Pearls Before Swine : BLTs Taste So Darn Good
by Stephan Pastis

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Book Reviews of Pearls Before Swine : BLTs Taste So Darn Good

Book Review: Stabilizing influence in troubled times.
Summary: 5 Stars

One surefire antidote to the complexities of modern life can be found in the first collection of comic strip "Pearls Before Swine," an Internet pleasure brought on by Stephan Pastis.

Up-to-date strips can be read online, but it's great to have "BLTs Taste So Darn Good" on hand when you need a laugh and the university network connection is down or, better yet, when nature is calling.

Pastis' story is interesting - he's a lawyer who simply decided to hop into cartooning, found a supportive United Media editor who backed the strip, and then rocketed to glory when he got endorsements from two of the comic world's best and brightest shining stars, Scott Adams ("Dilbert") and Darby Conley ("Get Fuzzy").
"Swine" has grabbed attention from critics who have deemed it a throwback to dearly departed "Calvin and Hobbes."

The golden classic and the newbie certainly share the same amount of heart.

Pastis gives us characters who voice the things we wish we could say as we muddle through our days.

Rat is a self-center schemer who just wants to strike it rich by doing as little work as possible. His plans for doing so include creating his own comic strip, which bears a striking resemblance to "Dilbert" (after perusing a "Dilbert" desk calendar, Rat informs his pals that he has about 365 new ideas for his "Bildert"), hosting his own television show and interviewing local celebrities like the waitress at the Waffle Barn and his garbageman and just basically insulting Pig.

Pig is naïve to the point of stupidity, which makes him the perfect foil for Rat's schemes, and also excellent comic fodder. He makes friends with a reflection of himself in a small pond ("You remind me of my other friend, Mr. Quiet Medicine Cabinet Guy"), plays hopscotch on chalk body outlines and ... simply exists, trying to muddle through.

My absolute favorite "Pearls Before Swine":

Rat to Pig: "If you could have a conversation with one person, living or dead, who would it be?"

Pig: "The living one." (Pause.) "You must think I'm really stupid."

Hee-larious.

Pig and Rat are the big names, but they are joined by socially conscious Zebra, who is trying to get the herd back home to stop getting eaten by alligators, and Goat, who is the voice of reason in the strip. Goat doesn't show up all that often.

Overall, it's a quiet, little strip that is capable of eliciting big, loud guffaws.

Summary of Pearls Before Swine : BLTs Taste So Darn Good

Comic Strips Books

• Subjects > Comics & Graphic Novels > Comic Strips
• Humor & Entertainment > Humor