 Although this book is number 8 in the series, it was released after number 9, "L'accélérateur atomique", which was released in 2003, and is thus the final entry in the series.The tone is practically void of humour and is even grim, creating a major contrast with the other, generally much lighter-spirited volumes.The themes of "La vie comme elle vient" are death, loss, and how people deal with them.