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heathercottledillon's review against another edition
4.0
These are some ridiculous comic strips, and I loved them. Beaton tackles a variety of topics in history and literature with laugh-out-loud humor that often gets brawdy but never fails to amuse. I actually learned quite a bit, and by learning it through a hilarious comic strip I’m likely to remember it better. I really like Beaton’s illustrations as well as her text—sometimes the drawings cracked up me up as much as the words. Overall, a very entertaining collection—I’ll certainly be watching for more of Beaton’s work in the future.
kyra_c_c's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know enough history (especially Canadian history) to get all the jokes HOWEVER, I still loved all the ones I did understand. I especially like the comics where the author has taken a cover of a book and extrapolated the plot. Kate Beaton can do so much with just 3 panels! I would recommend this to people who like laughing.
mandalor3960's review against another edition
3.0
This collection of comic strips of Hark! A Vagrant are amusing and can fill a reader's time up by bringing a humorous tone to the rather dull and serious atmosphere of literature and history.
Rating Update 26 May 2019
There were of course comics that were four star rated comics, but the majority were good for giggles or I didn't understand them (three stars and two stars).
Update 5 July 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. The original rating and original review conform to the new rating system. While the rating update from May 26, 2019, is true when it states that I did not understand some comics, I recall vividly finishing the book and relishing in its humor, a characteristic that I apply to four star rated books.
September 25, 2019
Rating Update
I have lowered the rating of this book from four stars to three stars. After having skimmed through the book, I can recall not understanding many of the references and even if I did not understand some of the references, they did give me a laugh but not to the extent of four stars. There are of course four star-rated comics from the references I did know and enjoy, such as the Sherlock Holmes comics and some generic medieval comics, but they are not enough in content to maintain a four star-rating for the book.
January 20, 2020
Update
Even if I do not trust my skimming of the book in the rating update from September 25, 2019, on grounds that this does not count as an initial reaction after having first read the book, the original review's diction and tone does not sound like a four star-rating, instead closer to a three star-rating.
March 8, 2020
Update
Having skimmed the book, I now understand that it does not reach the original rating of four stars because of the bland, two star-rated comics I have found, and there is a large amount of them. The comics that I did enjoy reach a four star-rating, especially since one of my oldest memories of this book was of being ecstatic of the humor after completing the book, though it seems to have originally been a broad generalization for all the comics in the book.
I have had the rating colored green because of my agreeance with the three star-rating though now I wonder if the rating should be lowered. My new theory is a sixth of the book contains four star-rated comics, a sixth contains three star-rated comics, and four-sixths is two star-rated. This novel reaches exactly a 2.5 star-rating with these fractioned ratings. I lean towards a three star-rating, partly because of my original feeling of being ecstatic and because of the surplus of great (four star-rated) and good (three star-rated) comics that I believe together amount to at least two-sixths of the book. Because of this new theory, I have changed the color to yellow because of the uncertainty I still feel in accurately representing my original feelings and the possibility that the book should receive a two star-rating.
There were of course comics that were four star rated comics, but the majority were good for giggles or I didn't understand them (three stars and two stars).
Update 5 July 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. The original rating and original review conform to the new rating system. While the rating update from May 26, 2019, is true when it states that I did not understand some comics, I recall vividly finishing the book and relishing in its humor, a characteristic that I apply to four star rated books.
September 25, 2019
Rating Update
I have lowered the rating of this book from four stars to three stars. After having skimmed through the book, I can recall not understanding many of the references and even if I did not understand some of the references, they did give me a laugh but not to the extent of four stars. There are of course four star-rated comics from the references I did know and enjoy, such as the Sherlock Holmes comics and some generic medieval comics, but they are not enough in content to maintain a four star-rating for the book.
January 20, 2020
Update
Even if I do not trust my skimming of the book in the rating update from September 25, 2019, on grounds that this does not count as an initial reaction after having first read the book, the original review's diction and tone does not sound like a four star-rating, instead closer to a three star-rating.
March 8, 2020
Update
Having skimmed the book, I now understand that it does not reach the original rating of four stars because of the bland, two star-rated comics I have found, and there is a large amount of them. The comics that I did enjoy reach a four star-rating, especially since one of my oldest memories of this book was of being ecstatic of the humor after completing the book, though it seems to have originally been a broad generalization for all the comics in the book.
I have had the rating colored green because of my agreeance with the three star-rating though now I wonder if the rating should be lowered. My new theory is a sixth of the book contains four star-rated comics, a sixth contains three star-rated comics, and four-sixths is two star-rated. This novel reaches exactly a 2.5 star-rating with these fractioned ratings. I lean towards a three star-rating, partly because of my original feeling of being ecstatic and because of the surplus of great (four star-rated) and good (three star-rated) comics that I believe together amount to at least two-sixths of the book. Because of this new theory, I have changed the color to yellow because of the uncertainty I still feel in accurately representing my original feelings and the possibility that the book should receive a two star-rating.
limeykiss's review against another edition
5.0
Hilarious! A great read if you love history, jokes, butts and classic fiction.
a2lulu's review against another edition
4.0
Kate Beaton is a master of drawing hilarious facial expressions and gestures. One of the few artist who can repeatedly make me burst out laughing.
deanna_rigney's review against another edition
4.0
Nerd comic awesomeness with references to literature & history throughout...guy watch with the Bronte sisters or read Jules Verne's fan letter to Poe. Hilarity ensues.
sushizhan's review against another edition
4.0
If you're into history and into comics or just want a nice cute funny read.. this is the way to go.