Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Reality Check : A For Better or For Worse Collection by Lynn Johnston ISBN: 0-7407-3810-0 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Pub. Date: 01 August, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Great, as usual
Comment: I always like seeing a new book by Lynn Johnston. Her comic strips find the humor in everyday things, and I think most of us can relate to at least one of her characters. Her latest book is funny, extremely well-drawn, and continues the adventures of the Pattersons and their friends and relatives. Buy it for the fun and insights that it offers.
Rating: 3
Summary: Keeping it real--well, sort of, anyway
Comment: Despite a brief period of being considered a cutting-edge cartoonist (with the infamous "Laurence is gay" story line), at heart Lynn Johnston likes things neat, tidy and relatively conservative. "Reality Check," the latest "For Better Or For Worse" collection, continues that tradition.
The main focus of the book is the gestation and arrival of the first member of the next generation of Pattersons, Michael and Deanna's daughter Meredith. Anyone with any semblance of intelligence will immediately roll their eyes when reading the initial strips where Deanna informs Michael that she's pregnant, claiming that "I wanted to change medications and wait for the first one to leave my system, and ... it just happened." It's bad enough that this kind of "oops" is seemingly acceptable, but considering that Johnston has Deanna's profession as a PHARMACIST who (one would think) knows how birth control pills should work makes it that much more unbelievable. Johnston has often stated that her strips reflect either what is going on in her life or what she wants to happen--the arrival of April is a prime example of the latter--and apparently she has a screaming case of grandbaby rabies. Of course, after a token protest or two Michael and Deanna fall in love with parenthood, and everyone is delighted despite the fact the couple is portrayed as having major financial problems. But in Johnston's world, everything always works out for the best, because a baby always fixes everything, right?
As for the Patterson daughters, idealistic Elizabeth gets her heart stomped on by her latest boyfriend--Johnston has the pair living together but ostensibly sleeping in separate bedrooms--while bratty April becomes more obnoxious and spends all her strips whining (at least that's somewhat realistic of today's kids). There is a neat little plot with Grandpa Jim's unexpected marriage, but Johnston still spends a few too many strips dealing with various Patterson animals, including the protracted death of April's rabbit, at the expense of John and Elly. Johnston isn't always sugary, but sometimes she misses great opportunities to be real and goes for the schmaltz. "Reality Check" is best suited for those who followed Deanna's pregnancy and Meredith's birth with baited breath (not to mention those who--yes, it's true--sent congratulatory e-mails to these fictional characters).
Rating: 3
Summary: A little reality check for those sugary fairy tales!
Comment: It's the soap opera of today's funnies! Unlike most of the cartoon characters on those pages, the family is doomed to age and change just like us lowly human mortals.
The funny little boy, Michael is now all grown-up and has a wifey of his own. Together, they have produced a preciousy-woo little cherub who has inherited collagen-puffy lips from her mommie. And it also looks like she would one day grow up to be a spoiled little princess who's the center of attention now that April is getting too old for it. Instead, she's now a teensybopper who's getting ready to arrogantly flaunt her perfect nails and midriff in the public and already, she's regarding her loving, doting elders as deadly enemies. As usual, big sister Elizabeth is still an innocent do-gooder who got duped by a two-timing boyfriend so handsome and dashing he should've been on the cover of a romance novel. And - the innocent little dame gets swept off her feet by ANOTHER boyfriend handsome and dashing enough to be on the cover of a romance novel. Grandpa may have lost his wife, but he now has a new squeeze to replace her memory. But at least she's as old as fossil. And both Elly and Connie are obviously on the way, though they think they're still pubescent young girls.
Oh, and I almost forgot...the pet bunny croaked and a busybody landlady nearly cooked it up in her famous rabbit stew.
 |
Title: With This Ring: A For Better or For Worse Collection by Lynn Johnston ISBN: 0740734121 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Pub. Date: 25 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
 |
Title: Leaving Home: Survival of the Hippest by Lynn Johnston, Andie Parton ISBN: 0740733036 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
 |
Title: Road Trip! : Zits Sketchbook #7 by Jim Borgman, Jerry Scott ISBN: 0740738143 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
 |
Title: Who's Up for Some Bonding? A FoxTrot Collection by Bill Amend ISBN: 0740738062 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $8.95 |
 |
Title: Family Business: For Better Or For Worse Collection by Lynn Johnston ISBN: 0740726692 Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing Pub. Date: 02 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
