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.

If you read this because it's the Oatmeal and expect a laugh, then you will be disappointed by this short work. It left me feeling sad and I can't put my finger on exactly why that is, but I don't see myself recommending this to anyone.

The illustrations and interesting storytelling where the highlights of this book. However, I think Inman needs to dive deeper into positive psychology about values and what contentment is instead of just dismissing the notion of being happy.

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!)

It wasn't bad, but I think The Oatmeal works best as a social media share, as the material is a bit short and fluffy for a standalone book.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a difficult book to review for me as it's very short but I'll do my best.
I'm not familiar with the author and his style but the title and the cover drew me in.

The art style is awesome! Simple, funny and cartoonish. How to Be Perfectly Unhappy tries to formulate what the concept of happiness is. I feel this is quite a large question to answer is a 50-page comic. That's probably why it felt rushed to me and I don't think it entirely succeeds in what it sets out to do.

That said, I still thought this was a fun comic about the author's personal thoughts about the subject but don't expect a life changing read.

I don't really know how to sum up my feelings in a coherent way, so I'm just going to end this review by saying that the comic is fun but too short. I gave it 3 stars. I really enjoyed the illustrations and I will check out more of The Oatmeal's work when I get the chance.

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.

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.

This book, based on an essay called How to Live Unhappily Ever After by Augusten Burroughs, is incredibly short but would make a nice gift. It deals with the idea that there are more important and worthwhile things than being superficially happy. It made a nice change from the cheesy and meaningless platitudes of "think happy, be happy" etc.

As a long time reader of The Oatmeal, I was delighted to get an ARC of this book, but in the end I felt disappointed because it should have been way longer in my opinion.!
Non é il primo libro che leggo di The Oatmeal, ed ero felicissima di averne una copia in anteprima, ma alla fine ci sono rimasta male, perché secondo me avrebbe dovuto essere lungo almeno il doppio!

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

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!

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.

Generally, I like The Oatmeal, but WTF was this, actually? Meh.

This short gook provided several laughs and startling depth at some points. It was enjoyable but not my favorite by a long shot. At this short length it is, however, worth the read.

How to Be Perfectly Unhappy is a short and fast paced read. I really liked the drawings but to be honest, there wasn’t much of a story. I liked it, but it would’ve been better if there were a bigger story.

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"?

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.

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