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Hark! A Vagrant [Hardcover]

Kate Beaton
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)

List Price: $19.95
Price: $14.55 & FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

September 27, 2011
FEATURED ON MORE THAN TWENTY BEST-OF LISTS, INCLUDING TIME, AMAZON, E! AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY!
 
Hark! A Vagrant is an uproarious romp through history and literature seen through the sharp, contemporary lens of New Yorker cartoonist and comics sensation Kate Beaton. No era or tome emerges unscasthed as Beaton rightly skewers the Western world's revolutionaries, leaders, sycophants, and suffragists while equally honing her wit on the hapless heroes, heroines, and villains of the best-loved fiction.
 
She deftly points out what really happened when Brahms fell asleep listening to Liszt, that the world's first hipsters were obviously the Incroyables and the Merveilleuses from eighteenth-century France, that Susan B. Anthony is, of course, a "Samantha," and that the polite banality of Canadian culture never gets old. Hark! A Vagrant features sexy Batman, the true stories behind classic Nancy Drew covers, and Queen Elizabeth doing the albatross. As the 500,000 unique monthly visitors to harkavagrant.com already know, no one turns the ironic absurdities of history and literature into comedic fodder as hilariously as Beaton.

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Hark! A Vagrant + Beethoven Birthday Party: A 2013 Hark! A Vagrant Calendar
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Kate Beaton:

"[Beaton’s comics] are witty reinventions of literary and historical figures navigating modern times . . . A high-minded version of The Far Side that is at once of-the-moment and timeless." —DEBORAH VANKIN, Los Angeles Times

"Simply put, this is the most well-drawn, funniest comic that I’ve read in a while." —ADRIENNE SO, Wired

"[Beaton’s] neat linework and terrific grasp of simple caricature and facial expression sells a lot of the best strips, including Sasaki Kojiro meeting an undignified end, Jane Austen and Nikola Tesla being pestered by their fans, and Lord Byron muttering "Bitches, man" to a grieving Percy Bysshe Shelley. A-" —The Onion, The A.V. Club

About the Author

KATE BEATON grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology at Mount Allison University. She presently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 160 pages
  • Publisher: Drawn and Quarterly; First Edition edition (September 27, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1770460608
  • ISBN-13: 978-1770460607
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,106 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
48 of 50 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars History is Fun(ny)! September 27, 2011
By Soronia
Format:Hardcover
This is a laugh-out-loud collection of comic strips about characters and events from famous (and not-so-famous) events in history and literature. No, this is not ordinarily a combination you would think could produce side-splitting laughs, but Kate Beaton isn't your ordinary comic artist. Her caricatures are amusing all on their own (a refreshing change from the usual flat images in political cartoons), but where she really shines is in her writing. Some of the subjects may be obscure, but the writing is colloquial and witty.

Armed with her talents, Beaton offers some truly keen insights into past and present culture. Her light touch ensure that nothing comes off as pedantic; I often found myself laughing for several minutes before wondering why no one had used some of her arguments in academic work. She is also masterful in her ability to take lesser-known historical or literary events and make them funny without requiring any lengthy, unfunny explanations. The comics stand entirely on their own, but if you know the historical context, they're that much better.

Lest anyone feel deceived, many (but not all) of these strips are also available on the author's website of the same name. However, this book is well worth the price of supporting a brilliantly incisive comic and being able to take her sassy characters with you wherever you go. Or, you could just leave this book on your coffee table. Your guests will thank you for the history lessons when they finish laughing.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars my favorite webcomics, now in print! September 27, 2011
Format:Hardcover
Hark! A Vagrant is my favorite webcomic, and it deserves a much wider audience than it has. Now a selection of the best strips (with commentary!) have been collected in this handsome volume.

Kate Beaton's comics are hilarious and erudite, and her drawing style is fluid and expressive. There are comics about Jane Austen, Watson and Holmes, Richard III, Tesla, etc. This is a great comic for lovers of history and literature, or who also just love her sense of humor.

Favorites of mine:
"Dude-Watching With the Brontes," p. 7, "The Famous Fitzgeralds," p. 150, "Joe Kennedy trains the President," p. 31, and any of the comics that feature Fat Pony.

For long-time fans, there is new material, and the aforementioned commentary. Besides, it's just nice to have it as a lovely hardcover book.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Comic plus History to boot September 30, 2011
By Fathas
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Hark! A Vagrant is by far one of my favorite webcomic series. It is engrossing and very entertaining, the characters always seem to reflect who you'd expect them to be except they don't take themselves too seriously. Another plus is you don't even need to know the historical figures, in fact I enjoy it more when I don't! Much like XKCD, a strip from Hark! A Vagrant frequently sends me to wikipedia to read the full bio of historical figures. I feel I've learned more about history from this webcomic than my 7+ years of history classes in school.

I sincerely hope many people buy Kate Beaton's book in support of her comic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Kate Beaton is Hilarious
A great comic book. It has pictures you can look at and also words you may be able to read.
Published 26 days ago by Gravybot
2.0 out of 5 stars Not funny, and not because I don't get it.
Many of the responses to the negative reviews here state that this book is funny if you get the references. Not true. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Hope This Helps
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed It
I'm not into comics but a friend loaned this book to me and I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would, probably because it included so many literary references. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Francene
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
Kate Beaton obviously does her research and has an obvious love of history. Informative yet hilarious, could not put down.
Published 3 months ago by Marie
5.0 out of 5 stars LEARNED HUMOR, GREAT DRAUGHTS(WO)MANSHIP AND WITTY PUNS
On top of it, she's very young and good looking. My guess is she'll become an international superstar, much like France's Claire Bretécher or Argentina's Maitena -if not... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Paco Calderón
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply wonderful
If you like history, get this book. The commentary on Liszt, Beethoven, the Kennedys and the Brontës will make you cackle. If you like vampires and/or werewolves, get this book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by ChrisD
5.0 out of 5 stars I heart Kate Beaton!
I have been a follower of Kate's comic for many many years now. It was an endless source of amusement during my years as a history major.. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Clara I del Castillo
4.0 out of 5 stars kate beaton is a master artist
i've followed kate beaton's comics since she started posting them on livejournal, before she had her own website. they were hilarious and charming then and continue to be so now. Read more
Published 5 months ago by nc
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
Just like her webcomic, with similar stuff, this is funny and smart! I can't wait until she comes out with new stuff.
Published 5 months ago by Katlucas
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing author, printing not as amazing
The book's content is amazing- so clever and pleasing to the eye! I have followed HaV for a few years and was really looking forward to this book. Read more
Published 5 months ago by D. Downs
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