Keith Henderson THERE’S A HAIR IN MY DIRT! – A WORM’S STORY by Gary Larson (Little, Brown)
Unfortunately, the world has been a saner place since Gary Larson decided to leave the world of The Far Side behind him and, although there is a good collection of re-runs to glean inspiration from, the gaping chasm that the end of The Far Side opened has been in danger of growing even wider.
Until now, that is. It seems the madness that happens in Larson’s head has again been allowed to produce what will hopefully be the first of many cartoon novels.
Created in the format of a delightful- looking children’s book, those great Larson characters find their way into the twisted story of an adolescent worm who, one evening, while enjoying a plate of dirt with his family, finds a hair in his food. This is the straw that breaks the allolobophora’s back, and the worm bemoans his fate, angry at the world for being at the bottom of the food chain.
This promts his father to tell him the tale of the maiden Harriet, a typical Far Side damsel, who lives in the same forest as this little worm family and who has, interestingly enough, almost the same attitude towards her surroundings as, say, you and I might have.
And so begins a voyage of discovery for the tiny worm and for the readers of Larson’s first foray into an extended literary career. To a Far Side fan, this book is a treat from start to finish.