Striking a Chord: A For Better or For Worse Collection [Paperback]

Lynn Johnston (Author)

Book Description

Series: For Better Or for Worse Collection | Publication Date: March 1, 2005

For 25 years, award-winning cartoonist Lynn Johnston has attracted new readers and intrigued longtime fans with her uniquely humorous stories and drawings in For Better or For Worse. During that time, more than 30 books based on the daily comic strip have sold in excess of 1.6 million copies. Striking a Chord continues that impressive record, delivering the latest For Better or For Worse collection just in time for spring.

Johnston's acclaimed strip centers on the everyday life of a Canadian family, humorously portraying both the good and the not-so-good events that are shared by the Patterson clan and their extended family of friends and neighbors. Parents Elly and John; children Michael and his wife, Deanna, Elizabeth, and April; Grandpa Jim; and dogs Edgar and Dixie all live out the joys and complexities of modern life. From parents apprehensively facing their fifties and a young couple tackling new parenthood to a young woman confronting career choices and a girl's loss of a beloved pet, Striking a Chord brings compassion, understanding, and a lighthearted touch to every human interaction.

This collection includes cartoons from November 2002 through July 2003.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Lynn Johnston has created her syndicated comic since 1979, when Universal Press Syndicate first began distributing her work. That relationship continues today, as Lynn now regularly reaches more than 220 million readers worldwide. In 1985, Lynn was the first woman to win the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, and the same group awarded her the Best Syndicated Comic Strip in 1992. She works daily, alongside her staff, "a group of seven," from her lakeside studio in Northern Ontario, Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740753150
• ISBN-13: 978-0740753152
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #692,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lynn Johnston lives in Corbeil, Ontario, Canada. She was the first woman to win the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 1985. In the summer of 2008, she was inducted into the "Giants of the North," the Canadian Cartoonists Hall of Fame.
www.fborfw.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner, April 23, 2005

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Striking a Chord: A For Better or For Worse Collection (Paperback)

I am such a huge fan of the For Better of For Worse cartoons. Lynn Johnston always does such a wonderful job of bringing everyday family life into focus while maintaining some degree of "funny".

This little book is no exception. Featuring all of the members of the family, this book is a wonderful look at the more recent strips. Even a little look at Farley and Mr. B. (which kind of still brought tears to my eyes).

The only comment I have that is negative is that these books are so small, only takes about 30 minutes to go through it. I feel as though I just start it and poof its finished.

Still, the quality is there.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What to say about a truly epic comic strip..., October 31, 2011

By 

Georgie Girl - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Striking a Chord: A For Better or For Worse Collection (Paperback)

I am in the process of completing my For Better Or For Worse collection. Reading this comic strip is very much like watching a drama about family life, with comedy of course. It is a comic strip after all. The characters age and experience things that most families would. And even though the series has it's serious moments throughout, I appreciate that Lynn Johnston created her characters to come out of those tough spots no worse for wear and to focus on the positive and even learn something along the way. I'd tell you about the individual book itself, but the collection of comic books is very much like a book series. You'll be out of the loop if you don't read them all. Five stars for the entire series.

5.0 out of 5 stars Lynn Johnston does it again!, January 3, 2011

By 

Elizabeth J. Lenhart - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Striking A Cord: A For Better or For Worse Collection (Paperback)

I have almost all of Lynn Johnston's books (she keeps me sane) and really enjoyed "Striking a Chord." Lynn puts personal notes throughout the book explaining certain strips and how they related to her real life. I liked how she handled "Mr. B's" passing with her usual mix of reality and humor, and reading about baby Meredith's first several months brought back so many memories- we all went through those long days (but such short years!). I would recommend this book to anyone.