This little gem was turned in at our branch the other week. At first my co-worker and I thought it was a guide to "short" classics, works that were maybe no more than 100-200 pages long. But once we started paging through it, we realized that it wasn't a guide at all! Instead, this is a very, very funny look at the classics.
Lange has taken 90 titles and done 4-frame cartoons summing up each book. But wait - it gets better! The first frame of most every cartoon is the title of the book, so he's really telling you everything you need to know in a mere 3 frames. Brilliant! Works include "Ulysses", "A Confederacy of Dunces", "American Psycho", "The Lord of the Rings", and "Watchmen". Some work, some don't, much as any other collection. (We loved the one of The Bible).
This is definitely recommended by myself to all readers out there who have read a lot. I think this book works for me because, as an English major, I'm already familiar with many of the works depicted here, either having read them myself or just general knowledge. I can see where someone who isn't well-read might not enjoy the jokes here, but I think they could still appreciate it. Having said that... this is not a book that will help anyone looking for reviews or synopses of other works! I add this only because one customer review on Amazon showed that the reviewer completely missed the point of the book. I believe my blog readers are smarter and will get the jokes, but fair warning, right? Hope you laugh as much as I did!
Lange has taken 90 titles and done 4-frame cartoons summing up each book. But wait - it gets better! The first frame of most every cartoon is the title of the book, so he's really telling you everything you need to know in a mere 3 frames. Brilliant! Works include "Ulysses", "A Confederacy of Dunces", "American Psycho", "The Lord of the Rings", and "Watchmen". Some work, some don't, much as any other collection. (We loved the one of The Bible).
This is definitely recommended by myself to all readers out there who have read a lot. I think this book works for me because, as an English major, I'm already familiar with many of the works depicted here, either having read them myself or just general knowledge. I can see where someone who isn't well-read might not enjoy the jokes here, but I think they could still appreciate it. Having said that... this is not a book that will help anyone looking for reviews or synopses of other works! I add this only because one customer review on Amazon showed that the reviewer completely missed the point of the book. I believe my blog readers are smarter and will get the jokes, but fair warning, right? Hope you laugh as much as I did!
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