The complete Peanuts, 1955 to 1956. Volume 3. Volume 3.

The uniform hardcover series reprinting all 50 years of the classic comic strip Peanuts continues. Many ingredients that would sustain the strip for a half-century are already in place, from Linus' dependence on his security blanket to Schroeder's rejection of Lucy in favor of Beethoven to Snoopy's efforts to impersonate other species. A few elements on view in this third volume in the series would soon vanish, however, such as Charlie Brown's loudmouthed counterpart, Charlotte Braun. On the other hand, a long-lasting device debuts when Lucy first snatches the football from Charlie Brown's impending kick. Only a few topical references--coonskin caps, Willie Mays, Howdy Doody--betray these strips' age. As Simpsons creator Matt Groening points out in the introduction, there was nothing cutesy or condescending about the Peanuts gang. These early strips show that as well as timeless humor, it is such melancholic aspects as natural-born fussbudget Lucy's bitterness and Charlie Brown's frustrations over baseball, kites, valentines, and just about everything else he attempts that make them resound to this day. --Gordon Flagg Copyright 2005 Booklist