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Jean Teulé
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The Suicide Shop Paperback – September 3, 2013

by Jean Teulé (Author), Sue Dyson (Translator)
4.2 out of 5 stars 179
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With the twenty-first century just a distant memory and the world in environmental chaos, many people have lost the will to live.

Business is brisk at The Suicide Shop. Run by the Tuvache family, the shop offers a variety of ways to end it all, with something to fit every budget.

The Tuvaches go mournfully about their business until the youngest member of the family threatens to destroy their contented misery by confronting them with something they've never encountered before: a love of life.

Jean Teulé lives in the Marais with his companion, the French film actress Miou-Miou.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    169 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Gallic Books
  4. Publication date
    September 3, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 0.5 x 7.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1906040095
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1906040093
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

'A suicide shop that is full of life' LE FIGARO 'A gently comic fable' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Jean Teulé presents the zany world of The Suicide Shop with just the right amount of humour ... and wraps up his story with a celebration of life' LE MONDE 'Original, irredeemably mocking and unexpectedly poignant; The Suicide Shop is a timeless classic. Teulé’s subtle and understated humour is exquisitely French and his ability to mix up the serious, the taboo, the comical and the tender displays a brilliance rarely seen' THE TRUTH ABOUT BOOKS ‘an enjoyable, thought-provoking little book, with an original quirky style of its own’ VULPES LIBRIS 'Reading The Suicide Shop, and watching Alan attempt to win everyone round to his way of thinking, is an absolute delight. A perfect short read and a book that is guaranteed to become a cult classic' MEANDMYBIGMOUTH 'As a fan of The Addams Family, The Suicide Shop charmed the socks off me' CHASING BAWA Praise for Jean Teulé '[Tuele's] darkly comic tales delved into real-life murky milieus as well as his own baroque imagination, and detailed an array of misdeeds ranging from cuckoldry to cannibalism' THE TELEGRAPH

About the Author

Jean Teulé lived in the Marais with his partner, the French film actress Miou-Miou. An illustrator, filmmaker and television presenter, he was the prize-winning author of ten books including one based on the life of Verlaine. He died in 2022.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallic Books; First Edition (September 3, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 169 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1906040095
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1906040093
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.5 x 7.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 179

About the author

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Jean Teulé

Jean Teulé

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Jean Teule is an illustrator , filmmaker, and television presenter, he is also the prize winning author of ten books, including 'The Suicide Shop' and 'Monsieur de Montespan'.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
179 global ratings
Honestly one of my favorite books
5 Stars
Honestly one of my favorite books
The print itself is pretty big, which I know some people dont like (in my case I prefer books with bigger print) and the plot was amazing. I really love this book, 10/10 would recommend!!
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Top reviews from the United States

Ceci
5.0 out of 5 stars Guaranteed Death or Your Money Back.
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
Very interesting. Different from the movie, so if you're expecting that - don't. I like dark humor that doesn't pull punches and this really doesn't. French Addams Family, sort of?

The plot is simple, in a world beset with problems in the future, this family has a suicide shop to help people shuffle off the mortal coil, but, happen to have one son who doesn't want to get with the program. Whether or not the son's objections are legitimate are up to you - after all, the world is in pretty crappy (children of men) shape, so who are we to judge? But, in the end, he just wants to make his family happy again, also a noble goal.

If you like morbid things, the descriptions of the shop and it's wares are intriguing. This begs for a better movie! The movie was just so lacking compared to what this could have been.

The concept is unique and daring, in a way, even children can buy items at the suicide shop. In that sense, it's a niche market here in America, where even assisted suicide is supposedly still a "taboo" concept.

And the novel is actually pretty life affirming at the end, I suppose. It does feel like the Addams family, as I already mentioned, quirky, weird, depressing, morbid, and yet, strangely familiar, funny, and even warm.
5 people found this helpful
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Rachelle Martinez
4.0 out of 5 stars Slightly damaged (But I bought a used one so..)
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023
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I really love this book and the good price for what it is! Mine came bent from the back, but it isn't necessarily an issue since I bought it used (tho I expected it to be like new since that's what it said)
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Aaron
5.0 out of 5 stars Honestly one of my favorite books
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024
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The print itself is pretty big, which I know some people dont like (in my case I prefer books with bigger print) and the plot was amazing. I really love this book, 10/10 would recommend!!
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Aaron
5.0 out of 5 stars Honestly one of my favorite books
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024
The print itself is pretty big, which I know some people dont like (in my case I prefer books with bigger print) and the plot was amazing. I really love this book, 10/10 would recommend!!
Images in this review
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L. Cardenas
3.0 out of 5 stars meh
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2020
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It was cute, a little too preachy for my taste. I did enjoy the snippets of historical suicides.
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Zooka
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books of all times!
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2015
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You'll catch yourself smiling while reading it as the twisted sense of humor will take you into a whole new "reality" that has never been explored.
One person found this helpful
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Clara Park
4.0 out of 5 stars I love it. It is a different story to read ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2017
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I love it. It is a different story to read for sure and a different time. Suicide is acceptable and there is a law!. Main character completes his part as he changes everyone. what a dark imagination...
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Delmary Silva de Tinoco
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2014
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I read the book, and I loved it and I thought that the movie was going to be so good as the book, but it wasn't, it is like a musical. Like always books are better than movies.
One person found this helpful
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NK
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE IT SO MUCH! NEW FAVOURITE BOOK!
Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2013
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This book is very Addams Family-ish! If you're an Addams Family fan, you're going to LOVEEEEE this! New favourite book!
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Mel
2.0 out of 5 stars Playful but lifeless.
Reviewed in Canada on September 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
I know you may think referring to this book as 'lifeless' is fitting considering it's topic but I don't mean it in the ironic way. The style of writing comes off as barren in a way that makes you feel like you're reading an unrevised script. I'm just going to assume it's been translated poorly. The characters are one dimensional and I can forgive that only because it's a short read. The oversexualization of the teenage daughter was starting to grow tiresome and a couple characters contradict themselves too gravely (without the growth to back it up) to be ignored. While I could go on and on about why this book wasn't for me, I won't bore you. Two starts for concept alone.
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lhajipour
5.0 out of 5 stars Broke my heart
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 26, 2023
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Heartbreaking
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Fabr918
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
Reviewed in Italy on December 22, 2016
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I firstly saw the graphic movie of the Suicide Shop and after decided to buy the book. This novel is really nice, with lots of criticism on the contemporary society as well.
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SJSmith
4.0 out of 5 stars Don't worry, be happy.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2009
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`The Suicide Shop' is a really easy one-sitting read. It flies over at only 170 pages. However, this is just the right length. There isn't anything else that Jean Teulé's could have added to it. A very cleverly written analysis of what it takes to make us happy and how powerful happiness is.

The novel is set in the actual Suicide Shop where all the items in stock come from their suppliers, Don't Give A Damn About Death. If your life has been a failure, according to their carrier bags they will make death your success. This is the humourous approach evident throughout the novel. From the beginning there are laugh out loud moments and yet some of them can be quite uncomfortable. Although the reader doesn't know when the novel is set, only that it is in a France of the future we get to scrutinise the twenty-first century, warts and all.

This quirky novel takes a look at our environment, society, culture and its occupants through the eyes of the Tuvache family. They have run the shop for generations and are very proud of it. Unfortunately they decided once to test one of their products, the result of which is their youngest son Alan. The Tuvache family are content with misery but Alan isn't. He is focused on a love of life. The contradiction between the family members is the underlying focus throughout the first half of the novel; the main part being society. Within the second half this switches.

A fun read that will have people looking curiously at your cover if you are read it in public!
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john mckay
5.0 out of 5 stars Just enjoy this
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2017
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Loved this book, obviously very niche and easy to be critical if you are that way inclined (just the fact that it has been translated from French will give the literary know it all's plenty of ammo) but for lovers of Gaiman or Gorey it hits the spot.
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