Book Cover
Title Garfield at Large
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1993
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1980
Book Cover
Title Garfield Gains Weight
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Cover Art Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1993
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1981
Book Cover
Title Garfield Bigger than Life
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Cover Art Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1993
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1981
Book Cover
Title Garfield Weighs In
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1994
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1982
Book Cover
Title Garfield Takes the Cake
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1982
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1982
Book Cover
Title Garfield Eats His Heart Out
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1994
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1983
Book Cover
Title Garfield Sits Around the House
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - ?
First Printing Ballantine Books - ?
Book Cover
Title Garfield Tips the Scale
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1984
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1984
Book Cover
Title Garfield Loses His Feet
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Makes it Big
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1995
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1985
Book Cover
Title Garfield Rolls On
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1995
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1985
Book Cover
Title Garfield Out to Lunch
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1995
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1986
Book Cover
Title Garfield Food for Thought
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Swallows his Pride
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1987
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1987
Book Cover
Title Garfield Worldwide
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Rounds Out
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1988
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1988
Book Cover
Title Garfield Chews the Fat
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Goes to Waist
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Hangs Out
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1990
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1990
Book Cover
Title Garfield Takes up Space
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1990
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1990
Book Cover
Title Garfield Says a Mouthful
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1991
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1991
Book Cover
Title Garfield by the Pound
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1992
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1992
Book Cover
Title Garfield Keeps His Chins Up
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Takes his Licks
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1993
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1993
Book Cover
Title Garfield Hits the Big Time
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1993
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1993
Book Cover
Title Garfield Pulls His Weight
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1994
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1994
Book Cover
Title Garfield Dishes It Out
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Life in the Fat Lane
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Tons of Fun
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Bigger and Better
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1996
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1996
Book Cover
Title Garfield Hams It Up
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Thinks Big
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Throws His Weight Around
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Life to the Fullest
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Feeds the Kitty
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Hogs the Spotlight
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Beefs Up
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Gets Cookin'
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Eats Crow
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Survival of the Fattest
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Older and Wider
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Pigs Out
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Blots Out The Sun
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Goes Bananas
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Large & In Charge
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Spills the Beans
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Gets His Just Desserts
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Will Eat For Food
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Weighs His Options
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield Potbelly of Gold
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title Garfield in Disguise
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine Books - 1985
First Printing Ballantine Books - 1985
Book Cover
Title A Garfield Christmas
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher ---
First Printing ---
Book Cover
Title The 4th Garfield Treasury
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Ballantine - 1987
First Printing Ballantine - 1987
Book Cover
Title Garfield Discovers America
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Grosset & Dunlap - 1992
First Printing Grosset & Dunlap - 1992
Book Cover
Title Garfield's Ghost Stories
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Grosset & Dunlap - 1992
First Printing Grosset & Dunlap - 1992
Book Cover
Title Garfield en pique-nique
Author Jim Davis
Illustrated By Jim Davis
Publisher Les Presses D'or - 1991
First Printing --- 1988
Category Humour
Warnings None
Main Characters Garfield, Odie, Jon, Nermal, Lyman
Main Elements Anthropomorphic
Website Garfield and Friends Official Site




Click to read the summaryGarfield at Large / Garfield Gains Weight / Garfield Bigger than Life

Click to read the summaryGarfield Weighs In / Garfield Eats His Heart Out

Click to read the summaryGarfield takes the Cake

Click to read the summaryGarfield Sits Around the House

Click to read the summaryGarfield Tips the Scales

Click to read the summaryGarfield Makes it Big / Garfield Rolls On / Garfield Out to Lunch

Click to read the summaryGarfield Swallows His Pride

Click to read the summaryGarfield Rounds Out

Click to read the summaryGarfield Hangs Out

Click to read the summaryGarfield Takes Up Space

Click to read the summaryGarfield Says a Mouthful

Click to read the summaryGarfield by the Pound

Click to read the summaryGarfield Takes His Licks

Click to read the summaryGarfield Hits the Big Time

Click to read the summaryGarfield Pulls His Weight

Click to read the summaryGarfield Bigger and Better

Click to read the summaryGarfield in Disguise

Click to read the summaryA Garfield Christmas

Click to read the summaryThe 4th Garfield Treasury

Click to read the summaryGarfield Discovers America

Click to read the summaryGarfield's Ghost Stories

Click to read the summaryGarfield en pique-nique




You might be wondering why I'm reviewing Garfield in a site dedicated to fantasy. After all he exists in a normal, non-magical world. He doesn't meet up with any dragons or unicorns or elves, only dogs, mice and the occasional spider. But Garfield isn't your run-of-the-mill cat. He talks (well, thinks), he eats things no normal cat would consider, he devises complex traps for Jon and Odie, and is able to package Nermal and address the box to Abu Dhabi. Oh, and he goes trick-or-treating too!

While a few of the above collections are mine, the vast majority belong to my sister. She was the big Garfield fan. While I enjoy this comic strip in small doses, I found over the years there are only so many jokes you can make about a cat that eats and sleeps too much, and who likes to pound Odie into a pancake. Yes, he does all those things in different ways each time, but in the end, he's always pretty much doing the same thing.

Anyway, I was sick over the holidays and found it hard to read actual books, but the comic strips were perfect as they were quick, short, and I could stop whenever I liked and pick it up again later. In truth, while I was right in my original feeling, that the topic was repetitive, I found that reading them all at once made the differences more clear. You knew he would steal Jon's food, or beat up Odie, but it was the "how" that made it funny.

Plus the strip hadn't been in my newspaper for years and I found I kind of missed it. I know I was conflicted when they took it out of the paper, but I prefered they take that one than other more original strips.

But you know, it wouldn't be Halloween without watching the Garfield special. The same at Christmas time. And I miss that morning cartoon, Garfield and Friends, which has gone the way of many great 80's and 90's cartoons. Kids shows just aren't what they used to be.

The neat part of having this collection of books that spans several years is to see the drawing style change over time. The original Garfield looked really different than the one most people think of. And in the matter of 3-4 books, he morphed into the orange fat cat we have grown to love. One warning, the colour collection? It just brings together all the Sunday comics into one book and duplicates that which is in the other black & white editions which cover the entire week. At one point I felt like it was deja-vu until I figured out I really had read them before!

There are other non-comic strip based books too. Like the ghost one, or the one where Garfield explains the true history behind Christopher Columbus' discovery of America. Garfield comes in many languages, like the one french one we have.

And when checking if these books are still in print, they have been republished in full colour! Although there is something to be said for the classic black and white renditions that are reminiscent of when one first reads it in the paper.




Posted: February 2011

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