Review by Booklist Review
Issued as part of the New Yorker0 's eightieth anniversary celebration, this greatly oversize, undeniably heavy, but amazingly low-priced volume collects, in two formats, the cartoons that have appeared in the pages of that magazine over the course of its distinguished publishing history. Home to outstanding prose and poetry, the New Yorker 0 has also enjoyed an outstanding reputation for its weekly showcasing of socially and politically satiric and, yes, cerebral--but also downright hilarious--cartoons from some of the most popular, cutting-edge, and stiletto-sharp cartoonists of the day. The book itself gathers 2,500 of the most representative cartoons for display, but two accompanying CDs contain all the cartoons (68,647, to be exact) ever published in the magazine. Arrangement is by chapter, with each covering a decade of the New Yorker0 's existence. Chapters are introduced by noted New Yorker0 writers, including John Updike, Roger Angell, and Lillian Ross. A testament--a tribute--to the great magazine but also an absolutely special way to spend quality time. --Brad Hooper Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
What could be better than a gigantic 656-page collection of 2,004 (get it?) of the best cartoons published in the New Yorker over the last 80 years? Perhaps a double CD set with all 68,647 cartoons ever published in the magazine-complete with a nifty search function that allows readers to search for cartoons by year of publication or by cartoonist's name. This improbably large offering is a bonanza of wry Manhattan-centric comic commentary on urban life and much else in American culture over the years. There's Peter Arno's 1948 ink-and-wash cartoon of a mildly concerned matron, book in hand, asking her newspaper-reading husband, "Is there a Mrs. Kinsey?" Or Peter Steiner's now famous cartoon drawing of two dogs chatting in front of a computer. "On the Internet," says one canine to the other, "nobody knows you're a dog." The book offers an introduction by New Yorker editor David Remnick and short essays introducing each decade-which readers may want to read after perusing the cartoons first-by such New Yorker luminaries as Roger Angell, Lillian Ross and John Updike. This is an absolutely fabulous collection of sophisticated silliness that will soon take its rightful place on coffee tables all over the country. (Oct. 5) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Thematic compilations of New Yorker cartoons have been published before, but this hefty, oversized hardcover-comprising over 2000 black-and-white cartoons selected by New Yorker cartoon editor Mankoff-will serve as a definitive collection (for now). In addition to the cartoons, which are organized by decade, the book boasts commentary by the likes of Roger Angell, Lillian Ross, John Updike, Calvin Trillin, and Ian Frazier, as well as brief, thematic essays (e.g., cars, the Internet) and biographies of significant artists such as James Thurber, Charles Addams, and Roz Chast. It is also equipped with two discs that include all 68,647 cartoons published in the magazine from 1925 through February 2004. Although the resolution is adequate for viewing on computer screens and casual printing in small sizes only, the keyword searching has its limitations. For example, the term Mother Goose produces only two hits, while The New Yorker's own Mother Goose compilation has dozens more. Of course, creating a thorough subject index for such a multitude of cartoons is a daunting task. As Nancy Franklin notes, "They're easy to pin up, and impossible to pin down." Even though this work offers hours of entertainment, it may have a slightly limited if enthusiastic audience. Still, it is highly recommended for any library that has New Yorker readers, serves schools offering courses in cartooning and popular culture, or would find a collection of the first 80 years of New Yorker cartoons of interest from an archival viewpoint.-Ann Carlson, Oak Park and River Forest H.S., IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
