of my books.
And I came across a book
which I wanted to share
with all of you guys.
It is called "The Cheese Monkeys:
A Novel in Two Semesters,"
and it is by Chip Kidd.
So I first came across this
book because it was recommended
to me by a certain
author named John Green.
Back in 2010, he told me
that I should read it,
so I went to the Amazon page,
and I scrolled down through reviews,
and then oh, look, there's
a review from Booklist
written by John Green.
I'll read you an excerpt of his review.
"This is a fascinating, funny,
and wonderfully written novel
"of graphic design that manages to deepen
"the reader's appreciation
for the artistry
"and wonder of design
without a single drawing."
So, I got my copy in November, 2010,
and I've probably read it
once a year since then.
It is a fiction book,
and it is set in 1957.
It's about a guy who is
reluctantly starting college,
and because he just doesn't
care about anything,
he decides to major in art.
He makes two friends, the
overly sincere Maybelle Lee,
and then the mysterious Himillsy Dodd.
The book is split into two sections,
which are the two semesters
of the school year.
In the first semester, they take Art 101,
and then in the second semester,
they take Intro to Graphic Design,
which is taught by an unconventional
teacher named Sorbeck.
And the assignments he gives
them, just, it's so good.
You have to read it.
So it's really cool to get a glimpse
of what art school was
like back in the 50s,
even though it was written in 2001.
There's so many things that
you can definitely recognize
and sympathize with if
you are an art student,
but it's still enjoyable,
even if you're not.
It definitely starts off
pretty light-hearted and funny,
and then it gets darker as it goes on.
And the end is actually really intense.
A lot of the reviews I read
didn't like the ending,
but I like it.
I like how the book sort of changes
in tone as it goes forward.
And even if you don't
like the ending, I mean,
most of the book is just
like, it's so brilliant.
It's so good.
So besides the story inside the pages,
I also wanted to talk
about the book itself.
It was designed by the author, Chip Kidd,
who is a really famous
and really brilliant
book cover designer.
Oh, and this was his first actual novel,
I don't think I said that before.
Every single detail of
the design of this book
has been thought out,
and it's just beautiful.
The cover has some really nice lettering,
where you can still see the draft lines,
and then the jacket is
only on the front cover,
and underneath, he uses pictures
to say "The Cheese Monkeys."
The thank you notes are written
on the edge of the hardcover.
And someone he thanks is
anyone who has ever hailed him a cab.
On the edge of the spine,
it says, in tiny writing,
"Whatever you do, don't
think of elephants,"
which would make sense
if you've read the book.
And then, the writing on the spine says,
"Good is dead," with the title
kind of sitting inside it,
which I think is pretty brave,
to make the largest writing
on the spine not your book title.
And then, on the book pages,
if you bend them one way,
it says "Do you see?" and if
you bend them the other way,
it says, "Good is dead."
So going inside the book,
the publishing information
is written on a single
line over nine pages,
and it bumps right into the title page,
which is pushed off and
continues on the next page.
The section headings have some
really beautiful typography,
and the book is set in Apollo,
with some hints of Bedoni.
And I don't wanna spoil
what's gonna happen,
but at the end of the
book, he sets some dialogue
in shades of gray, and
it's a really good example
of using design to give even
more meaning to the story.
And then, the text continues right up
until the back end paper,
which has a page number,
and it might be the only
time I've seen an end paper
get a page number, but since
the ending is so intense,
I love that the book just ends.
And there aren't even any
blank pages to buffer you
between the end of the story
and the end of the book.
So, it looks like Amazon
has the paperback in stock,
but if you want this hardcover edition,
it looks like you have to go
through some outside vendors.
But, if you can get your hands on it,
I definitely recommend reading it.
And, according to his
review, so does John Green.
So I found out, while I was
putting together this video,
that there's actually
a sequel to this book
called "The Learners,"
which I haven't read yet,
but I ordered it from Amazon.
So, after I read it, I might make
a review video about that one.
Let me know if that's
something you might wanna see.
And then, I was also
thinking that once I get
to my new apartment and
get everything set up,
I might do a full bookshelf tour.
So, let me know if that is also something
that you guys might wanna see.
So I can't end this
video without mentioning
"The Art Assignment,"
which is a new series
produced by PBS.
And it is staring Sarah
Green, and also John.
They have a YouTube channel.
Their first episode
just went up last week,
and it's so good.
If you're not watching it yet,
I will link it down below,
and I definitely recommend it.
So, that is it from me.
Thank you for sticking around
and watching my videos.
I really appreciate it.
If you missed my last
video, it was all about
how I stay organized, so you
can watch that right here.
Or, if you're an art student,
and you need to put together
a print portfolio, I made
a video all about that.
You can watch it right here.
Don't forget to hit Like and
Subscribe if you liked it
and if you wanna subscribe,
and I will see you all next time.
