And Then I Read: THE COMPLETE PEANUTS 1989-90

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The twentieth volume in this series finds Charles Schulz’s lines a little shakier, but his sense of comic timing unimpaired. I think I laughed more at this volume than I have at the last few. There’s just one new character, a girlfriend Charlie Brown meets at camp who decides to call him “Brownie Charles,” which is, I think, rather an improvement. Of course Charlie Brown muddles things up with her as usual. Mostly we have familiar characters and situations being mined for new humor in a way that can only be called remarkable.

Any of these volumes will delight you. There’s no real continuity, so you can start anywhere and have a fine time. The characters are deceptively simple to understand, with hidden depths that continue to surprise. If you want to read something that will make you happy, it’s hard to beat PEANUTS.

Highly recommended.