Reality Check : A For Better or For Worse Collection

Rating:
Summary: you're on the ball again, Lynn!!
Review: Despite a brief period of being considered a cutting-edge cartoonist (with the infamous "Laurence is gay" story line), at heart Lynn Johnston likes things neat, tidy and relatively conservative. "Reality Check," the latest "For Better Or For Worse" collection, continues that tradition.

The main focus of the book is the gestation and arrival of the first member of the next generation of Pattersons, Michael and Deanna's daughter Meredith. Anyone with any semblance of intelligence will immediately roll their eyes when reading the initial strips where Deanna informs Michael that she's pregnant, claiming that "I wanted to change medications and wait for the first one to leave my system, and ... it just happened." It's bad enough that this kind of "oops" is seemingly acceptable, but considering that Johnston has Deanna's profession as a PHARMACIST who (one would think) knows how birth control pills should work makes it that much more unbelievable. Johnston has often stated that her strips reflect either what is going on in her life or what she wants to happen--the arrival of April is a prime example of the latter--and apparently she has a screaming case of grandbaby rabies. Of course, after a token protest or two Michael and Deanna fall in love with parenthood, and everyone is delighted despite the fact the couple is portrayed as having major financial problems. But in Johnston's world, everything always works out for the best, because a baby always fixes everything, right?

As for the Patterson daughters, idealistic Elizabeth gets her heart stomped on by her latest boyfriend--Johnston has the pair living together but ostensibly sleeping in separate bedrooms--while bratty April becomes more obnoxious and spends all her strips whining (at least that's somewhat realistic of today's kids). There is a neat little plot with Grandpa Jim's unexpected marriage, but Johnston still spends a few too many strips dealing with various Patterson animals, including the protracted death of April's rabbit, at the expense of John and Elly. Johnston isn't always sugary, but sometimes she misses great opportunities to be real and goes for the schmaltz. "Reality Check" is best suited for those who followed Deanna's pregnancy and Meredith's birth with baited breath (not to mention those who--yes, it's true--sent congratulatory e-mails to these fictional characters).

Rating:
Summary: Keeping it real--well, sort of, anyway
Review: Despite a brief period of being considered a cutting-edge cartoonist (with the infamous "Laurence is gay" story line), at heart Lynn Johnston likes things neat, tidy and relatively conservative. "Reality Check," the latest "For Better Or For Worse" collection, continues that tradition.

The main focus of the book is the gestation and arrival of the first member of the next generation of Pattersons, Michael and Deanna's daughter Meredith. Anyone with any semblance of intelligence will immediately roll their eyes when reading the initial strips where Deanna informs Michael that she's pregnant, claiming that "I wanted to change medications and wait for the first one to leave my system, and ... it just happened." It's bad enough that this kind of "oops" is seemingly acceptable, but considering that Johnston has Deanna's profession as a PHARMACIST who (one would think) knows how birth control pills should work makes it that much more unbelievable. Johnston has often stated that her strips reflect either what is going on in her life or what she wants to happen--the arrival of April is a prime example of the latter--and apparently she has a screaming case of grandbaby rabies. Of course, after a token protest or two Michael and Deanna fall in love with parenthood, and everyone is delighted despite the fact the couple is portrayed as having major financial problems. But in Johnston's world, everything always works out for the best, because a baby always fixes everything, right?

As for the Patterson daughters, idealistic Elizabeth gets her heart stomped on by her latest boyfriend--Johnston has the pair living together but ostensibly sleeping in separate bedrooms--while bratty April becomes more obnoxious and spends all her strips whining (at least that's somewhat realistic of today's kids). There is a neat little plot with Grandpa Jim's unexpected marriage, but Johnston still spends a few too many strips dealing with various Patterson animals, including the protracted death of April's rabbit, at the expense of John and Elly. Johnston isn't always sugary, but sometimes she misses great opportunities to be real and goes for the schmaltz. "Reality Check" is best suited for those who followed Deanna's pregnancy and Meredith's birth with baited breath (not to mention those who--yes, it's true--sent congratulatory e-mails to these fictional characters).

Rating:
Summary: Great, as usual
Review: I always like seeing a new book by Lynn Johnston. Her comic strips find the humor in everyday things, and I think most of us can relate to at least one of her characters. Her latest book is funny, extremely well-drawn, and continues the adventures of the Pattersons and their friends and relatives. Buy it for the fun and insights that it offers.

Rating:
Summary: another great book
Review: In alot of ways I was enviuos of these characters. It took me 4 months to find a OB who would take state medicade for my first pregnancy. They have national health care ensuring them prenatal care once the strip is positive. But Johnston outdoes herself showing us the chaos pregnancy can create in a marrriage, especially one as new as micheal and deannas.

Rating:
Summary: A little reality check for those sugary fairy tales!
Review: It's the soap opera of today's funnies! Unlike most of the cartoon characters on those pages, the family is doomed to age and change just like us lowly human mortals.

The funny little boy, Michael is now all grown-up and has a wifey of his own. Together, they have produced a preciousy-woo little cherub who has inherited collagen-puffy lips from her mommie. And it also looks like she would one day grow up to be a spoiled little princess who's the center of attention now that April is getting too old for it. Instead, she's now a teensybopper who's getting ready to arrogantly flaunt her perfect nails and midriff in the public and already, she's regarding her loving, doting elders as deadly enemies. As usual, big sister Elizabeth is still an innocent do-gooder who got duped by a two-timing boyfriend so handsome and dashing he should've been on the cover of a romance novel. And - the innocent little dame gets swept off her feet by ANOTHER boyfriend handsome and dashing enough to be on the cover of a romance novel. Grandpa may have lost his wife, but he now has a new squeeze to replace her memory. But at least she's as old as fossil. And both Elly and Connie are obviously on the way, though they think they're still pubescent young girls.

Oh, and I almost forgot...the pet bunny croaked and a busybody landlady nearly cooked it up in her famous rabbit stew.

Rating:
Summary: Reality Check!
Review: Micheal is sent to Vietnam in this Sixties throwback. It is how the reality check comes to mind while he is walking through rice paddies and the jungles of Vietnam. Some of Micheals pals do a Zippo party on some of the village huts and Micheal refuses to join along. He is then accused of being a Commie by his fellow troops and gets beat up terribly. After a week in the hospital, Micheal is sent back to his unit, but it isn't easy for him. In one seen we see Micheal having to pull twenty four hour guard duty, near the the end of the duty Micheal starts to hallucinate and think of home and of how home was so constricting to him. His sister Elizabeth was always so into her lesbian lover. The mother was also the reason Micheal went to 'Nam to begin with, she was always way to controling. She would dress him everyday, tell him what to date (male or female). She was also telling him about her own problems of being an upper middle class housewife and the pressures involved with that. This is a book in the throwback years Johnston is experimenting with.

Rating:
Summary: Starchy!
Review: Once again the lives of our favorite family are in a zany crazy world. I actually like the usual formula for the BofW series. It looks like Johnston is trying to branch out in other areas with this book. April has joined the Marines and has fallen for her female Drill Instructor. This would be no big deal if for not the fact that the pair has become militant in their protesting. One of the rallies that they attended was nothing more than the pro stance that N.A.M.B.L.A. should recieve government funding. A risky move for any writer. Another subject explored is the infidelity of both spouses. "A little outside lovin' never hurt a relationship", proclaims the Doctor to one of his closest friends. We also see the pair go to a few swinger clubs, which would be ok in another format but not for my daily comics. I want to see the old style of Johnston to return.

Rating:
Summary: A let down from the previous book..
Review: This book picks up where "With This Ring" finishes. I was actually disappointed with this book after reading the first one. There was no introduction, and the book goes from Michael and Deanna adjusting as newlyweds, only to 1 strip after Baby Meridith is born. I thought that this book would be more towards the baby's birth, but it wasn't. I enjoyed it however, more so for the other storylines in the book.

Rating:
Summary: A let down from the previous book..
Review: This book picks up where "With This Ring" finishes. I was actually disappointed with this book after reading the first one. There was no introduction, and the book goes from Michael and Deanna adjusting as newlyweds, only to 1 strip after Baby Meridith is born. I thought that this book would be more towards the baby's birth, but it wasn't. I enjoyed it however, more so for the other storylines in the book.

Rating:
Summary: you're on the ball again, Lynn!!
Review: This, like all the FBorFW books, is fine comfortable family viewing. It is such a shame that everyone who reads it can't see the simple beauty of having a family (though 'fictional')like the Pattersons who really care for each other, their friends and their pets. Some of the other "reviews" I have read of this book seem extremely bitter and anxious to put down those of us who enjoy simple comics and stories of families where no one is on drugs or in prison for a hate crime or murder. If you want "gruesome", go watch TV and leave our Lynn Johnston alone!