As 3 million readers can attest, Nick Bantock's Griffin and Sabine trilogy is the world's most original epistolary novel. It contains (physically contains) the correspondence of Londoner Griffin Moss and Sabine Strohem of the Sicmon Islands in the South Pacific--colorful postcards and letters in envelopes pasted into the book, which the reader must open and read. In his gloriously illustrated autobiography The Artful Dodger, Bantock explains the allure of opening letters: it's "a sort of cross between Christmas and sex." And when the letters illuminate somebody else's mysterious love affair, it's all the more delicious.

Griffin and Sabine really are mysterious, and it's tricky to piece together their story from the fanciful, surrealistic bits the text, maps, stamps, and pictures provide. That's why fans will be ravenous to read Bantock's charmingly straightforward memoir, which lets us in on all kinds of secrets about his symbols and visual sources. Winged figures always signify transition, he says, "whether on a monkey, an angel, or a devil." Sabine's Sicmon Islands home derives from the English expression "sick as a parrot," which connects with the parrot on the first book's cover and expresses Griffin's ailing English soul--what he needs is a sensual, elusive Sabine to get his blood up. Both characters are warring parts of Bantock's own psyche.

You don't need to know a thing about them to revel in this book. It's spellbinding in its own right, partly for the artless narrative, but mostly for the hundreds of pictures and the fascinating intricacy of Bantock's creative process. Sabine done in ghostly charcoal and gold dust is exquisite, no matter who she might be. It's a bit spooky to learn that a 1970s French stamp Bantock bought from his local shop to go with one of Sabine's postcards turns out to have been classified as "Type Sabine" by the French Philatelic Society. It was taken from a David painting of the Sabine women, and was meant to symbolize "union"--the central theme of Bantock's trilogy.

There is plenty besides his greatest hit to delight the eye here. The book cover illustrations are arresting, particularly for Peter Ackroyd's bio Chatterton (though his depiction of T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land is drably silly). His pop-up books of Jabberwocky and The Egyptian Jukebox (a series of drawers full of museum-like objects that tell the tale of a mad millionaire's travels) are brilliant. Bantock's gift for collage does honor to his idol, Joseph Cornell, without being derivative. His wildly improbable life story proves that fate shares his enthusiasm for flights of fancy. --Tim Appelo

From Publishers Weekly

Reading Bantock's latest lavishly illustrated novel, the first in his new Morning Star trilogy and the continuation of the saga of Griffin and Sabine, is like going on a delightful treasure hunt. Here an exotic photograph tucked in an exquisitely designed envelope, there a charming ticket receipt for a mysterious packet of letters. The author's skill at revealing plot through allowing readers the voyeuristic thrill of literally opening and reading other people's mail, and his considerable artistic talents are the source of the book's originality. Fans of Bantock's popular Griffin & Sabine trilogy will be delighted by that duo's reappearance here. Matthew Sedon, an Egypt-based archeologist, receives a note one day from Sabine, a woman he doesn't remember ever meeting, instructing him to pick up a packet of letters in storage in Alexandria. These letters are the love correspondence of Griffin and Sabine. When Matthew shares them with his grad student girlfriend in Paris, Isabella de Reims, she discovers that they refer to the bizarre visions she sees in waking dreams. Newcomers may feel left out by references to material from the previous books, and the epistolary form has its drawbacks, glossing over key information and hinting at tantalizing things to come. Though there's not much the author can do with 56 pages, nearly half of them pure illustration, the growing passion between Matthew and Isabella portends future intrigue in this new trilogy.

See all Product Description

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.6 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A pleasant collection, Jun 28 2004

By	wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

If you like Nick Bantock's work, you'll probably like this. It's not exhaustive, but a good collection of his work from 1970s art school through the publication date. That includes illustrations for book covers, some of which I almost remember from the original books. It includes illustrations from unpublished children's books, material not found elsewhere.

Of course, it includes extracts from Griffin and Sabine. Those may be my favorites - I think there is material here that extends the G&S story, but was never in the original books. It also covers The Venetian's Wife and Museum at Purgatory, both of which I enjoyed. There isn't enough from any of the books to spoil them for the first-time reader, though. This is a summary of Bantock's work, not a complete catalog.

There is some biographical information here, mostly covering his career from college through book publication. I was a little put off by parts of it, though. Bantock has certainly been successful as an illustrator, and rightly takes pride in that accomplishment. His pride tends towards smugness, though, not something the reader needs to see.

Still, it's a good coffee table book. It's easy to thumb through, and has material that was not already presented in his other books. It would have been even better with a bit more artwork, or at least a bit less self-congratulatory text.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoying to read and view!, Jun 25 2003

By	christinemm - The Thinking Mother (Connecticut, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

After reading and loving Bantock's Griffin & Sabine trilogy I stumbled upon this book. I was thrilled to learn background information straight from the author. I loved the trilogy but was left curious about the author and the works of art themselves. I enjoyed seeing his work develop over time and found it interesting to read about how he got started in his professional art career. I also appreciate his candid comments about the publishing industry and that he shared some negative opinions of his work with us-it shows he is not arrogant or an egomaniac!

I loved that the images are laid out chronologically. This book contains a lot of previously published work but that is fine with me-how else would he discuss his works if we could not look at them while reading about them?!? I liked reading what led him to begin working on a certain project or what drew him to continue working with a medium (i.e. designing his own stamps). I liked hearing where he gathers pieces to use in his collages and how he puts his collages together. After reading this book I have an even deeper appreciation for his books and artwork.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this cover-to-cover and delighting in his gorgeous artwork. It is truly inspirational. As a person who is naturally better at writing than making art, I envy Bantock's ability to make such beautiful and thoughtful artwork!

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

3.0 out of 5 stars Ok, I know that, Sep 28 2001

By	SophiaV (NYC, United States) - See all my reviews

everyone else LOVED this book. I liked it as well. But I do have his other adult books so many of the illustrations are redundant to me. Also, I find him a bit smug and self-important at times. Most of the illustrations are extremely beautiful, but I disliked the children's books artwork, it seemed to me as if a different, more immature (in the sense of mastery of the craft) artist did those. I would have liked to see more paintings that had not been already published, as this book seems a rehash of his same old stuff.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 8 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun and engaging work for fans
Autobiography written in a very relaxed, informal, and fun style. Excellent use of samples of his work from various times in his career as a great counterpoint to the text... Read more

Published on Aug 14 2001 by Michael Holmes

5.0 out of 5 stars A Marvel
I have always been a fan of Nick Bantock. BUt they true beauty of this book is the following: You get to view his art work and the transitions they go through from his college... Read more

Published on Jul 26 2001 by Dawn C. Kelly

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Treasure Trove
For fans of Nick Bantock, 'The Artful Dodger' is an absolute must. Not only will you have 350 full-color works of art from his college days to his latest creations, but you will... Read more

Published on Sep 19 2000 by alexandra2

5.0 out of 5 stars A Visual Delight
I've been waiting for this book! Part biography, part coffee table book, this is a real treat. Although it has a hefty price, and although most of the illustrations we have seen... Read more

Published on Aug 4 2000 by A Reader