Domesticity Isn't Pretty (Leonard & Larry Collection)

Rating:
Summary: A great read for every gay man
Review: Leonard is a timeless comic strip that is as fresh today as when it was written. If you would like to see what we are really like and how similar we are to the straight couples in this great land of our BUY THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: See you in the funny pages
Review: This book is a must. Not just for gay men, but for members of your family. I have given so many copies of "Domesticity Isn't Pretty" to friends and family members that I have lost count. It deals with the reality of gay couples, with humor and a realistic touch, so lacking in many gay author's work. Besides, once you give them "Domesticity Isn't Pretty," you can bet they'll seek out Tim Barela's three other Leonard and Larry books, as well!

Leonard Goldman is an architect. Larry Evans runs a Leather Store on Santa Monica Boulevard. Together, they deal with marriage, divorce, children, childbirth of grandchildren, the fact that a son may be gay, and who stole the cookies. Well, maybe the cookies aren't the most typical dilemma in anyone's family, but these men feel real, like neighbors.

When Larry's son David makes a very public coming it at his local high school prom, it completely unsettles his fatherhood expectations. Given that Larry, a gay man, is as rattled by the discovery that his offspring is gay makes him just like the rest of us. He's not a Super Human, he's just an Every Dad. Larry must suddenly face a reality that he takes for granted in his everyday life, and it's revelatory to come from a gay book.

One of the other fun things about this volume is that you get to watch the evolution of Leonard and Larry from being side characters in Barela's other strips to the heroes of their own. The introduction by Andy Mangles chronicles Tim's early strips for biker magazines, and how Tim came to terms then eventually came out through his art. Reading about Barela's growth and self realization parallels the growths of Leonard and Larry, making the stories all the more essential and commonplace to gays and lesbians everywhere. Maybe "Domesticity Isn't Pretty," but it sure is realistic. Funny, too. Get this! Get two. Spread the Leonard and Larry world.

Rating:
Summary: Definitely not for the closed-minded
Review: This book is, arguably, the funniest thing I have ever read in my life. Seeing these "normal" gay guys (and girls, too) has helped me face my own homosexuality. This book can (and should) be enjoyed by mature, open-minded readers of any and all persuasions.

Rating:
Summary: Hysterically funny and touching as well!
Review: This book was one of the best I have read in a long time. Leonard and Larry are the more realistic couple I have seen in a comic in years. Their shenanigans are awesome and their relationship is truly touching as well. Nice to see two "normal" men with "normal" lives who are so much in love.