What do you think?
Rate this book
The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family #1
The Simpsons : A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family
Presents a guide to the popular television series, featuring character portraits, episode summaries, show highlights, and inside jokes
249 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 1995
40 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 8, 2021
I would religiously watched The Simpson’s every weeknight at 6pm on BBC 2, whilst recording each episode that I hadn’t seen.
This guide was perfect as at the very front it listed all the episodes from each series.
So with the TV Guide to hand I’d check to see if the episode already had a tick next to it. I pretty much got every episode on VHS!
The rest of the book included plenty of trivia on each individual episode.
I use to rewatch this show on numerous occasions and with all the various information covered in this book I was constantly learning something new each time.
This guide was perfect as at the very front it listed all the episodes from each series.
So with the TV Guide to hand I’d check to see if the episode already had a tick next to it. I pretty much got every episode on VHS!
The rest of the book included plenty of trivia on each individual episode.
I use to rewatch this show on numerous occasions and with all the various information covered in this book I was constantly learning something new each time.
October 20, 2007
This book lets me experience the joy of one of my favorite shows of all time whenever I want or need a good laugh. It also serves as a valuable resource when I just *have* to know the exact words to a favorite quote. A downside is that, although it was pretty up-to-date when I bought it, there have been lots and lots of episodes since this book was published. Truthfully, I rarely get to watch the show anymore, so I personally wouldn't notice the difference. Still, the shows I have seen have provided quotes that add humor and insight to almost every situation in life.
June 11, 2008
because i am a Simpson;s fan when i saw this book i coul not resist the temptation of picking it up and reading it. this book basically talks about the series and the different episodes with added facts and stuff about the scenes and what the writers were thinking and aiming for. this book is like the way to get all the hidden scenes and learn about the deeper meanings of each episode.
January 31, 2008
Who knew that when this family first showed up on "The Tracey Ullman Show" that they would get their own show and that that show would become one of the longest running shows ever? If you're a fan of the program, you'll enjoy discovering the hidden jokes and other highlights from episodes past.
June 1, 2017
Before the Internet was as big as it is now and before you could have them all on DVD or on demand, this was essential reading.
March 3, 2008
I'm a complete and utter dork when it comes to Matt Groening. I'm just shameless... what can I say.
June 3, 2008
Not really one you read, but a catalog of every episode: so great!!
January 12, 2019
Man I had all these books as a kid and forgot all about them. I'd know all the trivia from each episode. Wish I Didn't get rid of them in my teenage years.
June 8, 2022
Durante muchos años este era mi libro de consulta al que más accedía. La mejor guía que jamás han creado sobre ninguna serie televisiva, llena de curiosidades, momentazos y frases. Una maravilla.
Want to read
February 27, 2009I Want to read This Book
June 19, 2025
After months, I finally rewatched (and read about) the first 8 seasons of The Simpsons. I got this as a gift years ago (Thanks Emily!), and it’s such a fun coffee table book.
Your Wife Doesn’t Understand You (Like I Do) by Lurleen Lumpkin
Your Wife Doesn’t Understand You (Like I Do) by Lurleen Lumpkin
November 13, 2013
I've had this book since it came out, but I think this must be the first time I've actually sat down and read the entire thing. I almost wish I hadn't, because it is a fairly flawed book. Sure, it is what it purports to be: an episode guide to popular prime-time cartoon The Simpsons, up to the point of its publication (it covers all the Tracey Ullman shorts, and seasons 1-8). If it had stopped with just the synopses, writers, directors, and profiles of key characters (even including the laborious 'Couch Gags,' 'Krusty Merchandise' and 'Itchy & Scratchy Shorts' pages), this colourful and attractively-made tome would have been fine. However, they tried to go further and it proves the books weakness.
Perhaps, if the editors had stuck to the bare facts, this fairly dry book would have been utterly humourless. And perhaps realising this, they added 'Show Highlights' to each episode, which are basically just snatches of dialogue from the appropriate episode, and 'Stuff You May Have Missed,' which is a noticably spare selection of freeze-frame gags and other things that may have gone by too quickly for the casual viewer. As it turns out, they could have cut back the number of quotes and concentrated more on actual freeze-frame-reliant gags (there isn't a single mention of the long, high-speed lists that were used at least twice up to this point) or even given more attention to the countless pop-culture/media references in the series (there are highlighted 'Movie Moments,' but just as many are wrong or missed as are there at all). There are a handful of other errors that can be blamed on poor editing and/or weak research.
The greatest reason for having this book (at least for an animation idiot like me) is for the (incomplete but still informative) listing of the regular voice-cast and which voices are theirs; this is the biggest bit of information the book has to offer which can't really be gotten from the show itself.
So, for the hardcore Simpsons geek (like yours truly), this is a nice-looking book but doesn't really offer much beyond what one could glean just by watching the shows over and over. For casual Simpsons fans, it's a nice-looking book that gives more information than you're likely to know but drains away most of the fun and charm that has made the show carry on long past a reasonable time for cancellation.
Perhaps, if the editors had stuck to the bare facts, this fairly dry book would have been utterly humourless. And perhaps realising this, they added 'Show Highlights' to each episode, which are basically just snatches of dialogue from the appropriate episode, and 'Stuff You May Have Missed,' which is a noticably spare selection of freeze-frame gags and other things that may have gone by too quickly for the casual viewer. As it turns out, they could have cut back the number of quotes and concentrated more on actual freeze-frame-reliant gags (there isn't a single mention of the long, high-speed lists that were used at least twice up to this point) or even given more attention to the countless pop-culture/media references in the series (there are highlighted 'Movie Moments,' but just as many are wrong or missed as are there at all). There are a handful of other errors that can be blamed on poor editing and/or weak research.
The greatest reason for having this book (at least for an animation idiot like me) is for the (incomplete but still informative) listing of the regular voice-cast and which voices are theirs; this is the biggest bit of information the book has to offer which can't really be gotten from the show itself.
So, for the hardcore Simpsons geek (like yours truly), this is a nice-looking book but doesn't really offer much beyond what one could glean just by watching the shows over and over. For casual Simpsons fans, it's a nice-looking book that gives more information than you're likely to know but drains away most of the fun and charm that has made the show carry on long past a reasonable time for cancellation.
March 30, 2012
The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family
is a well written book, covering the first 8 seasons
also some of the funniest ones) of our favorite family.
The book is loaded with page after page of useful information
about each episode (often limited to one page though but
still plenty of info per page) with colorful images, quotes,
trivia, character descriptions (from almost every character,
from God to Homer)The Stuff You may have Missed (items and
references you may have missed in an episode) Show Highlights,
blackboard gags, episode description and number, an introduction
by the show's creator Matt Groening, etc.
A great book for hardcore Simpsons fans and those
who are casual viewers of the show alike.
There are of course some errors to be found but only
hardcore fans might notice this on some pages (check
with the website SNPP.com for more info on this books
errors)
I give it 5/5 stars for being very well written and
filled with many Simpsons images to look at.
is a well written book, covering the first 8 seasons
also some of the funniest ones) of our favorite family.
The book is loaded with page after page of useful information
about each episode (often limited to one page though but
still plenty of info per page) with colorful images, quotes,
trivia, character descriptions (from almost every character,
from God to Homer)The Stuff You may have Missed (items and
references you may have missed in an episode) Show Highlights,
blackboard gags, episode description and number, an introduction
by the show's creator Matt Groening, etc.
A great book for hardcore Simpsons fans and those
who are casual viewers of the show alike.
There are of course some errors to be found but only
hardcore fans might notice this on some pages (check
with the website SNPP.com for more info on this books
errors)
I give it 5/5 stars for being very well written and
filled with many Simpsons images to look at.
May 25, 2020
The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family is a wonderful television companion that’s jam-packed with everything one would want to know about this remarkable television series. Covering seasons 1 – 8 (and the Tracy Ullman shorts), every episode is covered in detail with plot summaries, cast and crew, air dates, quotes, chalkboard gags, and trivia. Additionally, there are character profiles for all the main and supporting characters (and even one-off characters). There are also spotlight sections that go through all of the couch gags, Krusty the Clown merchandise, Itchy & Scratchy cartoons, and other hallmarks of the show. Fully illustrated and color coded, the book is beautifully designed and is organized in a way that’s very easy to follow. Extraordinarily well-crafted, The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family is a terrific companion to the series that Simpsons fans are sure to love.
April 16, 2013
As a middle aged child, The Simpsons comic books were my favoriate, as I was given the background of all of the whacky characters from the television show, and was able to read more about them and the events that surronded them even after I already watched that week's show. Matt Groening, the screen writer for The Simpsons similarly writes the comic books - which keeps the comedy very similar to the actual shows, the reason I was reading the comic books in the first place. Children watch too much TV, and play too many video games - instead of fighting it, imbrace it, and reinforce literature centered around their favorite television/video game characters.
December 18, 2013
This book is Horrible book.This is that kind of book you dont even want to read again.Not even Horrible can describe it all i can say is that i dont even have word for it its that bad.
Its all about how it describes the setting and the characters it doesnt have any thing funny and the simpsons were made to make people laugh not make people want to puke of lack of laughing . I dont recommend this book to anyone
Its all about how it describes the setting and the characters it doesnt have any thing funny and the simpsons were made to make people laugh not make people want to puke of lack of laughing . I dont recommend this book to anyone
November 8, 2024
(Read as a kid, Review from 2024)
Read this (and the others in the series) a lot as a kid in the period in 5th-6th grade when I was getting into The Simpsons, this book and the others in the same series were necessary reading. Everytime I saw a new episode from this period I would go to the book and read up on the episode so I understood the parts that I missed (i.e., all the movie references). It was a good process :)
Read this (and the others in the series) a lot as a kid in the period in 5th-6th grade when I was getting into The Simpsons, this book and the others in the same series were necessary reading. Everytime I saw a new episode from this period I would go to the book and read up on the episode so I understood the parts that I missed (i.e., all the movie references). It was a good process :)
August 24, 2010
I love the Simpsons and this book was a great addition to my Simpson collection. Each page is a episode. Starting with season 1 and stopping at season 8. Each page has little tidbits and facts you never thought you knew. Little thing you must look for each episode only a true Simpson fan could see. It was fun quick read and a great book to go back and reefer to.
February 4, 2016
This book is great at telling you about a huge chunk of the Simpsons history. Every season from the beginning to season eight is covered in detail that would vary from simple episode descriptions to geeky know-it-all info. It is great! Probably the best one that ever came out since they lessened their season listings with seemingly every other new volume since this one.
January 21, 2013
A great Simpsons book that gives a complete episode guide on all episodes, including the Tracey Ullmann shorts, from seasons 1-8. It is very detailed and great, giving episode plots, quotes, trivia, and it also points out easter eggs you might have missed in episodes. It's a book every Simpsons fan should have. After every episode I watch, I always look at that episode's page in the book.
October 18, 2016
In the pre-internet age, this was the Simpsons bible - a guide to every episode, including a list of all the couch gags, all the funny signs you didn't have time to read in the background, all the guest stars. It was essential for those conversations, "Hey, which episode is it where Homer buys a gun?"
Now of course the Internet has made this obsolete.
Now of course the Internet has made this obsolete.
July 1, 2013
This was a great book for a Simpsons fan. It goes through each and every episode and includes trivia and memorable quotes. It was a lot of fun to read!
It only runs through season 8, though, but that was okay with me since I think the seasons after that started to go downhill, and the newest seasons are unwatchable. This book showcased the brilliance that the Simpsons once was.
It only runs through season 8, though, but that was okay with me since I think the seasons after that started to go downhill, and the newest seasons are unwatchable. This book showcased the brilliance that the Simpsons once was.
March 12, 2017
In my teenage years (not _that_ long ago), whenever I would sit down for a meal, I would read this book and it's subsequent sequels. Literally, for years, and yet somehow I never grew bored or tired of it. In fact it's still in my possession, only now it's essentially held together with many, many rubber bands. Shotty spine or getting every penny's worth? You judge.
October 31, 2007
This book was published just before the sad decline of this once magnificant television show. It's bittersweet to read the plotlines from its classic heyday and contemplate how basically the same people could be responsible for the puerile, predictable episodes for the past several seasons.
March 29, 2008
this is the first of the books that give details about eaach simpsons episode. it's a must have for any simpsons fan. i mean, where esle are you gonna find a book that gives not only classic quotes from episodes, but also the literary references for the episode?
December 30, 2008
this book is great for trivia Q's. it shows all the episodes of the simpsons for the first couple of seasons. it gives a summary of each episode, a character first introduced in that episode, and facts and quotes from each episode.
April 15, 2009
bought this and a few others (eg simps-o-rama, one of the best ones) ostensibly for my kids, but I love them too, obvioulsy. This one - which can stand in for all of the ones we have - details episodes and biogs of all the characters. Wonderful.
September 5, 2011
It does "exactly what it says on the tin", with a page per episode. Some pages seem stuffed to the gunnels, some aren't. Your enjoyment will depend entirely upon your love of trivia and The Simpsons.
September 3, 2013
Very thorough guide to each episode with a plot synopsis, list of special characters, and all sorts of other info. I used this as my go to source for reference for photos when making clay figure Simpson characters when I was a kid.
July 19, 2015
This guide is for the first few seasons. It gives you details on each episode and some of the funnier jokes. No longer do you have to watch the whole episode to see if that is where it happened. Just pull out this book and look it up. After 20+ seasons, it's hard to remember every episode.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews