Bill Watterson: The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

Hi everyone

This was my third time reading through the entire Calvin and Hobbes collection by Bill Watterson; all 1456 pages of it! Given its length and the fact that I’m not always in the mood for comics, it took me a few months to finish. This is such an amazing collection to own, and I got it as a gift from my husband quite a few years ago.

"Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger was first syndicated in 1985 and appeared in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. The entire body of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons published in a truly noteworthy tribute to this singular cartoon in The Complete Calvin and Hobbes. Composed of three hardcover, four-color volumes in a sturdy slipcase, this New York Times best-selling edition includes all Calvin and Hobbes cartoons that ever appeared in syndication. This is the treasure that all Calvin and Hobbes fans seek." 

I had so much fun reading this collection. There were moments I got tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. My 8-year-old daughter found it so hilarious that I was laughing so much that we went to the library to borrow one of Bill Watterson’s books in Dutch so she could try them out too. And the best part? She enjoyed them too! When an 8-year-old and a 37-year-old can enjoy the same thing, that speaks volumes. Of course, we both see and understand things differently, but that’s exactly what makes it so much fun to reread them.

Obviously, not every comic is amazing, hilarious, feelgood or philosophical. Some are rather boring or feel flat to me. But it’s still a great collection nonetheless, and I will definitely read it again.

Have you read Calvin and Hobbes? Did you love it as much as I did? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Happy reading!
Helena