The Snowman” is a magical book without words, and has been overwhelmingly successful in Great Britain. Briggs is best known for his 1978 work 'The Snowman' and won the 1966 and 1973 'Kate Greenaway Medals' for his illustrations. They are by turns sad and funny, full of a quiet sorrow, all lifted by a pervading optimism through their main characters who are unable to cope with reality, which will give you a rueful smile. James Bloggs is a creature of poverty and ignorance, and his fantasies are limited and conventional. Raymond Briggs may have switched his target audience to adults, but it is not apparent from the cover that this is not a children’s picture book.

This is an odd, darkly comic and rather unsettling slim book, an early instance of the graphic novel--assuming something only 30-odd pages long can count as a "novel. He tries so hard to make things good, is intentions are top notch but he isn't that bright has a few problems getting exactly what he wants. But we also recognise all the complicated forms and procedures involved in daily life, and understand what is likely to happen in the real world. Encouraged by his wife, who is also eager to incorporate more adventure into her life, Jim sets out to bring these dreams to fruition by accumulating various accoutrements, only to discover that the life of an executive, an artist, or a cowboy is more complicated and costly than it appears. However, Briggs continued to produce humour for children, in works such as the Unlucky Wally series and The Bear.But two years later in 1980, with Gentleman Jim, Raymond Briggs pulled another rabbit out of the hat. Deciding that he wants to better himself he attempts to get started on various career changes until he fixes upon Highwayman (but only to take from the rich and give to the poor).

Jim makes a foolhardy attempt to make a juvenile dream a reality, and ends up hitting the crushing wall of reality.We have followed his grand ideas and unfortunate attempts to break out, and we also see his consternation as he tries to do the right thing. Encouraged by his wife, Hilda, also eager to incorporate more adventure into her life, Jim sets out to bring these dreams to fruition by accumulating various accoutrements, only to discover that the life of an executive, an artist or a cowboy is more complicated and costly than it appears. Looking at the job opportunities, he soon realizes that he needs "the Levels"(grades) to unlock his talents. The satire and humour become more caustic at this point, as the target expands from the dumb naivete of the protagonist to the cold, harsh authoritarianism of the real world; if this is what the world is like, Jim's desire to escape into a boys' adventure book version of the world is understandable.