Rating: 
Summary: Well worth the price - The Complete Far Side!
Review: Attention all Far Side fans! It may have been nearly nine years since Gary Larson hung up his famous pen and eraser, however you can continue to get your "fix" of the Far Side for a very long time to come with this outstanding collection.I was impressed that the publisher of this volume has taken the time to put together a nearly comprehensive collection of every Far Side cartoon ever published (well over 4,000 in total). The cartoons are printed on very finely milled paper, the books are beautifully bound, and they are even placed inside a very nicely done slipcase. Not only will you enjoy reading these classic cartoons, they will look terrific on your bookshelf! Just be warned, they are very heavy - each volume has to weigh 20 pounds a piece. You cannot afford to pass this collection up - do not let the price scare you away - you will not be disappointed! Happy reading!
Rating:
Summary: They do hurt
Review: Djhexane is entirely right, this bookset also fell on my foot at work. Trust me you do not want to drop this thing, probably go right through your floor, it ways about 60 pounds it is really heavy. But thats a good thing, you see it being really heavy means there is alot of quality that comes with it extremely heavy quantity. I would probably buy this for my dad, if it wasn't so expensive. I know my dad loves the far side, but 135 bucks he would probably get mad at me for spending so much rather than thank me for the entire collection.
Rating:
Summary: They hurt....REALLY hurt
Review: 6 of them fell on me at work. It hurt a lot. And I was mad. I would give it 1 star for that, but I could not bring myself to it. The Farside is classic and you will love it. Just don't hurt yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Two of the world's greatest word-jewellers.
Review: Gary Larson and Steve Martin in one volume? Get it, whatever the price. Both authors polish their words until they shine; until they sound so familiar that they ease into your ear, yet literally contain such astonishing content that you can't contain your laughter. Larson, I think, is more a wordsmith than a cartoonist. How many of his cartoons are just literal depictions of a verbal pun? And how many quite funny cartoons become gems though their perfect captions? ("Latte, Jed?", or the incomparable "She's lookin' good, Vern..." stick in my memory) Larson uses the rhythms and patterns of normal speech to lull us into a false sense of security, then subverts our interpretation of of the sentence with a surprising image. A true master of uniting the verbal and the visual. Why did he choose the world of natural science so often for his subject matter? Maybe nature is plastic, fluid, and playful (as he shows in his visuals) whereas the way we use language nowadays, sadly, is not. Shrug off your sticker shock (didn't Larson do a cartoon about that phrase once?) and get it.
Rating:
Summary: The Far Side: Greatest Comic of all time
Review: I have not yet read all of The Complete Far Side. I have been a Far Side fan since I can remember. I have to say that The Far Side is the one and only greatest comic ever. Gary Larson has amazing powers of comedy. He can make the cheesiest joke hilarious just by putting it out on his comic. I am yet to read a far side I have not found funny. The closest to The Far Side humor would have to be Mr. Boffo. There are other great comic strips such as Dilbert or Calvin and Hobbes, but they both have bad strips. Whereas The Far Side has continued to amaze me. Congratulations Gary Larson on a wonderful career. Come back to us and create more.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Collectors Piece
Review: I couldn't believe it when my Far Side Collection arrived in the mail. It was so heavy I needed help getting it up to my apartment. Opening it was like unwrapping something sacred. What beautiful books. I'm savoring every page. I just wish it was lighter, it's impossible to read in bed or on the loo, LOL. One other wee complaint - although the paper quality is wonderful and thick, the smell of it is very acrid and I find I can't read it for more than 30 minutes without getting a blocked up nose and headache. I'd say nevertheless this discomfort is worth it...I just hope there isn't some long term effect. The books however are precious and well worth the $...!
Rating:
Summary: You do not already own all Far Side cartoons in other books
Review: Mr. Riley (of the 1-star review) has an uninformed opinion of Gary Larson's two book set. There are over 1,000 panels that appear in THE COMPLETE FAR SIDE that have never been published before in a book. Also, Larson contributes 14 essays on subjects from monsters under the bed to his babysitter Gladys Wetch who subjected the Larson boys to Nightmare Theater. There are irate letters to the editor and mail from confused readers. If you haven't seen THE COMPLETE FAR SIDE, you might think Mr. Riley has a point. Once you've seen it (or read reviews from the people who have actually purchased the set), you will know he doesn't.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Compilation for the Ultimate Far Side Fans
Review: I have purchased the two volume set. And I find it to be a great addition especially since I have all the cartoons in one (or two) places instead of 10 or 11 places. I find the book to be of excellent quality and the art on the slipcase cover is typical Gary Larson. I would recommend this 2 book set to any true Far Side Fan. Unlike Mr M.T.R. (who gave it one star), I can say I did buy the books and I love them!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Gee, you mean I get to buy the same cartoons once again!?
Review: How many times must we be asked to buy the same cartoons yet again? There's nothing new here other than the wrapper and the sticker price. This continued re-selling of the same thing, over and over again, is so funny IT should be the subject of Larson's next cartoon (if he ever draws another one - and why would he when suckers keep on buying the same cartoons?) The cartoon would probably involve a doofy looking Larson character going into a bookstore through a revolving door again and again. Piles of the same book growing on the sidewalk outside the bookstore. A thought bubble over the head of the buyer..."I must be suffering from repetitive buying syndrome."
I give Larson the credit he deserves while he was on the playing field. He was great. It ended in 1995, as did Watterson's reign. I don't even blame Larson for selling the same cartoons over and over. I blame the syndicate for not being creative enough to replace him.
The best thing I can say about this book is that perhaps it will finally be the LAST of the SAME THING OVER AND OVER...but that presumes too much creativity at the syndicate's end. In the long run getting a replacement for Larson would prove THE most financially successful move they could make. THIS COW HAS BEEN MILKED!
Rating:
Summary: Great side of the Far Side
Review: This is a definate must for any cartoon connesuer's collection. Weighing in at God knows how many pounds, this huge 2 book collection is well worth the price. It includes every single Far Side cartoon ever published, even some not in previous collections. Far Side is one of my all time favorite cartoons, and is right up there with Dilbert and Calvin and Hobbes when it comes to all time greatest cartoons. An excellent collection, and worth the back strain.
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