Postmodern Picture Books

The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley

by

Colin Thompson & Amy Lissiat (2005)

Lothian Books: South Melbourne, Vic

Irony – created between the visual image and the text. A number of the visual images are much more exaggerated and disgusting than the wording suggests. There is also irony between the calm, easy-to-read text relating to the Riley’s point of view, and the rushed, breathless and verbose passages about humans in general. The story itself is ironic in the way it keeps reminding up that rats have very short lives yet at the very end of the book we find a small image of the rats alive but a coffin with the mans name and hat on it. This is also the first time the man is humanized by giving him a name, Norman; but we know the rats name from the beginning. People in the book are presented as mostly dull coloured, unpleasant and unhappy, juxtaposed against the content and endearing bright pink rat/s.

Multiple Constructions – certain images such as the smoking cherubim poses question including where has innocence gone? Or is it a way to get around bans on advertising.

Macro and Micro Views – the illustrations fluctuate between double page images, to what appears as a collection of photographs, pages torn from books, a painting hung on a wall and the small image at the back of the book which shares the page with the publishing details.

Isomorphic Relations – Famous art works which now have Norman, complete in his hat, glasses and mustache as the focus. Irony is also included here with ‘Venus’ now pictured in a hot pink bathing suit and blushing.