Customer Reviews

The Saturday Evening Pearls: A Pearls Before Swine Collection

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I would have given it FIVE stars - if I hadn't already read all of it in "Pearls Sells Out" that I bought last week. Wish there had been some way to know that before I popped for this one. Does a book called "Treasuries" mean that former "Collections" are included in it? Guess I'll hesitate now before ordering any more Pearls books, much as I love them.

I buy all my Pearls book on Amazon because my local bookstore doesn't carry them. And I love Pearls books. If you are like me and find that the comic page of the paper is trite, boring, and filled with comics being drawn by the creator's grandchildren (and reusing the same jokes), Pastis is the way to go.

Another collection of the "Pearls" cast which gives a very enjoyable look at
life in their neighborhood. You laugh out loud on almost every page. I sometimes
wonder if their view of our world is not the correct way to look at life. You cannot go wrong in buying ANY collection by Steve Pastis.

I love this series, especially the goings on between the crocs and the zebras. It's hysterical. All the characters are so true to life and well done. I have all the books and friends love them too.

The Saturday Evening Pearls, the latest collection of Pearls Before Swine newspaper comic strips from reformed lawyer and creator Stephan Pastis, is a riot. Launched over seven years ago, the comic features a mix of anthropomorphic neighbors and their assorted approaches to blue collar living, dating, and abiding by/avoiding the eating habits typical of the natural animal kingdom.

The core characters, the self-serving Rat, the naive Pig, the everyman Zebra, and the bookish Goat, engage in this volume an imaginative series of misadventures, often crossing paths with the neighboring family of ever-hungry Fraternity of Crocodiles- whose speech patterns you will immediately find yourself mimicking to the annoyance of all around you. Meee pwommiss.

Containing numerous deprecatory cameos by characters from other comic strips, especially the more long-running of the Sunday comics fare, it is clear that cartoonist Pastis is actually quite well-read and generally respecting of those that came before.

The approach to comedy ranges often, from parody and spoof to even social commentary, and one easily encounters a strong influence of the likes of Bloom County (and Opus) by Berkeley Breathed, and Dilbert by Scott Adams- the latter of whom apparently played a big brotherly-role in the early days of spreading public awareness to the strip's existence. At times the comic can go full-on bizarro (in ways almost as inspired as the much missed Far Side, by Gary Larson) to the point of even breaking the rules of the fourth wall.

This book takes fans from Rat's experiences at practicing law and super-heroing, to Pig's laments at love and brain loss, to Zebra scared for his life by the new lions on the street, as well as the always silly Crocs.

As cool as they come and most definitely one of the sharpest strips in circulation today, Pearls Before Swine deserves total geeky adoration. Currently in syndication by United Feature Syndicate and found in over 400 newspapers round the globe, let this now on sale edition be the first in your soon to be growing collection of Pastis' works.
Now peez shut mouf!

This eighth collection of Pearls Before Swine comic strips deserves ongoing recommendation as an outstanding survey for both new and old fans of the Pearls syndicated comic strip. Black and white strips offer a ribald collection of outrageously funny encounters between hungry crocodiles, edible zebra neighbors, and more in a zany suburban setting. Any library with humor cartoon strips needs this.

Steven Pastis' "Pearls Before Swine" series is one of the funniest cartoons in print and this collection has some of his best work in it. I literally laughed out loud at most of these and recommend the book highly. Buy it and have a good laugh.

I have been a fan of Pearls Before Swine for many years. This collection is my personal favorite. The introduction of a friendly predator next to Zebra (Beer swigging male lions) as well as Goat's trip back home is a twist that makes Pearls as unique as it is hilarious. Pastis has consistently made readers laugh out loud where other strips may bring out a chuckle at best. I own all his collections and look forward to new releases. The Saturday Evening Pearls has all sorts of hidden details on the cover, including the name Julia on a serving bowl. If he knows what's best for him, that had better be the name of his wife;-)

Another great collection of strips from Stephen....His books are simply laugh out loud funny....you can read them over and over!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, but "Pearls Before Swine" is the best comic strip in newspapers or on the Internet. SATURDAY EVENING PEARLS is the latest collection of Pearls strips. I'm not sure when this series of strips first ran in newspapers, but from the context of some of the strips I believe they originally ran from late 2006 through 2007. Many of the strips focus on new neighbors that move into the neighborhood from the Deaths, to the Lions, to the Hyenas. SATURDAY EVENING PEARLS also features the storyline where the Crocs finally catch Zebra because of Jeffy from "Family Circus" as well as the introduction of Snuggles the Cat (though in this book he doesn't have a name, yet, and hasn't been discovered as a terrorist, yet) and the introduction of Andy the Dog, who wants to travel the world but is chained to a post. There really isn't a bad Pearls collection (BLTs TASTE SO GOOD and THIS LITTLE PIGGY STAYED HOME are a bit rough because the series was just getting started and finding its footing, but they are still good). Recommended for anyone who enjoys reading good comic strips and a must have for fans of Pearls.