The Complete Peanuts: 1959-1960 Dailies & Sundays

Two more years of the "Peanuts" series and things continue to improve, from what was already a dynamite beginning. Everyone here is firmly in their element, with Linus, Schroeder, Lucy, Pig-pen, Violet, Patty and good ol' Charlie Brown all beautifully characterised. Snoopy, who has been through a variety of characterisations thus far, has settled down and begun to show signs of the (dare I say overexposed) character he would become. And with the introduction of Charlie's newborn sister Sally, it feels like another piece of the puzzle has been slotted into place.

Beautifully drawn, often wonderfully mature. There are of course some strips that are dated, or just don't bounce off the page, and every now and then you can tell when Schulz show more was having an 'off week' and decided to string out a joke over several pages. Yet those are rare, and most of the strips still have me chortling - both in the visceral manner I did as a child, and with an added layer of intellect. It's surprising how deep some of these panels are, and oddly, I'm sure that some of them will resonate even further with me when I re-read this book 25 years from now.

But, of course, who in 1959 could have predicted these would be collected in 25 such beautiful volumes? I probably won't start on volume 6 til next year, but I consider it a true privilege to have access to the complete Schulz canon, and the "Peanuts" collection will be a cherished part of my bookshelf for, I hope, the rest of my life. show less

The "Peanuts" collection for 1959 and 1960 reaches new levels of inventiveness, charm and humor. This is the point at which I remember first reading and loving it as a kid. It still holds up, and even more, because I now appreciate the genius of many of these strips. There is excellent slapstick, gentle humor, and philosophical quandaries - sometimes in the same strip. Schulz's artwork is hitting new levels too, especially in facial expressions. Look for it. Charlie Brown's sister Sally is born, soon developing her long-standing crush on Linus. And the book contains one of my all-time favorites, where, after hearing of Linus' dream to be a world-famous doctor, Lucy tells him he could never be a doctor, because he doesn't love mankind... show more Linus defensively says, "I love mankind. It's people I can't stand!" show less

This is the 5th installment in the Peanuts series. I enjoyed reading it, as I always do. I kind of sped through this volume. My favorite thing about these books are the seasonal aspects. I love the fact that every Valentine's, Christmas, Beethoven's birthday and Halloween you will see a themed strip. I also like seeing the characters evolve. This book features the debut of Sally Brown.

It's with this volume that I started collecting the Complete Peanuts from Fantagraphics. This marks the point where Charles Schulz really hits his stride. By the start of the 1960s, Peanuts started gaining in popularity. Many memorable strips and story arcs are introduced in the 1959-1960 volume such as the arrival of Sally Brown, Charlie Brown's little sister; the debut of both the Great Pumpkin and Lucy's psychiatry booth; Miss Othmar; and much more.

The characters are clearly defined by now. Charlie Brown is the designated loser and scapegoat here, but you always sympathize with him. Lucy does nothing but tease Charlie Brown - though Patty (not Peppermint Patty) and Violet also join in. Snoopy's vibrant and lively personality is here show more as is Linus in the role of best friend and Schroeder as the dedicated piano player.

The 1960s and 1970s are considered the Golden Age of the Peanuts comic strip; this entry is a good place to start. show less

Its funny how, even though I'm not a sports fan, I really love the baseball strips. And most strips with Snoopy. He and Lucy really click for me.

The Peanuts anthologies are an excellent look back at our childhood through the eyes of Charlie Brown and gang. 1959-1960 brings us the birth of Charlie Brown's sister , the great pumpkin, and of course Snoopy.

Still rating for what it is, my own personal puppy-kicking tastes be damned. Still, I don't think I'll be seeking out any more volumes.