The Complete Far Side: 1980-1994

Customer Reviews

You'll laugh 'til the cows come home...

A truly amazing piece of modern literature... if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this collection is worth 4.3 million of 'em! If you've been a Larson fan, then you know what you're in for... whacky animals and insects that are usually smarter than their human counterparts, light handed commentary on the workings of life and nature, and an incredible wit that captures appeals to everyone and offends no one (except maybe cows or chickens). These cartoons will take you back to where you were the first time you read them.

If you've never read Larson, then you need to pick up this collection immediately (be careful and don't hurt your back... 18 pounds of books is a heavy load). Enjoy the fit and finish of the slipcase and covers of the books. Feel the weight of the high-quality artbook-grade coated paper, smell the fresh ink... and then dig in to the BEST cartoons ever created!

This collection is worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY you spend on it. I have every Larson book ever published, and they don't hold a candle to these books. The introductions to the individual chapters are worth the price alone. Because of this collection, the Far Side will be enjoyed by future generations to come.

Hilarious, disturbing, insightful . . . completely different

If you have to buy one book on Amazon, please, please, please, make it this. Large though it may be, you won't be disappointed! God, I love this guy. I can't imagine life without Gary Larson and his wonderfully twisted sense of humor. A day doesn't go by that I don't laugh to myself over one of his cartoons. And when I was interviewing for employees, I used to show them some of his work---if they didn't laugh, they didn't get hired! Truly, he's is one of the planet's funniest animals! What I enjoyed most about this volumous work was Larson's hilarious and insightful essays that preceded each year's comics, Steve Martin's great foreword, and, more than anything else, the countless letters from the public on various subjects. Most of them are enemies, shaking their finger at Gary Larson for some kind of offense they took from a cartoon. But my all-time favorite: The Modern Anteater. If you like this type of humor, you'd probably enjoy David Sedaris' books or "The Bark of the Dogwood" by Jackson McCrae. True, humor such as this is not for everyone, but darn it's funny to me.

Bodacious

First of all, you'll need to take steriods just to lift this collection. But it's worth every pound. The quality is remarkable, with color cartoons and brilliant and witty comments every now and then. The detractors who've written into the papers over the years also make an appearance, looking more foolish than ever. If you're one for great humor (think Sedaris in his "Me Talk Pretty" or McCrae in his "Bark of the Dogwood"), humor that is sometimes dark and multi-layered, then you'll love Gary Larson. This, of course, if you've never been exposed to him, in which case you're probably fodder for one of his cartoons. A++++++ material and presentation on this one.