The Complete Peanuts 1975-1976 Book

This volume marks the half way point in this magnificent project by Fantagraphics Books and, after 25 years of working his strip, Schulz is still, if not at the very top of his game, near enough to the top. It's a very enjoyable anthology with fresh spins on old chestnuts (Charlie Brown's poor baseball team, Sally and Peppermint Patty's school woes, Lucy unrequited love for Schroeder, etc.), with new characters and twists (Snoopy and Linus compete for the affections of young lady nicknamed Truffles; the local public school talks'though only Sally can hear'and has a nervous breakdown, collapsing in a heap of rubble; Sally goes to obedience school on Snoopy's recommendation when public school fails her; Marcie has a boy who has a crush on her, though she thinks his endearments are all sarcasm).

Some samples: Sally responds to a school assignment, writing, "What Do We Learn from History? We don't learn anything from History." She pauses and continues to write, "I don't even learn anything from Math." Rerun rides on the back of his mother's bike, flying into traffic, he narrates: "Down the driveway. Into the street. Over Hill! Over Dale! Poor Dale." Linus returns Snoopy's manuscript. "Your novel starts too slowly. You need a more powerful beginning," he advises Snoopy. After pondering the advice, Snoopy types, "Call me Ishmael." (This is the only strip from this collection that I clearly remembered from reading it decades ago.) Linus asks Charlie Brown, "What would you say your philosophy is?" Charlie Brown replies, "The secret of happiness is having three things to look forward to and nothing to regret." He looks proudly at Linus, who is disappointed, "There's a difference between philosophy and a bumper sticker." And perhaps my favorite strip in the book: Charlie Brown to Snoopy: "I hear you're writing a book on theology. I hope you have a good title." Snoopy: "I have the perfect title. 'Has It Ever Occurred to You That You Might Be Wrong.'"