Cartoon Marriage by Liza Donnelly and Michael Maslin

Cartoon Marriage: Adventures in Love and Matrimony by THE NEW YORKER'S Cartooning Couple is a delightful book filled with very funny cartoons dealing with weddings, sex, children, divorces, the opposite sex, and much more. Lisa Donnelly and Michael Maslin, both long-time cartoonists for The New Yorker are married to each other and draw on their relationship for inspiration. In this book, they present a wonderful collection of their works with a sort of "he said, she said" take on all things matrimonial.

This book was brilliant, hilarious and very well laid out. The cartoons are divided into sections each dealing with married life. Each section is prefaced with a comic strip introduction featuring the authors. I read it sequentially, like a book, but there's no reason why you couldn't flip through the book and read the cartoons randomly. I laughed out loud many times and ran over to where my husband was sitting to show him my favourites. He's now interested in looking more closely at it.

Donnelly and Maslin have distinct styles in cartooning. I'd be hard pressed to say which one I favoured over the other. Both are equally good. At first I didn't even notice the difference...I was too busy laughing. However, as I got further into the book I started looking at their styles along with the cartoons. After awhile I could easily identify their works (without looking at the signatures). I especially loved the introductions to the chapters where the couple storyboarded their own lives. This made the book more personal and made it more than just a collection of cartoons.

There's just one little "oops" with this book. It's bound upside down. I wouldn't have even noticed, but when I first opened the book, the contents were upside down. To solve this "problem", I flipped the dust jacket around so it matches the contents rather than the cover. Unless the next reader removes the dust jacket, no one will be the wiser. ;)

I'll be enjoying this one again and again. It's great.

Highly recommended for the married couple, the engaged couple, those who have divorced, even the single person. There's something for everyone.

Want to know more about this book? Visit Random House website for a synopsis or a peek inside.