Schulz and Peanuts

A Biography

By: David Michaelis

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 12 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Charles Schulz, the most widely syndicated and beloved cartoonist of all time, is also one of the most misunderstood figures in American culture. Now, acclaimed biographer David Michaelis gives us the first full-length biography of Schulz: at once a creation story, a portrait of a hidden American genius, and a chronicle contrasting the private man with the central role he played in shaping the national imagination.

The son of a barber, Schulz was born in Minnesota to modest, working class roots. In 1943, just three days after his mother's tragic death from cancer, Schulz, a private in the army, shipped out for boot camp and the war in Europe. The sense of shock and separation never left him. And these early experiences would shape his entire life.

With Peanuts, Schulz embedded adult ideas in a world of small children to remind the reader that character flaws and childhood wounds are with us always. It was the central truth of his own life, that as the adults we've become and as the children we always will be, we can free ourselves, if only we can see the humor in the predicaments of funny-looking kids. Schulz's Peanuts profoundly influenced the country in the second half of the 20th century. But the strip was anchored in the collective experience and hardships of Schulz's generation: the generation that survived the Great Depression and liberated Europe and the Pacific and came home to build the postwar world.

Michaelis brilliantly weaves Schulz's story with the cartoons that are so familiar to us, revealing a man we've never fully known and shedding new light on a touchstone of American life.

©2007 David Michaelis (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"This is a fascinating account of an artist who devoted his life to his work in the painful belief that it was all he had." ( Publishers Weekly)
"This fine, exhaustive text is well-organized and knowledgeable....Michaelis offers considerable insight into the semiotics of comics and the psyche of a master of the craft." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Excellent for any Peanuts fan

For those of us who grew up reading Peanuts, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy seemed like real people. They were, in reality, products from the imagination of Charles Schulz. Michaelis does an excellent job of revealing the man behind the strip.
It is a three dimensional picture of a very talented man who found his true love, cartooning, at an early age. He had a difficult time dealing with the messier aspects of life, and retreated from them. In the end, the Peanuts characters seemed more real to him than the people who surrounded him. It is a sympathetic portrayal, but it does not canonize Schulz.
IIRC, the book was somewhat controversial when it came out, as it covered two extramarital affairs by Schulz and his oldest daughter's abortion. These are discussed.
Of more interest is the description of the characters from the strip and their real life influences. Lucy, for example, was representative of his first wife. In her relationship with Charlie Brown, she berated him and pulled the football away from him. With Schroeder, she smothered him with love, but he was oblivious, and quite happy without her. Both of these were aspects of their married life. An excellent listen, and the reader is good.

Charlie brown

it was interest into the mind of the man who is invented charlie brown and snoopymy favorite

Schulz and Peanuts

After hearing about this book from my wife I thought this book would have been full of all kinds of crazy sex cheating. He stayed with his difficult oppressive wife for 20 years and they grew apart, oh well... not the sex filed tabloid it was made out to be. Don't understand why the family is upset, Schulz was AMAZING... the book does a great service to him and I think he would have liked it if he had read it. 50 years of Peanuts, holy crap! A must read for any cartoonist or animation fan.

Why Do I Bother?

Whenever I read biographies of famous characters (Johnny Carson, Katherine Hepburn, etc.) I am dissappointed. This was no exception. It is interesting to find out about these people, but not a good read.

Better without the psychobabble

Although this biography is fascinating, there is too much of a focus on the gruesome cancer Schulz's mother had and too much pseudo psychiatry about him being the loner type.
It was great to hear how he developed his cartooning craft and how sheer persistence helped him win through.

Interesting

Took me a while to get through but, it was a pleasant listen.

Always wondered about the creator of Peanuts.
It was thorough.

I would have given 5 stars if not for the production of the ending.

The book ends with the death of Schultz by simply saying, “He ceased to be”.
And without the ability to digest these words, a second later, I’m hearing a commercial about Audible and children’s books.

That ruined a good production for me.

Interesting story

Linus Lucy Charlie Brown and Snoopy. these characters became a part of my life. the narrative was good. very 😥. a must read for every peanuts fan.

Not just Peanuts

Narrator voice matches theme, very detailed, written in a way that captures the facts but the end summary is much bigger than its parts

Wow

An extremely well researched story of a very complex and gifted man. If he had lived a little longer, would Charlie Brown have kicked the football? Unfortunately, we will never know!

Disappointed

I had hoped that the author of this book would have liked Charles Schulz at least as much as I do. Painted him as self absorbed, unemotional shallow human. His art shows him in a much kinder fashion. Missed opportunity on the authors part to shine with this incredible man, instead he throws shade. Narration done well.