The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set) by Gary Larson, Steve Martin
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Book Reviews of The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)
Book Review: Greater than great!
Summary: 5 Stars
I recieve the Far Side day-by-day calendar as a gift every year for Christmas and always found myself saving more and more of the days every year. I recently threw out my scrapbook of yellowing calendar pages and bought this wonderful collection. Wow, what a move up! After a tough day at work, on a rainy day or basically any other time is perfect to thumb through this deluxe collection. It is not a rush-to-production, strike-while the iron is hot collection. This set was well thought out, well-packaged and even better made than anything I have seen, deluxe is almost not enought to describe it.
My favorite personal Far Side story is the day (about twelve years ago) I wore a shirt to high school with a reproduction of the "Midvale School for the Gifted" panel on it, with my alma matter's name substituted. I was ordered to turn the shirt inside out or go home. Duh, I took the day off! As I read the excerpts of letters included from people who haven't been blessed with a sense of humor, I keep expecting to see one from my high school principal! Thanks for the memories Gary Larson!!
Book Review: Two of the world's greatest word-jewellers.
Summary: 5 Stars
Gary Larson and Steve Martin in one volume? Get it, whatever the price. Both authors polish their words until they shine; until they sound so familiar that they ease into your ear, yet literally contain such astonishing content that you can't contain your laughter.
Larson, I think, is more a wordsmith than a cartoonist. How many of his cartoons are just literal depictions of a verbal pun? And how many quite funny cartoons become gems though their perfect captions? ("Latte, Jed?", or the incomparable "She's lookin' good, Vern..." stick in my memory)
Larson uses the rhythms and patterns of normal speech to lull us into a false sense of security, then subverts our interpretation of of the sentence with a surprising image. A true master of uniting the verbal and the visual.
Why did he choose the world of natural science so often for his subject matter? Maybe nature is plastic, fluid, and playful (as he shows in his visuals) whereas the way we use language nowadays, sadly, is not.
Shrug off your sticker shock (didn't Larson do a cartoon about that phrase once?) and get it.
Book Review: The book is great
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a big fan of Far Side comics since my youth. It's been a cultural icon for several generations of kids and adults alike. If you walk into any office building in America, you're bound to see at least one Far Side desktop calendar in someone's cubicle or office. This is why I was so excited when I heard that there was a "complete" anthology of Far Side comics. The comments written about some of the comics included in this collection is just icing on the cake. The entire collection is presented in two very pleasant (and heavy) books. You can see the high quality of the materials and print the moment you touch and open one of the books. Even the housing that holds these two books together seems to be very sturdy and well-made. Anyone who's chuckled at one of Gary Larson's twisted Far Side comics will love this "herniastic" collection. Personally, I have it crowning the top of my coffee table as it gives guests and myself something to read when you've only got 5 seconds to spare. I would definitely recommend getting this collection if you're a Far Side fan.Book Review: Worth Every Farthing
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes, I bought this 25-pounder and I got teased for spending a wad of cash on what is essentially a collection of cartoons I mostly already owned and probably could have acquired volume by volume at thrift stores and yard sales for 5 bucks total, but you know, I don't regret it. Gary Larson's intelligence, genius and bold, dark humor, rank him up there with Edward Gorey and Charles Addams as a master of this art form. It's nice to have every Far Side ever published, but this is NOT an easy way to read the works. Whereas the paperback collections can be read with ease, this thing tires your arms out inside of fifteen minutes. And forget trying to peruse this in bed: if you doze off and it falls on your face, you just might spend the rest of your life resembling a pug dog. Still, it's a tribute to one of the all-time great comic strips that such an anthology was ever published, and that a decade after it perished an untimely death The Far Side lives on in memory, in sentimental fondness, and in this new comprehensive titan of a collection. As I said, it's worth the money!Book Review: The book is great
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a big fan of Far Side comics since my youth. It's been a cultural icon for several generations of kids and adults alike. If you walk into any office building in America, you're bound to see at least one Far Side desktop calendar in someone's cubicle or office. This is why I was so excited when I heard that there was a "complete" anthology of Far Side comics. The comments written about some of the comics included in this collection is just icing on the cake. The entire collection is presented in two very pleasant (and heavy) books. You can see the high quality of the materials and print the moment you touch and open one of the books. Even the housing that holds these two books together seems to be very sturdy and well-made. Anyone who's chuckled at one of Gary Larson's twisted Far Side comics will love this "herniastic" collection. Personally, I have it crowning the top of my coffee table as it gives guests and myself something to read when you've only got 5 seconds to spare. I would definitely recommend getting this collection if you're a Far Side fan.