The Mysteries

I had no idea what to expect from this, but I love Calvin and Hobbes so bought it. This book is marketed as for adults, but it is written like a child’s book. It takes less than five minutes to read. At first I like it, then I didn’t. I have to mull over what he’s trying to say. Is it that people are grotesque and the cosmos exists whether they under it or not? Calvin and Hobbes will be Watterson’s legacy, not this ugly book.

Suspend your knowledge of Calvin & Hobbes. Approach this book without expectations based on your favorite cartoonist. To do so would be unfair. I almost think Watterson should have published this under a pseudonym so people would see it with fresh eyes and appreciate it for what it is—not what you (perhaps) hoped it would be. Personally I really enjoyed it. I read it several times and spent time with each illustration—I loved it. Did I want it to be longer, like a novel? Perhaps. But, as with C&H, Watterson has never needed that much length to say what he could through the right word choice and superb artwork. To those who said they could have churned this book out in an hour—don't embarrass yourselves. Quantity doesn't equal quality. If you want C&H, go buy the 3-volume treasury. It's definitely worth it. My only hope is that we don't have to wait 25 years for his next offering...