Pearls Before Swine : BLTs Taste So Darn Good [Paperback]

Stephan Pastis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2003

Pearls Before Swine is the hilarious new comic strip tale of two friends: an arrogant, egotistical Rat who thinks he knows it all and a slow-witted Pig who doesn't know any better. Together with Zebra, the activist, and Goat, the reluctant brain, Pearls Before Swine offers caustic commentary on humanity's quest for the unattainable. Smart, witty, and sometimes painfully honest, Pearls Before Swine mocks the flaws and shortcomings of human nature with cynical humor.Pearls Before Swine has been syndicated by United Feature Syndicate since January 2002 and now appears in more than 100 newspapers worldwide. In panel after panel, Pearls Before Swine causes readers to lose themselves in laughter.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A second-generation Greek-American, Stephan Pastis was born and raised in San Marino, California. He holds a degree in political science from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. Stephan, who practiced law for nine years in the San Francisco Bay area before becoming a syndicated cartoonist, currently lives in California with his wife and two children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (March 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740734377
• ISBN-13: 978-0740734373
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #190,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stephan Pastis was once a "love me tender" lawyer who created Pearls Before Swine to relieve boredom. He lives in his own Graceland in northern California with his wife, two children, and his blue suede shoes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stabilizing influence in troubled times., April 2, 2003

By 

Matthew Weaver "cesarfaison" (Spokane) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pearls Before Swine : BLTs Taste So Darn Good (Paperback)

One surefire antidote to the complexities of modern life can be found in the first collection of comic strip "Pearls Before Swine," an Internet pleasure brought on by Stephan Pastis.

Up-to-date strips can be read online, but it's great to have "BLTs Taste So Darn Good" on hand when you need a laugh and the university network connection is down or, better yet, when nature is calling.

Pastis' story is interesting - he's a lawyer who simply decided to hop into cartooning, found a supportive United Media editor who backed the strip, and then rocketed to glory when he got endorsements from two of the comic world's best and brightest shining stars, Scott Adams ("Dilbert") and Darby Conley ("Get Fuzzy").
"Swine" has grabbed attention from critics who have deemed it a throwback to dearly departed "Calvin and Hobbes."

The golden classic and the newbie certainly share the same amount of heart.

Pastis gives us characters who voice the things we wish we could say as we muddle through our days.

Rat is a self-center schemer who just wants to strike it rich by doing as little work as possible. His plans for doing so include creating his own comic strip, which bears a striking resemblance to "Dilbert" (after perusing a "Dilbert" desk calendar, Rat informs his pals that he has about 365 new ideas for his "Bildert"), hosting his own television show and interviewing local celebrities like the waitress at the Waffle Barn and his garbageman and just basically insulting Pig.

Pig is naïve to the point of stupidity, which makes him the perfect foil for Rat's schemes, and also excellent comic fodder. He makes friends with a reflection of himself in a small pond ("You remind me of my other friend, Mr. Quiet Medicine Cabinet Guy"), plays hopscotch on chalk body outlines and ... simply exists, trying to muddle through.

My absolute favorite "Pearls Before Swine":

Rat to Pig: "If you could have a conversation with one person, living or dead, who would it be?"

Pig: "The living one." (Pause.) "You must think I'm really stupid."

Hee-larious.

Pig and Rat are the big names, but they are joined by socially conscious Zebra, who is trying to get the herd back home to stop getting eaten by alligators, and Goat, who is the voice of reason in the strip. Goat doesn't show up all that often.

Overall, it's a quiet, little strip that is capable of eliciting big, loud guffaws.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Instead of this book...., January 2, 2006

By 

M. Ryan (Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pearls Before Swine : BLTs Taste So Darn Good (Paperback)

I bought this book plus "Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club" and discovered that all the comics in this book are also in "Sgt. Piggy's". The comics are great, but I recommend you buy "Sgt. Piggy" instead, it contains much more, and it's also annotated by the author.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pearls Before Swine makes me laugh out loud!, February 27, 2003

By 

all you need is love (Mexico) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pearls Before Swine : BLTs Taste So Darn Good (Paperback)

One day while surfing the net I came across comics.com, and found the comic strip Pearls Before Swine. I immediately became hooked, because reading it made me laugh out loud. I now have the strip delivered daily to my email. Reading this little strip has been the BEST way for me to start my day!

Stephan Pastis is a witty genius at finding the humor in the quirks of the mundane, using his curious cast of characters, each with his own unique personality. I think all of us can identify with PIG, who is innocent, naive and unsophisticated, but I also think most of us have a RAT side as well, that is slightly sarcastic, ego-centered and mischevious. Just when I think I've seen it all, up pops another batch of whacky strange character...I LOVE it!

I believe Stephan Pastis will soon be every bit as popular as Charles Shultz has been with Peanuts. I have ordered copies of this new book for all my friends and family. I am also trying to get him published in my local newspapers, and hope others who love this comic strip will do the same.

ENJOY!