What do you think?
Rate this book
Garfield #5
Garfield Takes the Cake
Garfield is a fast-talking, late-sleeping, cynical, lovable cat. He hassles Odie, Jon, and Nermal and enchants kids of all ages. Riding the crest of four big best-sellers, he's back--better, fatter, and funnier than ever before!
96 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1982
90 people are currently reading
759 people want to read
About the author
Jim Davis
2,357 books635 followersJames Robert "Jim" Davis is an American cartoonist who created the popular comic strip Garfield. Other comics that he has worked on are Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat, Slapstick, and a strip about Mr. Potato Head.
Jim Davis was born in Fairmount, Indiana, near Marion, where he grew up on a small farm with his father James William Davis, mother Anna Catherine (Carter) Davis, brother Dave, and 25 cats. Davis' childhood on a farm parallels the life of his cartoon character Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, who was also raised on a farm with his parents and a brother, Doc Boy. Jon, too, is a cartoonist, and also celebrates his birthday on July 28. Davis attended Ball State University. While attending Ball State, he became a member of the Theta Xi fraternity. He earned the dubious honor of earning one of the lowest cumulative grade point averages in the history of the university, an honor incidentally shared with Late Show host David Letterman.
Davis as of 2007 resides in Muncie, Indiana, where he and his staff produce Garfield under his company, Paws, Inc., begun in 1981. He was married to Carolyn, a singer and elementary teacher whom he met while both were attending college, and has a son named James with her. However, the couple divorced, and Davis since 2000 has been married to Jill, Paws' senior vice president of licensing, who has worked there approximately 25 years.
Ironically, Davis did not own cats when he started Garfield because of Carolyn's allergies, but they owned a Labrador retriever named Molly. With Jill, the family has expanded to include children Ashley and Chris; three grandchildren, Chloe, Carly and Cody; cats, Spunky and Nermal; and a dog, Pooky.
Jim Davis was born in Fairmount, Indiana, near Marion, where he grew up on a small farm with his father James William Davis, mother Anna Catherine (Carter) Davis, brother Dave, and 25 cats. Davis' childhood on a farm parallels the life of his cartoon character Garfield's owner, Jon Arbuckle, who was also raised on a farm with his parents and a brother, Doc Boy. Jon, too, is a cartoonist, and also celebrates his birthday on July 28. Davis attended Ball State University. While attending Ball State, he became a member of the Theta Xi fraternity. He earned the dubious honor of earning one of the lowest cumulative grade point averages in the history of the university, an honor incidentally shared with Late Show host David Letterman.
Davis as of 2007 resides in Muncie, Indiana, where he and his staff produce Garfield under his company, Paws, Inc., begun in 1981. He was married to Carolyn, a singer and elementary teacher whom he met while both were attending college, and has a son named James with her. However, the couple divorced, and Davis since 2000 has been married to Jill, Paws' senior vice president of licensing, who has worked there approximately 25 years.
Ironically, Davis did not own cats when he started Garfield because of Carolyn's allergies, but they owned a Labrador retriever named Molly. With Jill, the family has expanded to include children Ashley and Chris; three grandchildren, Chloe, Carly and Cody; cats, Spunky and Nermal; and a dog, Pooky.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
January 2, 2025
This collection of strips contains the introduction of Arlene, the hilarious sequence where Garfield gets hijacked by a duck and ends up in the pound, and an appearance by the Tubby Tabby's grandfather, who tells the story of the fat cat's birth. Many of these strips made me smile, and things were cleaner this time around; the only thing that bothered me was a flippant reference to smoking. These comics are much different than what's been in the papers in recent years, so, if you want to see the early days of the Tubby Tabby, this is worth checking out.
October 7, 2010
3.5 stars. Book 5 in Garfield's continuing quest to find the perfect pan of lasagna (without having to work too hard to get it). Along the way, he torments Odie, Nermal Jim and the rest of gang in classic Garfield fashion.
April 3, 2019
Through the end of 1980 and the first half of '81, Garfield underwent a few changes. Lyman moved further into the background, a nonspeaking character who shows up rarely in Garfield Takes the Cake. He'd been on his way out since early in Garfield's run, so his relegation isn't surprising, but a few other developments from November 3, 1980 through June 7, 1981—the time span covered in this book—are unexpected and exciting. What mischief would Garfield and friends get into now?
Garfield's grandpa, a scraggly gray cat with black markings, is introduced November 10 (page seven). He might be more sarcastic and cynical than Garfield. November 17 (page ten) is a good punchline referencing Garfield's girth even at an early age. December 1 (page sixteen) is a somewhat philosophical strip, Garfield musing on the difference between boredom and security. December 2 proceeds in a similar vein. December 10 (page nineteen) Garfield rails against Jon Arbuckle's latest threat to have him declawed, but even Garfield has to admit Jon makes a compelling case. December 17 (page twenty-two) is the historic first sighting of Arlene, a pink, gap-toothed cat who would remain Garfield's love interest for many years. December 22 (page twenty-five) is a classic gag, Garfield attempting to evade censure for gobbling Jon's supper. You'd be surprised what that cat can do when motivated. January 4 (page thirty) is an amusing example of what can happen if your behavior changes abruptly. Are people not more comfortable with the same old, same old? January 9 (page thirty-two) Garfield fights a nap attack he feels coming on, with hilarious results. This is one of my favorite strips of the book.
Dragged through the air by a large duck in flight, Garfield delivers a few quips before falling to earth. Then the city pound nabs him, prolonging a story that lasts for weeks as Garfield meets a skinny cat named Guido and a big, dumb one named Fluffy in lockup. Can the three of them bust out and make it home? A week of jokes about Garfield's weight ensues, followed by a week of Garfield and Jon dieting. February 18 (page forty-nine) is a humorous glimpse of how Garfield "seasons" his veggies. Jon tries to train Garfield to catch mice using a windup mouse, but he isn't interested in food that runs away. March 17 (page sixty-one) starts an arc where Jon takes Garfield to Liz the vet. It's obvious, though, that Jon is more interested in Liz than his cat's healthcare. March 18, Liz memorably rebuffs Jon's flirtation. At the end of March Jon drives out to stay at his parents' farm with Garfield, always a fun week. Arlene returns in April for some snide banter, and on April 18 (page seventy-four) Garfield history is made: he stands up on his back paws. The change isn't permanent, but it's coming. Garfield perches on an alley fence to tell a week's worth of corny jokes, and April 30 (page eighty) he stalks prey for food that...might not be able to stalk back. On May 8 (page eighty-three), Jon's attempt to restrict Garfield to canned cat food ends badly, in arguably the funniest strip of the book. Garfield revisits the idea of walking on his back paws for the May 17 (page eighty-seven) Sunday comic, then Jon and Garfield go on an extended camping trip. Just the car ride there lasts more than a week, and after camping there's another four days in the car. Nermal pops by for a visit, charming everyone as early summer approaches.
There's nothing earth-shattering in Garfield's early days, and Jim Davis never deviated far from that. The comic is pure fun with an occasional nugget of thought, much less frequent than in Charles Schulz's Peanuts. But Garfield's fans owe years of fun to that curmudgeonly cat, and I look forward to more of his misadventures in the next book. I'll spend a day with Garfield and the gang anytime.
Garfield's grandpa, a scraggly gray cat with black markings, is introduced November 10 (page seven). He might be more sarcastic and cynical than Garfield. November 17 (page ten) is a good punchline referencing Garfield's girth even at an early age. December 1 (page sixteen) is a somewhat philosophical strip, Garfield musing on the difference between boredom and security. December 2 proceeds in a similar vein. December 10 (page nineteen) Garfield rails against Jon Arbuckle's latest threat to have him declawed, but even Garfield has to admit Jon makes a compelling case. December 17 (page twenty-two) is the historic first sighting of Arlene, a pink, gap-toothed cat who would remain Garfield's love interest for many years. December 22 (page twenty-five) is a classic gag, Garfield attempting to evade censure for gobbling Jon's supper. You'd be surprised what that cat can do when motivated. January 4 (page thirty) is an amusing example of what can happen if your behavior changes abruptly. Are people not more comfortable with the same old, same old? January 9 (page thirty-two) Garfield fights a nap attack he feels coming on, with hilarious results. This is one of my favorite strips of the book.
Dragged through the air by a large duck in flight, Garfield delivers a few quips before falling to earth. Then the city pound nabs him, prolonging a story that lasts for weeks as Garfield meets a skinny cat named Guido and a big, dumb one named Fluffy in lockup. Can the three of them bust out and make it home? A week of jokes about Garfield's weight ensues, followed by a week of Garfield and Jon dieting. February 18 (page forty-nine) is a humorous glimpse of how Garfield "seasons" his veggies. Jon tries to train Garfield to catch mice using a windup mouse, but he isn't interested in food that runs away. March 17 (page sixty-one) starts an arc where Jon takes Garfield to Liz the vet. It's obvious, though, that Jon is more interested in Liz than his cat's healthcare. March 18, Liz memorably rebuffs Jon's flirtation. At the end of March Jon drives out to stay at his parents' farm with Garfield, always a fun week. Arlene returns in April for some snide banter, and on April 18 (page seventy-four) Garfield history is made: he stands up on his back paws. The change isn't permanent, but it's coming. Garfield perches on an alley fence to tell a week's worth of corny jokes, and April 30 (page eighty) he stalks prey for food that...might not be able to stalk back. On May 8 (page eighty-three), Jon's attempt to restrict Garfield to canned cat food ends badly, in arguably the funniest strip of the book. Garfield revisits the idea of walking on his back paws for the May 17 (page eighty-seven) Sunday comic, then Jon and Garfield go on an extended camping trip. Just the car ride there lasts more than a week, and after camping there's another four days in the car. Nermal pops by for a visit, charming everyone as early summer approaches.
There's nothing earth-shattering in Garfield's early days, and Jim Davis never deviated far from that. The comic is pure fun with an occasional nugget of thought, much less frequent than in Charles Schulz's Peanuts. But Garfield's fans owe years of fun to that curmudgeonly cat, and I look forward to more of his misadventures in the next book. I'll spend a day with Garfield and the gang anytime.
December 25, 2017
Lies!!! There is NO cake.
Garfield has a mean grandpa.
Garfield and Odie dissolve into laughter.
Garfield tries dating but attracts the wrong species.
Not as funny as I expected...
Sleep solves all.
Nap attack.
I'm feeling drowsy now...
The good ones :
Cat gets hijacked
Garfield provides
Movie critic
Loving Pooky
The meh ones :
Garfield tries dieting
Heart attacks
The philosophical ones :
The mouse is a parent, the mouse goes to church, respecting fellow creatures,
Planting chickens...
Pooky is a one cat teddy bear.
Not bad, not good, not funny.
Garfield has a mean grandpa.
Garfield and Odie dissolve into laughter.
Garfield tries dating but attracts the wrong species.
Not as funny as I expected...
Sleep solves all.
Nap attack.
I'm feeling drowsy now...
The good ones :
Cat gets hijacked
Garfield provides
Movie critic
Loving Pooky
The meh ones :
Garfield tries dieting
Heart attacks
The philosophical ones :
The mouse is a parent, the mouse goes to church, respecting fellow creatures,
Planting chickens...
Pooky is a one cat teddy bear.
Not bad, not good, not funny.
June 1, 2023
I love garfield sm
May 24, 2024
Read this in honor of the new Garfield movie releasing in America today. Yeah, this was really fun.
May 21, 2018
I don't ever remember laughing at Garfield. Reading it was like re-watching an episode of a sitcom you've already seen ten times and know all the plot threads and punchlines. There's a bland comfort to it and, for a stretch in early Middle School, bland comfort was preferable to none.
I consumed all the Garfield books in the Middle School library, idly wondering when something new would happen to shake up the Groundhog Day-esque loop in which they lived their lives, for a character to maybe grow or change. As the library's stock dwindled, so to did my desire to wade through any more of Garfield's doldrums.
In some ways the world of Garfield seems to represent some primal desire to keep everything safe by maintaining the conformity of each new day to the mold fixed by the last, but such a life seems more like death by whimper.
I consumed all the Garfield books in the Middle School library, idly wondering when something new would happen to shake up the Groundhog Day-esque loop in which they lived their lives, for a character to maybe grow or change. As the library's stock dwindled, so to did my desire to wade through any more of Garfield's doldrums.
In some ways the world of Garfield seems to represent some primal desire to keep everything safe by maintaining the conformity of each new day to the mold fixed by the last, but such a life seems more like death by whimper.
December 4, 2025
Takes the cake and deserves it. Truly slept on.
September 18, 2013
What i thought about this book is that it was funny and its a great book for people who like comedy this book is also a variety of funny bits there are many bits that are hilarious and its so funny because Garfield is always having problems with eating everything he sees. this book is a type of book that makes you laugh like for example eating tips dont eat anything on fire !!!!!!this book is static I liked this book I think if you read it you will find out if he fixes his disorder of eating.
July 16, 2019
Now I know where Garfield's birth story came from! What great fun it is to read the original books!!
June 5, 2020
five shining stars. that cat could hit me with a truck and i'd thank him
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2024
Love him! By MeemsAngel82
My absolute favorite comic strip in book format!! I had gotten this when I was a child, in fact this is my first Garfield owned comic strip aside from the ones that came in the papers. Why didn't I clip them all I have no clue but I absolutely adore this cat! Jim Davis has created such a lovable, lazy, lasanga-lover! He is a strong-willed cat with a lazy body but with a tummy that takes command. Everything about this comic appealed to me!
This is one of several comic strip collections that Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, has created.
Oh my sarcastic fat cat, how I adore you! I'll always be biased because this is my very first collection. My version is a hardback and is easy to flip through. I have several other comic collections, though not enough! I need to finish collecting my Garfield one however. The book is put together well. The illustrations are so good and the dialogue is funny! The ease of reading this was wonderful and so are these characters! I loved not only him but his supporting cast. Seeing him with Odie is great but I do rather it when he's being kind to him! He's a funny character and one that isn't the normal cheery type, that in itself lending to his charm. Whether it be his owner or friends and family, he always takes center stage just by being. A real pleasure to read. This was a fantastic book and I do have to collect more!
My absolute favorite comic strip in book format!! I had gotten this when I was a child, in fact this is my first Garfield owned comic strip aside from the ones that came in the papers. Why didn't I clip them all I have no clue but I absolutely adore this cat! Jim Davis has created such a lovable, lazy, lasanga-lover! He is a strong-willed cat with a lazy body but with a tummy that takes command. Everything about this comic appealed to me!
This is one of several comic strip collections that Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, has created.
Oh my sarcastic fat cat, how I adore you! I'll always be biased because this is my very first collection. My version is a hardback and is easy to flip through. I have several other comic collections, though not enough! I need to finish collecting my Garfield one however. The book is put together well. The illustrations are so good and the dialogue is funny! The ease of reading this was wonderful and so are these characters! I loved not only him but his supporting cast. Seeing him with Odie is great but I do rather it when he's being kind to him! He's a funny character and one that isn't the normal cheery type, that in itself lending to his charm. Whether it be his owner or friends and family, he always takes center stage just by being. A real pleasure to read. This was a fantastic book and I do have to collect more!
April 28, 2023
Now 50, I started reading Garfield as a young boy around 1980 and years ago I collected many of the books, which I now decided to re-read and I am so glad I did! Some of the strips are dated, but a nostalgic kind of dated that is nice, and it's amazing how the simple humor of strips written 40 years ago still bring a smile. In this volume, Garfield now appears much as he does today, many years later. There is a hilarious set of strips where Garfield interacts with his "Grandpa" a hilarious crooked back creature even more sarcastic than Garfield who sadly doesn't appear again. There's also a great storyline where Garfield finds himself in the city pound and breaks out. Any fan of the strip will delight in reading Garfield Takes the Cake!
February 4, 2022
Bueno, los Garfields, uno de los compañeros de nuestra infancia (y adolescencia y parte de la vida adulta). Recuerdo haberme encontrado el primero en casa de un amigo y habérmelo devorado de una sentada, con 5-6 años, sin entender varios de los chistes pero disfrutando mucho de los más obvios. Esta sensación de saber que siempre iba a encontrar unos cuantos graciosos la tuve durante las dos décadas posteriores en las que Garfield iba apareciendo periódicamente en mi vida. No es una obra culmen de la literatura, pero nos ha alegrado muchos momentos.
June 14, 2025
Great after all the decades
We meet Garfield's grandpa For the 1st time And he's a hoot as a friend of mine would say. We meet Arlene for the.first time in this book and the hilarity begins. Putting the 2 of them together is like watching comic relief relief. Honestly, I had forgotten how they met and it was a this reminder, John is 30 in this book. Garfield practices along in had hind legs and john is in trouble. Get ready to laugh out loud.
We meet Garfield's grandpa For the 1st time And he's a hoot as a friend of mine would say. We meet Arlene for the.first time in this book and the hilarity begins. Putting the 2 of them together is like watching comic relief relief. Honestly, I had forgotten how they met and it was a this reminder, John is 30 in this book. Garfield practices along in had hind legs and john is in trouble. Get ready to laugh out loud.
September 12, 2017
Now entering a relative of Garfield's, some potential female companions, and more dieting. Garfield is spunky in this installment. Still in a never ending contest to eat as much food as possible. Jon attempts to get Garfield to stand up to his mousing duties but that doesn't happen. Another book of joy. Love Garfield!
September 14, 2021
This book is a great book its full of fun jokes and Jon not getting a date with Liz. In my opinion these are the classics, with lots of fun jokes. I like the long term stories that go over many strips. Overall Good book!
June 29, 2022
I forgot how much I enjoyed these original black and whites. Highlights in this volume are Garfield meeting Arlene, escaping the city pound, spending time with Grandpa, going camping, and many more. Quick and enjoyable as always.
November 21, 2017
Great comic
December 5, 2017
One of my favorites. It has great humor and it's clever. I think children will enjoy this very much because who doesn't love Garfield?
January 9, 2018
A very funny Garfield book, and as the cover says, captivating!
February 11, 2019
I'm reading the Garfield books with my eight-year-old son. He loves this fat cat as much as I did when I was young!
April 19, 2019
Is a decent book, but not all that funny, and only takes around 30 to 40 minutes to read. I would read it if you have some spare time and need a good chuckle to brighten your day.
April 22, 2019
It's a funny book but it's got the same comics and they just put them over and over again.
June 9, 2019
I think Garfield is really funny!
September 3, 2019
hits a great book
October 18, 2019
I love and
will never stop
loving Garfeild's
"charm" and
Jon's pitafulness.
will never stop
loving Garfeild's
"charm" and
Jon's pitafulness.
Read
April 22, 2020IT IS SO GOOD
September 24, 2020
Ok outdated though😕
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews