Never Wink at a Worried Woman

by Lynn Johnston

For Better or For Worse (24)

On This Page

Description

Art imitating life. That's what happens in Lynn Johnston's perennially popular comic strip, For Better or For Worse. By reflecting on her own family and experiences, she created the Pattersons: Elly, John, Michael, Elizabeth, and April, along with grandparents, grandchildren, friends, and coworkers and the everyday situations they deal with. In Never Wink at a Worried Woman, life is progressing for each character. Elly and John tenuously think of retirement while still being preoccupied show more parents of a preteen. Michael and Deanna grow into their roles as new parents while Michael's career gets a new boost. Elizabeth takes more steps to adulthood, by beginning her student teaching and facing the fact that Anthony is marrying another. April is racing to turn 13, busy with her band and also helping out at Lilliput's, where she makes a painful discovery about a coworker. Add in Grampa Jim's quest to maintain his aging dignity and baby Meredith's burgeoning curiosity, and you get a full dose of life. show less

Tags

Recommendations

Member Reviews

2 reviews
The 2005 For Better or For Worse collection leaves much to be desired. Grandpa Jim is going downhill, healthwise, and Elly is getting played by an unscrupulous employee. The ongoing soap opera of Elizabeth's love life takes a creepy turn when her ex-paramour, Anthony, gets married to another woman despite the fact that he still longs for Liz. The rest of the family is up to the usual antics, but they just don't seem to be as fun as they used to be. The closest this collection comes is the storyline that takes John and Elly on vacation to Mexico. But even that seems a bit tired. I don't know if it's because Ms. Johnston is trying to get too dramatic with the strip, or if it's just that the funniest part of the older strips is the antics show more of the kids, who are now getting into more adult and less interesting shenanigans.
--J.
show less
Another great collection of my favorite active comic strip. Anthony and Therese are getting married, and invite Elizabeth, who lands a date for the wedding, a gay friend of Lawrence's, Dennis, who nevertheless becomes good friends with Elizabeth. At the reception, Dennis and Elizabeth trip the light fantastic, but Elizabeth departs early, uncomfortable about Therese's jealousy of her. Mike, just as he is feeling at a professional low, is offered the editor's job at Portrait magazine. April begins working at her Mom's bookstore after work, and runs afoul of the lazy and larcenous employee Kortney. Elizabeth begins student teaching. Michael finally has words with his intrusive, controlling, judgemental mother-in-law. Elly's dad Jim feels show more some more effects of encroaching age. Elizabeth runs into her old favorite teacher, Sharon, at the mall, in a particularly moving reunion. Weed falls for one of his models. Jon and Elly vacation in Cancun, realizing again that the best reasons for vacations are the homecomings. show less

Members

Recently Added By

Author Information

Picture of author.
88+ Works 6,080 Members
Lynn Johnston, creator of the popular family cartoon strip For Better or For Worse, was born in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, and grew up in British Columbia. She attended the Vancouver School of Art. She was the first woman to win the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 1985. In 1992, she received show more the NCS award for Best Syndicated Comic Strip. Lynn and her husband, Rod, live in Northern Ontario, Canada. Andie (Adrienne) Parton was born in Northern Quebec, Canada. She has lived in many cities across North America and knows plenty about leaving home. She was a life-skills coach for many foster teenagers and has well prepared them and her own three children for life on their own. Andie works as a lab technologist at McMaster Medical Center in Hamilton, Ontario show less

Series

Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Never Wink at a Worried Woman
Original publication date
2005

Classifications

Genres
Graphic Novels & Comics, Nonfiction
DDC/MDS
741.5973Arts & recreationDrawing & decorative artsDrawingComic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic stripsHistory, geographic treatment, biographyNorth AmericanUnited States (General)
LCC
PN6728 .F6 .J66Language and LiteratureLiterature (General)Literature (General)Collections of general literatureComic books, strips, etc.
BISAC

Statistics

Members
128
Popularity
254,250
Reviews
2
Rating
(4.16)
Languages
English
Media
Paper
ISBNs
1
UPCs
1
ASINs
1