"Thanks-Calvin and Hobbes Collection" | 2008-01-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2EYM4QAEHHQBS |
The book arrived quickly, was reasonably priced, and was in great shape. My son loves Calvin and Hobbes! He really enjoyed it and I enjoyed not worrying about finding the right gift. It was the exact book described in the ad so I was sure he didn't have that one and the condition was excellent.
Thank you very much |
| |
"Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink': A Calvin and Hobbs Collection" | 2007-01-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A354APTOUGKM7R |
| Very funny. My son is finally reading. He is enjoying himself while learning new vocabulary. |
| |
"Wickedly funny comic strip" | 2006-11-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3DXVAI08P00HD |
Calvin and Hobbes is one of my favourite cartoon series, and it is one of the few which can be equally enjoyed by adults and children alike.
Bill Watterson has a M.A. in Political Science, which suggests the reason for the names of the main characters. Calvin is of course named after John Calvin, the Reformed theologian who advocated Predestination, and Thomas Hobbes, the English Political Philosopher Thomas Hobbes who argued for 'The War of all against All' in his social contract theory.
Calvin is a somewhat dysfunctional six year old who is a constant headache to his parents, babysitters, teachers, and classmates. Calvin seems to embody several classic types of rebellious children in one character. Addicted to TV, hating girls, engaging in games which destroy the family home and engaging in wonderful fantasies make many of the high points of the series, which are darkly funny and often have a deeper satirical message about our world to the adult reader. To the younger reader, they no doubt will be delighted when Calvin makes his own time machine, goes back to the dinosaur age or becomes 'Spaceman Spiff' who fights evil aliens, or the 'Get Rid of Slimy Girls' Club Calvin forms with Hobbes.
This is a delightful comic to own and enjoy, for adults and children alike. |
| |
"Hysterical and bittersweet" | 2006-04-25 |
| - Reviewed By wwwmarklaflammecom |
When you get right down to it, is there anything better than Calvin & Hobbes? In this compilation or any of the others, you get lessons in quantum physics, nostalgic looks at the agony of grade school, observations in human nature, and a bit of the "thing under the bed" style horror. All this and you'll laugh yourself to the point of wetting your pants. The Calvin & Hobbes strips are hysterical. But beyond that, they are poignant and often bittersweet, reminding us of the children we once were and of the rich fantasies that come with childhood. Behold Calvin, utterly impish and wise-beyond-his years. His snowmen displays, at times morbid at times downright surreal, could fill a collection of its own. Calvin fancies himself the smartest boy in the world. And who can argue with him, other than his long-suffering parents and his faithful friend Hobbes, a tiger who may or may not be real. Hobbes is the pentultimate friend. He is Calvin's confidante and his patient ear, but he is also the first to pounce on the boy or to challenge his sordid views of the world. Together, the pair ponder the meaning of life, question the adult world, or sneak off to explore the fascinating landscapes of childhood found under dead logs or under rocks. If I were banished to a small island with only scant supplies to get me through my days, this book would be among the items in my trunk. I have had this collection for ten years or more and I've gone through it a dozen times. I'll go through it a dozen more before it's battered to the point of unreadable. Watterson is an absolute genius. But as you fall into the world of Calvin & Hobbes, you'll forget that they were created by a mere man at all. |
| |
"Calvin and Hobbes-the Dynamic Duo" | 2006-04-05 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Probably one of my favorite Calvin and Hobbes stories is about Calvin's Duplicator/Transmorgrifier/Transmorgrifier Ray. The kid's imagination is completely limitless. And, Mr. Watterson, if you're reading this review, you should make a story where Calvin has his birthday party. Five stars to ALL Calvin and Hobbes books!!! |
| |
"Calvin and Hobbes Experience the Topography of Life" | 2005-11-15 |
| - Reviewed By ktuckera |
This wonderful collection of cartoons has provided me many hours of enjoyment. As all fans of Calvin and his companion tiger Hobbes know, Bill Watterson's imagination has created a comic strip whose characters wonderfully capture flights of fantasy that help many of us vividly recall some of our most memorable childhood experiences. Calvin (in his many roles), Hobbes - the wonderful embodiment of every child's most loyal companion , Susie Derkins - the little girl next store who is constantly appalled by Calvin's weirdness,, Moe the bully, and Rosalyn the constantly embattled babysitter all manage to come to life in episodes that are sure to bring smiles to the faces of everyone who get to know them.
This is fantasy at its best, at times simply lighthearted everyday experiences observed from Watterson's unique perspective and at other times cartoons being used as the conduit for wonderful philosophical observations. I found equally priceless both Hobbes leering smile as he responds to Calvin's question "I wonder why man was put on earth. What's our purpose? Why are we here?" with the simple answer "Tiger Food" and Calvin's sudden frightening bout with cubism when his ability to see both sides in a debate fractured his perspective and led him to see everything from all angles. In fact, the title of my review is adapted from one of my other favorite episodes in the book.
Calvin's love of life and Hobbes love of Calvin are contagious; I found myself cheering them on and not wanting the book to end. (Luckily there are many other collections of this comic strip which was sadly terminated after only ten years.) I continually smile, chuckle and on occasion laugh out loud whenever I pick up this book, which I often do in my spare moment. And if you're with someone else when you're reading these, your progress will be slowed but your enjoyment increased by your desire to share the delight which you experience. A wonderful book for kids of all ages (I'm only 63) and most adults will enjoy it as well.
Tucker Andersen
|
| |
"Vocabulary lessons in disguise #2" | 2005-08-03 |
| - Reviewed By rimrockjackson5 |
Our boys love the C&H cartoons. They are expanding their vocabularies without even knowing it! I refrain from telling them this though because they usually shy away from "educational" books. They are ages 9, 8, and 6.
|
| |
"Problem child now, creative genius later" | 2005-01-23 |
| - Reviewed By 71603522 |
Calvin is an extremely imaginative child and with his stuffed tiger Hobbes, engages in a series of adventures that are amusing, but also contain a serious purpose. Due to his short attention span and vivid imagination, Calvin does poorly in school and creates serious problems for his parents. Which is a description of the childhood of many people who went on to have very successful careers in a creative field. When I was young, I played a game called pretend, where for hours, I would imagine myself living various roles. Almost every night, from the time my mother finished dishes and vacated the kitchen until it was time to go to bed, I let my imagination run wild. It was a very fun time, as there were no limits on what I could do. In their biographies, many creative people refer to the vivid imaginations they had as children and how it led to problems in school. This collection of cartoons from the Calvin and Hobbes collection will amuse everyone. However, for those whose imaginations get in the way of their daily lives, they will have a special meaning. A problem child now, quite likely a successful artist, writer, entertainer or cartoonist in the future.
|
| |
"Raving Lunatic -- a review by Xander, age 9" | 2004-10-15 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3UN6WX5RRO2AG |
Calvin is sort of insane - he thinks his stuffed tiger is a real tiger, and he takes pictures of plastic dinosaurs and thinks they're real too. Hobbes is his stuffed tiger, who is smarter than Calvin, and likes snacks. Together they do crazy stuff, such as when they take saws and cut snowmen's heads apart, or terrorize a girl named Suzie by sledding into her.
Very funny and peculiarly interesting for people who like sci-fi, realistic fiction, and humor. When I was in second grade I ran around screaming, "I'm a raving lunatic" for no reason whatsoever, and in third grade I spun around on my hands and knees just because I thought it was fun. To other people that might seem crazy too. It seems to me that to Calvin all the stuff he does doesn't seem crazy to him, but to everyone else it does. I think it's a really good book. |
| |
"Calvin the Scientist?" | 2004-07-18 |
| - Reviewed By dr_strange |
| There is one thing about any Calvin and Hobbes book, they are always funny. They are funnier if you have children. This edition has several classic sequences. In one series Calvin duplicates himself, and mayhem ensues, all blamed, of course, on the duplicates. Naturally Calvin has a unique way of getting out of trouble. Calvin also has a rather entertaining time with his babysitter, who seems forever doomed to being outwitted by Calvin, even if she always wins in the end (and Calvin's parents always lose as they have to bribe her to come back). Of course there are always the ever-interesting Spaceman Spiff strips, usually involving either Calvin's teacher or his mother. Calvin also appears in a number of strips as a carnivorous dinosaur, the Calvinosaurus. As with any Calvin and Hobbes book, there are the inevitable interactions with Hobbes that extend from fighting and arguing to tender solitary moments. Because Calvin and Hobbes is a unique series it is difficult to compare to other series or books. All the books I have are all generally of equal quality in terms of the stories. I have a slight preference for the treasury books with their color strips, but Calvin and Hobbes are funny in color or black and white. If you need a good laugh, you'll likely find it here. |
| |