As the title says, this is Gary Larson's fifth gallery of Far Side cartoons. There isn't much one can say about the cartoons themselves. The single panel format filled with the demented brilliance of Larson's weirdly humorous vision is simply something one loves, or something one hates. I am firmly in the "love it" camp and simply don't understand the mentality of those who fall into the "hate it" camp.

The most unusual thing about this volume is that the forward is written by Jane Goodall (yes, that Jane Goodall) in which she recounts her side of the fracas involving a Far Side strip in which she was referenced. For those who don't know, the strip featured two apes, with the female grooming the male. The caption read "Well, well - another blonde hair . . . Conducting a little more 'research' with that Jane Goodall tramp?" The strip was published while Jane was working in Tanzania, and she did not find out about it until she returned for a lecture tour. She was horrified to learn that the executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute had sent a letter of complaint to Larson. Goodall herself found the strip to be wonderful, her recollection is that she let out a guffaw and said "Wow! Fantastic! Real fame at last!". Of course, Larson had withdrawn the strip by then, and it required an affidavit from her saying she would not sue him for him to give permission for it to be used by the National Geographic Society and it eventually appeared on a promotional shirt sold by her Institute. So, in the end, all turned out well.

Goodall also recounts her experiences with Larson when he came to visit her in Tanzania, which gives a fascinating look at the mind of the cartoonist. The book also contains a dedication to Gary's brother Dan, who he says taught him the beauty and wonder of smacking your brother in the head with a jellyfish. Sadly, the dedication is in memory of Larson's brother.

The meat of the book is, of course, the comic panels and, as usual, they are almost all wonderful. Many are brilliant. Only a few stand out as being below par. But from insects going about their very human like lives, to scientists engaged in insane pursuits to the doings of men stranded on tiny desert isles, and all cows in between, the strips are weird, bizarre, demented, and sometimes downright insane, but always funny. (One odd note, there is more than one strip featuring Lewis and Clark in the volume, which seems an obscure choice for multiple strips).

In short, if you are looking for a laugh the originates in the world of dolphin delinquents hanging out with tuna, llama subway riders playing practical jokes, and Hell's video store (stocked entirely with copies of Ishtar) one can almost never go wrong picking up this book and reading a couple pages of panels. ( )

It was saddening when he retired, but I suppose it is better to go out at your best than to fizzle out... all the best cartoonists do that. ( )

It takes a special sense of humor to properly appreciate Gary Larson's "The Far Side", but I've loved his work since young. If you like The Far Side, you'll love this collection of his cartoons. ( )