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Another collection of Calvin and Hobbes comics.Tags
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More marvelous mischief. This one has a fair few strips where Calvin's parents join in the fun, and those are some of my favorites. I particularly like the one where the dad leaves Calvin in the car while he runs an errand, and Calvin and Hobbes hide under a blanket in the back seat. When Dad comes back, he pretends he can't find him and that he's thrilled to have lost him. His playfulness there is great, and Calvin's indignation when he pops up out of hiding is hilarious. This collection also features "the little racoon" sequence, at which I had to put the book down for a bit and come back when I felt ready. Nine strips of gentle weepy brilliance there. ~Feb 2024
Even though this collection of comics has many joyful and hilarious moments, Patterson seemed to include many darker elements in the life of a child as well. As the title hints at, we get many moments of childhood fear - in Calvin's case he and Hobbes are sure that there are in fact monsters under the bed who are out to eat them. Watterson presents these moments as amusing, often showing the monster's point of view by including their dialogue, but this bending of reality shows a realism that betrays the minds of children (which is not always centred in our regular adult reality). Watterson also includes a series of comics which treats Calvin's first brush with death. Not his own or human, as that would be far too dark for this early, show more but through the death of a small raccoon that Calvin finds in the woods. His parents attempt to save the animal, but unfortunately they are not able to, bringing Calvin to question his parents' infallibility and the mortality of the world. The series is mostly comedic, so many of the life lessons that Calvin teaches readers are buffered by comedy, but this collection shows us more blatantly than others that Watterson is apable of being darker if he chooses to be. show less
I first discovered this book when I was ten, and delighted in reading it every two weeks at my doctor's office. When she moved her practice, I was sad to leave this book and the comfortable waiting room couch behind. Twenty years later, I understand a lot more of the jokes and it's still a delight. Some of the jokes have certainly not aged well, but I think that shows progress as a society. Calvin's an incredibly smart six-year-old, who's still clearly six years old. I laughed and felt bad for his parents a lot. Hobbes made me smile for entirely different reasons, but it was still a warm smile and not a "omg u r such a terrible figure and I shouldn't be laughing" type thing. I like that nobody's perfect and the humor's a little dark. show more It's about a kid, but I wouldn't say it's for so many kids. I'm glad I got to read this again. show less
I have decided that Calvin and Hobbes are my all time favorite of cartoons. Old standbys like "Nancy & Sluggo", and "Blondie & Dagwood" had their day, and haven't aged well at all. Likewise, after its first two decades, "Peanuts" became repetitious and predictable, using the same five jokes over and over again. "Kathy" never had an appeal beyond those able to identify with her neurotic insecurity, and "Garfield", "Marmaduke", "The Born Loser", the "Family Circus" seldom lasted longer than the quick smile they might engender during a scan of the daily newspaper. "Zippy the Pinhead" is wonderful, but a minority, acquired taste, and the same goes for another of my favorites, the now- departed "Far Side."
Calvin and Hobbes are in a class of show more their own. Far beyond clever, far beyond amusing, they capture the life of a lonely misunderstood young boy whose life revolves around his wonderful imaginary relationship with his (toy, stuffed) tiger. Full of ironic commentary, full of the joy of living, full of gentle satire, wonderful fantasy, and incomparable humor... there has never been anything like this creation. Each book is worth reading, and each is worth keeping for future enjoyment. I find that if I put one away for a few years, and reread it, it's every bit as enjoyable as the first time.
Here's to you Calvin and Hobbes -- in the grand history of the comics, you're the best there has ever been! show less
Calvin and Hobbes are in a class of show more their own. Far beyond clever, far beyond amusing, they capture the life of a lonely misunderstood young boy whose life revolves around his wonderful imaginary relationship with his (toy, stuffed) tiger. Full of ironic commentary, full of the joy of living, full of gentle satire, wonderful fantasy, and incomparable humor... there has never been anything like this creation. Each book is worth reading, and each is worth keeping for future enjoyment. I find that if I put one away for a few years, and reread it, it's every bit as enjoyable as the first time.
Here's to you Calvin and Hobbes -- in the grand history of the comics, you're the best there has ever been! show less
Even now, nearly two decades after the 90's ended, this is a series that endures. But I will say this - I sure as hell am glad Calvin is not my child (or sibling) because he can be a really shitty kid sometimes, LOL. Nontheless, this comic is brilliant.
These are always wonderful, and worth reading even if it might be a reread. ?Luckily for me, this seemed brand-new to me. ?á
What's interesting is that mixed in with all the universal and timeless truths, sometimes one comic will speak to the exact situation a reader happens to be in the day she reads the book. ?áThis time Calvin doesn't want to read a book for school, so he just flips the pages. ?áHobbes says Reading goes faster if you don't sweat comprehension."
And I want to use that in a group discussion over on GR. ?áA mom is asking for rec's to introduce her 7 yo daughter to SF. ?áPpl are recommending The Hobbit, all seven of the Harry Potter books, etc. ?áIf those books are comprehensible to a 7 yo, what are show more adults getting out of them?! ?áThey're much too complex for her to appreciate right now. ?áIf you want her to skip all boring parts and just turn the pages fast, sure, give her those. ?áIf you want her to fall in love with the worlds of ideas in well-written books, let's start with something a bit more age-appropriate, shall we?
" show less
What's interesting is that mixed in with all the universal and timeless truths, sometimes one comic will speak to the exact situation a reader happens to be in the day she reads the book. ?áThis time Calvin doesn't want to read a book for school, so he just flips the pages. ?áHobbes says Reading goes faster if you don't sweat comprehension."
And I want to use that in a group discussion over on GR. ?áA mom is asking for rec's to introduce her 7 yo daughter to SF. ?áPpl are recommending The Hobbit, all seven of the Harry Potter books, etc. ?áIf those books are comprehensible to a 7 yo, what are show more adults getting out of them?! ?áThey're much too complex for her to appreciate right now. ?áIf you want her to skip all boring parts and just turn the pages fast, sure, give her those. ?áIf you want her to fall in love with the worlds of ideas in well-written books, let's start with something a bit more age-appropriate, shall we?
" show less
This collection of one of my all-time favorite strips actually contains a few examples of Calvin showing his sensitive side, such as pg. 40, where he is comforting his sick Mom, or pgs. 94-96 where he and Hobbes discover a hurt baby racoon. Other than that, Calvin is his typical misanthropic daydreamer, devoted to increasing the sum total of his own pleasure in the most hilarious way possible.
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Author Information
319+ Works 80,991 Members
Cartoonist Bill Watterson was born in Washington, D.C. on July 5, 1958. He graduated from Kenyon College in 1980 with a B.A. in Political Science. Before beginning to publish his popular Calvin and Hobbes comic strip in 1985, Watterson worked briefly as a political cartoonist and also designed grocery advertisements. Calvin and Hobbes is one of show more the most well-regarded, successful comics of the twentieth century. Watterson depicted the adventures of an imaginative six-year-old boy and his stuffed tiger for ten years and ended the strip at the height of its popularity. The creator is known for his revolutionary design techniques and refusal to merchandise his characters or allow them to appear in an animated series. Watterson published several collections of his Calvin and Hobbes strips, including "It's a Magical World," "The Days Are Just Packed," and "The Revenge of the Baby-Sat." He has been recognized numerous times for excellence, including receiving two Reuben Awards for Cartoonist of the Year, consecutive Harvey Awards for Best Syndicated Comic Strip from 1990 to 1996, and two Eisner Awards for Best Comic Strip Collection. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- C'è qualcosa che sbava sotto il letto
- Original title
- Something under the Bed is drooling
- Original publication date
- 1988
- People/Characters
- Calvin [of Calvin and Hobbes]; Hobbes; Susie Derkins; Calvin's Mom; Calvin's Dad
- First words
- Don't turn out the light, Dad!
- Quotations
- That's the problem with nature. Something's always stinging you or oozing mucus on you. Let's go watch TV. (Calvin)
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)We spent all afternoon there, Calvin.
- Blurbers*
- «Um dos maiores méritos de Watterson é precisamente o dar-nos a ver o que só os miúdos veem, o permitir-nos “visualizar” o outro lado do universo infantil, o mundo em que eles estão absorvidos e que nós só entrevíamos através de gestos, ruídos, bonecos – sinais exteriores de uma vivência que para eles é tão real como a nossa.» João Paiva Boléo
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genre
- Graphic Novels & Comics
- DDC/MDS
- 741.5973 — Arts & recreation Drawing & decorative arts Drawing Comic books, graphic novels, fotonovelas, cartoons, caricatures, comic strips History, geographic treatment, biography North American United States (General)
- LCC
- PN6728 .C34 .W387 — Language and Literature Literature (General) Literature (General) Collections of general literature Comic books, strips, etc.
- BISAC
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- Reviews
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- 26
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- 1
- ASINs
- 9