Pushing 40

For Better or For Worse #8

by Lynn Johnston

Cartoons follow the daily trials and tribulations of the Patterson family as they confront a family wedding, the beginning of school, Christmas and the New Year, and changing relationships with friends and relatives.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Graphic Novels, Comedy, Comic Strips, Cartoon

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Lynn Johnston CM OM is a Canadian cartoonist, well known for her comic strip For Better or For Worse, and was the first female cartoonist to win the Reuben Award.

Reviews

[Glen]

A good collection of the For Better or For Worse comic strip during it's prime, before it went off the rails.

True to life, family humor.

[Michael P.]

Johnston's work is revolutionary, as I read it. She has a created a fusion of the gag a (most) day(s) strip and something basically new in comics, family drama. No, not soap opera with its kidnappings, spies, and other melodramatic plots, but true drama without the melo. FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE is consistently for the better.

[liliana •_•]

I am blown away by the illustrations. Very funny book.

[James]

entertaining as always!

[Bmw800]

Meta.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams]

I love the little snippets of life that Lynn Johnston does.

[Scott]

It took her a while to get there but by this point in the strip’s run Johnston is consistently interesting and the humor is usually genuinely funny. Way to go, Lynn.

[Mike Aragona]

By total coincidence, this 1988 collection comes in as the 40th review of the scheduled 100! :) After reading about Lynn Johnston's recent announcement concerning her retirement, I realized I only owned a handful of her collections. Thus, when I came across this one at a used book sale, I decided to pick it up. Her strips have always been about life and its challenges and here we come upon John's mini mid-life crisis as he trades in his family car for a convertible, as well as Michael getting into those pre-teen years and the changes he undergoes. Obviously, this collection is for fans. But, the strips are timeless in the sense that most anyone can relate to them on various levels (especially as parents!). Not exactly full-out laugh-out-loud moments, but plenty of giggles to go with the constant smiles.

[Dolly]

interesting quote:

"I've exercised and dieted and I am what I am. This is me. This is what I look like - and if you don't like the way I look...well, that's tough! We can't be what we're not! Our shapes are as individual as our fingerprints! - It's the me inside that counts! I just wish I could have had this attitude when I was fourteen and really needed it!" (p. 108)

"'I can't stand throwing food away! If there's food left in the pot, I eat it. If the kids don't finish, I eat it - I cannot waste a thing!!'
'So feed it to the dog!'
'Are you crazy? You want him to get fat?!!'" (p. 123)

[The other John]

In this For Better or For Worse collection, Uncle Phil gets married, Mrs. Baird has a romance, John has a mid-life crisis and the whole community shovels out from under the biggest snowstorm the strip has ever seen. All written with humor and affection. Check it out.

[Heather]

Maybe.... Just maybe I am so enjoying these all over again is because I can relate more and more. Love them

Round #3 loved it as much this time as the first .. especially since I'm creeping up there to the bit 40

[Donna]

I always enjoy these For Better or For Worse collections. In this one, John buys a two person sports car as a mid-life crisis and Elly gets the kitchen renovated.

[Mireille Duval]

Man, I read this one a lot as a kid. It's a good one! I love the snowstorm story, and everything with Mrs Baird was very sweet.

[Child960801]

In this one, Uncle Phil gets married, with all of the drama that surrounds a wedding. There is a giant snow storm. John buys a fancy sports car.