Garfield Swallows His Pride

Garfield #14

by Jim Davis

Here's Garfield at his most appealing. Debonair, wise beyond his years--and funny! When you crave sarcasm, rapier wit, pithy comments, and lots of belly laughs, Garfield's the one who has it all! So take a look inside at the latest collection of vignettes from the life of the most lovable cat around.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Cats, Comic Strips, Animals

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 12, 1987

About the author

James 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.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume number fourteen of the Tubby Tabby's strips features Garfield getting lost and joining the circus, getting caught in a window blind with Jon and Odie, and accompanying his owner during a golf game. As usual, there's plenty of hilarity and craziness. I can't wait to read the next one, though; if memory serves me correctly, it contains one of my favorite sequences, which I won't reveal in this review.

[Jim Kuenzli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic. Lots of good Odie stuff in this one. Also, a sequence with Jon, Garfield, Odie, and a few others caught in the rolling blind is hilarious. Davis really delivers.

[Bridget Neace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legit read this just to satisfy a prompt for a reading challenge, haha! However, I remember reading Garfield comics when I was younger and it was a nice trip down memory lane. :)

[Remo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bueno, qué decir de 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. Hoy en día, en casa, a los ojos entrecerrados con mezcla de desprecio y aburrimiento los seguimos llamando ojos de Garfield:

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.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The classic Garfield gets stuck in the window shade, and then Jon gets stuck, and then Odie gets stuck, and then a random guy and an older lady. I really enjoy the longer stories. Also Irma adds some quirky humor.

[Robert Bussie · Rating 5 out of 5]

All my Garfield reviews are the same. You either get the wonderful humor or you don't. As for me, I grew up reading the hilarious antics of Garfield, Jon, and Odie and years later I still find it funny. It is like a comfortable old friend making me laugh when I need it.

[Nighteye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trevlig :)

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun collection of Garfield comics, featuring a lot of classic Garfield gags. Always love reading these!

[Quincy Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are so funny. I like Garfield because he is fat, eats a lot, and is funny!

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Garfield Fun!!

It just keeps getting better and better to see these old Garfield books! This one has quite a long story arc.

[Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garfield is the best!!!!

[Momma-Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little treat to end the challenge!

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Garfield is always a good read.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Garfield Swallows His Pride is a book full of Garfield doing what he does best . . . misbehaving. This feisty, fat cat goes on his first really long adventure in the last storyline in the book. I found that I thoroughly enjoyed the really long storyline that involved a mean little girl, being clowns in the circus, and being held captive in a pet store. I hope that there will be more of these long storylines in the future, or should I say the past, since this book came out over twenty years ago. But, hey, they are new to me since I never got around to reading them in the 1980's.

I find that I keep hoping that Odie will have thought bubbles just like Garfield. Come on, Jim Davis, that would be hilarious. The artwork is good and I enjoy it when the artist adds a background. This seems to be happening more and more as the comic strip evolves.

Overall, Garfield Swallows His Pride is another great collections of comic strips featuring America's favorite fat cat Garfield. I cannot wait to read the next book. Oops . . . I already am. I wonder what kind of trouble Garfield will get himself into next time? It should be quite entertaining.

[Duane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another true classic in the Garfield collection. To me, once you've read one Garfield book, you've pretty much read them all because the themes and jokes seem to be the same. I do know that children love this series and so because of that, I think it's worth a look at by parents. It helps children learn to read and understand the world of books.

[Wesley Heuschkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated the book Garfield Swallows his Pride a 5 star rating because he's a funny origonal comic. The theme is trials because it explains the battle of cats V.S. dogs. The author explains this by the way Garfield pranks his other pet. The book relates to one thing all people, laziness. For example he was asked to get the paper when he stormed out of the house because all he does is work.

[The Badger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was addicted to these as a kid. I drove my parents insane following them around demanding, "Read this one!" I'm sure that my Dad regretted owning a bookstore. As an adult, I foster cats, and every foster kitten has a picture taken in a box labeled "to: Abu Dhabi." None of my two personal cats are obese, but one is especially adept at tossing chihuahuas off furniture using only one paw...

[Ianc Ehs · Rating 2 out of 5]

these comics were not funny, they just bored me. they have copy pasted artwork and characters that fail to impress me. the main jokes in this are garfields sarcasm, and i wouldn't mind that if it was FUNNY! overall, i did not like this book, nor any of the books in this franchise.

[Roy Kim]

how wimpy michael choi is

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garfield is just fun, no life lessons, just a good (clean) commic for older children.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garfield is always a fun, easy comic where you can leave your brain at the door but enjoy plenty of snickering at the felines' bizarre and selfish antics. A cute book that's fun to look through.

[Iggy Igwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garfield is afraid of monsters.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garfield is fun. I do believe this is the first volume I ever owned. I read this one quite a bit as a kid. It is still great!

[Dale Rosso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous read, good bathroom material and great for kids.

[Satrina T · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the Garfield books I own, this is one of my favorite covers.

[Rupansh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just wish that the pets could be that "witty & smart" in real..!!

[Kirsten]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13640131

[Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found at a garage sale. I read ALL of these when I was little, I adore Garfield.

[Benjamin Plume · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic blinds gag is enough to make this one worthy.

[Britney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Garfield as adorable and lovable and funny as ever. If you love this fat cat, then check this out.