Customer Reviews

Pickles

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I discovered Pickles in the San Jose Mercury News when I moved to California. It focuses on Earl and Opal, a senior couple who celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary during the strip, supported by their dog Roscoe, their curmudgeonly cat Muffin, their divorced daughter Sylvia, their grandson Nelson, and Earl's partner-in-procrastination Clyde. The strip centers around Earl and Opal dealing with the little things in life that they have to contend with as a retired couple, and a lot of the humor comes from various characters trying to one-up each other, with. What really makes the strip work is Crane's ability to write and pace dialogue, and the combination of meaning and inscrutability he imparts to his characters' expressions.

Crane's no Bill Watterson, but his clean linework and attention to body language and detail, along with the verbal jousting, recalls Calvin and Hobbes' sense of whimsy. Even though the strip often treads the expected ground of sight, hearing and memory loss, it all seems fresh and newly-silly here. The strip is best characterized as "playful", and this book made me laugh out loud several times.

The big flaw in the book is that it (as well as its sequel, Pickles, Too) is not complete. It's a sampling of strips from 1994 to 1998, mixed more-or-less randomly, and sometimes a strip which is part of a longer sequence is presented out of context, or a storyline ends abruptly after only two or three strips. Pickles is good enough that it deserves complete reprinting, and it's unfortunate that the publisher chose this scattershot method of presenting Crane's work. Hopefully someday this error will be rectified.

But until that day, this is still a fine collection to add to your bookshelf.

I really enjoy reading Pickles every day. That makes it a bit discouraging to buy this book and be disappointed. I hoped that by buying the collections, I would be able to catch up on strips that I had missed since I travel for work. Unfortunately, the publishers have chosen only a small fraction of the available strips - and the strips seem to be out of context/continuity. Some of the funniest strips have been those that take several days or a week to unfold and they aren't here. No Sunday strips at all!

Pickles is one of the most under-rated comic strips in newspapers today! It's a strip that is consistently funny, day after day. The gentle, but dry wit of its creator, Brian Crane, is nicely represented in this collection. The book's introduction by Charles Schulz will warm your heart! This is great book for Pickles fans, young and old.

It tickles my funny bone! Yet, it tames the side of me which resembles the characters. A keeper! Delightful! For teens to seniors. Saturated with laughter! Punctuated with innocence. Wrapped with the true flavor of life! Long live the fertile mind of B. Crane!

This book tickles my funny bone, and at the same time it massages the sane, rational part of me. Its down-to-earth characters deal with life in its truest form. One to read over and again. Refreshing! Delightful! Witty! This one is a prize!

This was a Christmas gift. The humor is sweet and innocent and even refreshing. It is a strip that features an elderly couple and their family and pets. Pickles I was happy to be able to find it so easily on Amazon. It was well-received. Thanks for making my Christmas shopping so painless, Amazon!

These books very accurately portray life in your 50/60's!!! HE knows what life is about - even my 30 year old finds them humorous - maybe because he so sees his parents in the books!!! Enjoy them a LOT - wish there were more to buy.

If you like the funnies than you will love the book of Pickles. It just makes you laugh and gives you a lift

If you're a fan of "Pickles" comic strip, you'll enjoy this book. It's delightful, cute & funny. I wish "Pickles" would publish some more books.

I love all his books. Seems like he is spying thru the keyhole right into my house.
How me manages to hit the nail on the head day after day amazes me. This book is
an absolute must have for everyone, as far as I am concerned.