Customer Reviews

Stone Soup The Comic Strip: The Third Collection of the Syndicated Cartoon Stone Soup

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I picked up Jan Eliot's first collection of "Stone Soup" by chance, and was impressed enough to order the next two. This, the third volume, collects strips that follow the adventures of the Stone family. There's Val, who raises two kids while struggling with workaday woes and finds sudden romance with a motorcycle cop. There's Holly and Alix, Val's daughters, who struggle as kids do against Val and against each other. There's sister Joan, who tries to raise two-year-old Max while running a copywriting service from home. There's Gramma, who lives with the lot of them and offers a constant critique of their lives and lifestyles. There's neighbor Wally, who, after a long and epic struggle, has at last made the romantic connection with Joan. A bunch of finely-drawn characters---in both the "literary" and "cartoon" sense.

It deals with any number of hot button nineties issues: the nature and place of women, life at work and home, the struggle to make ends meet, modern romance, child-rearing. Turn to nearly any page, and you're sure to find something profound and thought-provoking. Plots spin out over several pages, and one-strip gags are frequent. Certainly it held my interest.

My only regret: trying to catch up to the presently-running strips. I can only hope there will be further volumes.

Oh, and did I mention it's extremely funny? It's extremely funny...

THis is the lastest collection of Jan Eliot's Stone Soup cartoon strip, featuring a group of characters who offer an alternative to the traditional "mom, dad, brother and sister" strip format.

At the heart of this non- traditional family are two sisters. One is widowed and raising two daughters, a teen and a pre=teen. The other is divorced (with a toddler son) but newly remarried, to a terrific guy who happens to have recently taken in his troubled teenaged nephew. There's also a feisty, out-spoken grandma in the picture.

In other words, it's a lot more like what the latest census informs us is a "typical American family" than the families you usually see in comic strips. You'll recognize yourself here, absolutely. And it's reliably funny, always. SOmetimes you'll snicker and sometimes you'll laugh out loud. You'll love this book.

Jan Eliot has put together quite a strip with Stone Soup. It's the story of a widow raising two young daughters. The comic strip depicts the day to day tribulations and challenges of being a struggling single parent who must balance her career and family without going crazy. Eliot's portrayal is funny because it's accurate--everybody will remember how hard it was to be a teenager. The family is not perfect--they quarrel and fight--but at the same time really do love each other, and Eliot is able to portray this with sincerity but avoids phony sentimentality. The name "Stone Soup" is taken from the old folk tale about making something out of nothing, which is appropriate for the strip. I believe Stone Soup will become one of the most popular family strips in the funny papers. Did I mention the art work is excellent too?

You must read this!! The story of two single mothers,always broke, three children, a grandmother, and a dog girl hyperactive interacting with the boyfriends of the two young mothers can be very boring or an amazing fun. You will start reading from page one to the end, and them try desperately try to buy the other two books of the collection. Remember that you can take a daily peak on your newspaper, and if not demand the editor to publish it.

Gosh who wouldn't love this book; each and and every character has a real-life personality to enjoy. Jan Eliot's comic strip is a must read for anyone with a good sense of humor. Every strip is fun to read, time and time again. I really like to see how the family grows. A MUST READ

Jan Eliot has done it again with her Third Collection of Stone Soup. I laughed all the way through the book the first night I received it. Stone Soup makes life look livable. To see what Val and Joan are going through is just hilarious! This book is worth buying and saving for years to come; too look back and laugh some more!

I ADORE this strip. The characters are so modern-life both in positive ways and in their shortcomings. You can't help but love 'em all : the fiesty traveling grandma. the bug-collecting tom-boy little sister. Val's fractured feminist fairy tales. I love that Wally ( the sweet, kind, bald, cookin' insurance salesman) caught the girl. How many strips have portrayed the misguided messages women sometimes tell themselves with parenting toddlers or falling for the wrong guy? Or broach the subject of the neglected teen? (Yea Joan and Wally!) All this without resorting to the same gags, dark humor, or making the characters one-dimensional. ( Even Holly has great lines sometimes. ) I read these comics on-line, but have no qualms getting the books too. I reread them and feel such good writing deserves to be supported : )

I love this comic strip. Didn't start reading it until last year so bought several older books of strips to catch up on it. Good way to read older ones you missed.