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2nd out of 225 books
—
243 voters
Griffin and Sabine (Griffin & Sabine Trilogy #1)
by
Nick Bantock
It all started with a mysterious and seemingly innocent postcard, but from that point nothing was to remain the same in the life of Griffin Moss, a quiet, solitary artist living in London. His logical, methodical world was suddenly turned upside down by a strangely exotic woman living on a tropical island thousands of miles away. Who is Sabine? How can she "see" what Griff...more
Hardcover, 10th anniversary limited ed, 46 pages
Published
2001
by Raincoast Books
(first published 1991)
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Equal parts Romantic (in the Byron on a windswept moor sense), Impressionist and Surrealist, Griffin and Sabine is a memorable experience. I finished this in the wee small hours of the morning, and immediately drifted off to sleep. I highly recommend that all readers choose the same time to move through this piece. I can't imagine a better time to have wrapped myself up in this charming, intriguing, simple yet incredibly layered piece of art.
There are many things that can be analyzed here- from...more
There are many things that can be analyzed here- from...more
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I've been acquainted with this fascinating trilogy for years, but never bothered to give it a perusal in its entirety until recently. Its allure is founded upon the exquisiteness of the design, the zen-like coyness of the plot and the slight sense of taboo involved in sifting through someone else's private correspondence. I think that author/illustrator Bantock is, in that regard, one of the leading purveyors of a formula that has proven quite successful in various pop cultural media over the pa...more
I know there are people who love this book but I finished it thinking that I needed my money back. In my opinion there was so much more that could have been done but it just lacked something.
In one go, I read all three of the books in this series by Nick Bantock: "Griffin and Sabine" (Book 1), "Sabine's Notebook" (Book 2), and "The Golden Mean" (Book 3). (It doesn't take long.) The books comprise a fictional correspondence between two artists: Griffin (who lives in London, England) and Sabine (who lives in the Sicmon Islands somewhere in the Pacific Ocean). The story falls into the mystery / fantasy genre. One day, Griffin receives a post card from a young woman, Sabine, who claims...more
Reread March 24, 2013.
Loved this. Perfect nighttime read. Will be posting a new review soon.
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Original review -- read in 2010. Rating 3/5.
A few years ago I picked up Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Coorespondence because my sister-in-law had gotten it for her birthday. I was so intrigued by the layout of the book that I had to give it a try.
I am so torn with this book. As I was reading it, my husband turned to me and said, "That's a book you're reading?" as I was pulling out letters fr...more
Loved this. Perfect nighttime read. Will be posting a new review soon.
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Original review -- read in 2010. Rating 3/5.
A few years ago I picked up Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Coorespondence because my sister-in-law had gotten it for her birthday. I was so intrigued by the layout of the book that I had to give it a try.
I am so torn with this book. As I was reading it, my husband turned to me and said, "That's a book you're reading?" as I was pulling out letters fr...more
I've read this and all the other books for this series. It's a unique read. Have you ever accidentally received someone else's mail and wondered what it might contain? Or come across a diary and been tempted to read what secrets it held?
This book is a voyeuristic view of a relationship between two people - or is it?
Opening the book you realize soon enough that you have stumbled upon someone's mail - and you can't help but read it. Each consecutive page brings more and more interest, as well as...more
This book is a voyeuristic view of a relationship between two people - or is it?
Opening the book you realize soon enough that you have stumbled upon someone's mail - and you can't help but read it. Each consecutive page brings more and more interest, as well as...more
A visually stunning book for anyone who cares about the art of books or has a soft-spot for snail mail. I look back on this with nostalgia, not necessarily because the story was profound, but because I'm in awe that I was ever able to read it (literally, as my eyes would never let me do so today). I have to wonder, is there a large-print version available? An audio recording? What would a Braille version of this be like?
I'm reminded of the haunting Twilight Zone episode (mentioned in a Constant...more
I'm reminded of the haunting Twilight Zone episode (mentioned in a Constant...more
Another brilliant book! If you like an epistolary-book, the book is for you. There are postcards to be read and a real letter which can be opened. In the era of e-mails and Facebook, getting myself to read a real letter is a real deal, indeed. Makes me wonder, when was the last time I ever wrote a real letter to someone real.
Can't wait to get it's sequel!
Can't wait to get it's sequel!
3 likes · like · see review
Griffin and Sabine is a very non-traditional book. An experiment in artificial "found" literature, the book follows the correspondence of two random people separated by miles and culture who are tied together by an inexplicable link. This book is a window into that connection and their discovery of one another.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is it's presentation. While it is a printed book, as much of the "correspondence" is maintained. The letters are contained within envelopes...more
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the book is it's presentation. While it is a printed book, as much of the "correspondence" is maintained. The letters are contained within envelopes...more
wowser look at this for fun!
And I don't know who sent it - drop me a line if you are that angel!
dedication: For Kim Kasasian
ETA Overbylass was the gifting angel - thank you very much
:O)
And I don't know who sent it - drop me a line if you are that angel!
dedication: For Kim Kasasian
ETA Overbylass was the gifting angel - thank you very much
:O)
2 likes · like · see review
I love interactive books and this one is number one on my FABULOUS list. The entire series is brilliant, but this first book simply lifts you into a new realm of possibilities and ideas. Reading someone elses mail is a cultural taboo, and Bantock forces you to confront your fears about it - you have to actually open envelopes and decipher handwriting to read the book. I was uneasy at first (which made me laugh.. it's FICTION) then I was totally hooked. His artwork is mind boggling and the story...more
1 like · like · see review
not the traditional kind of book, yet very intriguing. Griffin Moss is missing!!
1 like · like · see review
To categorize this as an epistolary book does not do justice to the artistry of this book. It's told in letters, yes, some of which are beautifully calligraphed and some of which are inexpertly typed. But then there are the gorgeous postcards! You could just stare at this book for ages.
Also, this may seem like a trite comparison, but... The Jolly Postman. It, along with Jolly Christmas Postman, was an amazing reading experience for me as a kid. Who doesn't love getting mail? So reading Griffin...more
Also, this may seem like a trite comparison, but... The Jolly Postman. It, along with Jolly Christmas Postman, was an amazing reading experience for me as a kid. Who doesn't love getting mail? So reading Griffin...more
remember being introduced to “Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence” by Nick Bantock, way back in 2000 by a colleague at Crossword Book Store at Mahalaxmi (I worked there part-time for a bit) and I cannot thank her enough for the recommendation. Since then I have read two trilogies of Griffin and Sabine and can never get enough of these books. This is the first time after ages I decided to revisit them and here I was at the start of the year, with my second read: “Griffin &...more
Jul 10, 2012
Maia
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
bittersweet,
artsy,
best-author,
best-series,
insanity,
romanitcs,
slowly-savour,
touch-of-magic,
dreamlike,
favourites
this book was amazing and i devoured the second and third straight away! i borrowed these after asking my aunt for a romantic book and, knowing my love of art and in particular postcards, she handed me these. i know, right? jackpot! the artwork on the letters and postcards is divine- it tracks Griffin and Sabine's emotional stories alongside Griffin's slowly fracturing mental state. its a romance, alright, but a very intense mystery and visual experience as well- surealist and symbolic. the reas...more
Normally, I wouldn't count "story books" as part of my 50 Books lists, but this particular one MUST be an exception. Firstoff, it's not the kind of story book that people expect. It's a little bit more than that -- which I find very much endearing.
"Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence" has been on bookshelves ever since I was in grade school. I was always curious, but I never got around to purchasing my own copy because a) It was too expensive, and b)I don't think I have a b. (Any...more
"Griffin and Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence" has been on bookshelves ever since I was in grade school. I was always curious, but I never got around to purchasing my own copy because a) It was too expensive, and b)I don't think I have a b. (Any...more
Jan 12, 2012
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fun,
recommended-by-others
I have the 3 books of this series... I'd never heard of them until I received them as a gift. LOVE! (She always gives the best gifts.) Now I see that the story picked up years later with 3 more books. Now I need to get my hands on all of them, re-read these, and read the new ones. You could easily fly through 3 books within a couple of hours or less. But that would be a waste. These books were made to be savored. With every letter you read, you feel like you've come to the end of an episode of L...more
1 like · like · see review
Dec 11, 2011
Amber Ditullio
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those who enjoy epistolary books, fans of art in books
Recommended to Amber by:
Stephanie
I'd originally read this wonderful book about 10 years ago and was impressed with it then. It had been in the back of my mind all this time and came to the forefront when I was reading through Book Lust for reading suggestions. I requested it and all it's sequels from the library. I picked them up yesterday and am glad to sink back into it.
This book will be a quick read, and you'll spend as much time looking at the artwork as you will reading it. The book is a series of postcards and letters bet...more
This book will be a quick read, and you'll spend as much time looking at the artwork as you will reading it. The book is a series of postcards and letters bet...more
I read this slim little novella when it first came out (and have a first edition). I was completely captivated and was thrilled that the feeling remains the same on my second reading.
Griffin Moss is an artist living in London. He produces a series of postcards that are beautifully illustrated with his artwork. One day he receives a cryptic postcard from Sabine Strohem, a woman living in the South Pacific island nation of Sicmon Islands. She asks him to send a particular postcard, and mentions a...more
Griffin Moss is an artist living in London. He produces a series of postcards that are beautifully illustrated with his artwork. One day he receives a cryptic postcard from Sabine Strohem, a woman living in the South Pacific island nation of Sicmon Islands. She asks him to send a particular postcard, and mentions a...more
I received a sparkling surprise the other day. A package from Discoverylover! Inside, two books. Right. I need more books. My bookshelves groan under the double-banked load and Mount Toberead towers over my bedside table.
Two very odd books, actually. Fairly slender, they purported to be reproductions of an ongoing correspondence between Griffin, a London artist, and Sabine, a stamp designer on a remote Pacific island nation.
Griffin and Sabine are linked in a very strange and intriguing fashion a...more
Two very odd books, actually. Fairly slender, they purported to be reproductions of an ongoing correspondence between Griffin, a London artist, and Sabine, a stamp designer on a remote Pacific island nation.
Griffin and Sabine are linked in a very strange and intriguing fashion a...more
In today's age, we rarely write letters anymore. Emails, texts, tweets and status lines seem to be the way we communicate these days. And while one part of me is fascinated by how technology is bringing people together, the other part can't help but notice the loss of intimacy in the way we communicate. In some ways we are farther apart than we've ever been.
I met my wife at the dawn of the Internet; neither of us had email addresses at the time. Just a few more years later, and our relationship'...more
I met my wife at the dawn of the Internet; neither of us had email addresses at the time. Just a few more years later, and our relationship'...more
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What a lovely little book. This was a birthday present from a dear friend (Hullo Jacques!) which very appropriately arrived in the mail. I love mail. and books. so books in the mail is about as good as it gets for me. (Food in the mail is an easy close second).
Giffin and Sabine is a cross between a graphic and epistolary novel. We are taken through the extraordinary correspondence (via beautifully designed postcards) of two strangers, one (Sabine) who has been able to see the work of Griffin in...more
Giffin and Sabine is a cross between a graphic and epistolary novel. We are taken through the extraordinary correspondence (via beautifully designed postcards) of two strangers, one (Sabine) who has been able to see the work of Griffin in...more
One of the best books I have read this year, and incredibly difficult to categorize. The book is a literal compilation of fictional correspondence between a man and a woman. Each page has remarkable art, and a postcard or letter.
There is a supernatural element to the beginning of the communication between the two protagonists. I think that average readers will take no exception to this element of the story, and actually find it all the more compelling as a result.
Beside its artistic success, I...more
There is a supernatural element to the beginning of the communication between the two protagonists. I think that average readers will take no exception to this element of the story, and actually find it all the more compelling as a result.
Beside its artistic success, I...more
Half the experience of Griffin and Sabine is how the book is presented. Postcards and letters inside envelopes - what could be more fun than poking through other people's mail? Kidding aside, this is one of the most unforgettable books I've ever read.
It's interesting to see Griffin's and Sabine's love story unfold. But then again, it wouldn't be fair to stereotype their relationship as just a romantic one. They connected on so many levels that it would be more appropriate to call Sabine a woman...more
It's interesting to see Griffin's and Sabine's love story unfold. But then again, it wouldn't be fair to stereotype their relationship as just a romantic one. They connected on so many levels that it would be more appropriate to call Sabine a woman...more
Reading the Guernsey book composed entirely of letters motivated me to dig out Nick Bantocks’ books and reread them. I first read this one back in 1993. I was introduced to Bantock’s unique style of combining art and letters to tell a story back in the early 90s when I met him at our local independent book store. In this, his first book, Sabine tracks down Griffin because of her interest in his artistic postcards which she telepathically watches him create. As they correspond, a love affair by l...more
Epistolary in structure, and definitely NOT a children's book (content and language) though I most closely equate it with my daughter's book Angelina's Invitation to the Ballet in that each page contains either an envelope with a removable folded letter inside, or a postcard.
Deeply intimate letters sent between two people who have never met but whose connection and love is undeniable. Powerful.
An excerpt:
"It's only your cards and letters that keep me going. I was finding it hard to get over the...more
Deeply intimate letters sent between two people who have never met but whose connection and love is undeniable. Powerful.
An excerpt:
"It's only your cards and letters that keep me going. I was finding it hard to get over the...more
"Griffin: It's good to get in touch with you at last. Could I have one of your fish postcards? I think you were right -- the wine glass has more impact than the cup. --Sabine
But Griffin had never met a woman named Sabine. How did she know him? How did she know his artwork? Who is she? Thus begins the strange and intriguing correspondence of Griffin and Sabine. And since each letter must be pulled from its own envelope, the reader has the delightful, forbidden sensation of reading someone else's...more
But Griffin had never met a woman named Sabine. How did she know him? How did she know his artwork? Who is she? Thus begins the strange and intriguing correspondence of Griffin and Sabine. And since each letter must be pulled from its own envelope, the reader has the delightful, forbidden sensation of reading someone else's...more
"Griffin: It's good to get in touch with you at last. Could I have one of your fish postcards? I think you were right -- the wine glass has more impact than the cup." -- Sabine
But Griffin had never met a woman named Sabine. How did she know him? How did she know his artwork? Who is she? Thus begins the strange and intriguing correspondence of Griffin and Sabine.
We begin an intimate journey between two lovers destined to be enraptured in all that is dreamt of. They catapult the divide of geograp...more
But Griffin had never met a woman named Sabine. How did she know him? How did she know his artwork? Who is she? Thus begins the strange and intriguing correspondence of Griffin and Sabine.
We begin an intimate journey between two lovers destined to be enraptured in all that is dreamt of. They catapult the divide of geograp...more
Although it's been many years, I remember being very moved by this book. The interesting way it's put together helps, of course. An epistolary book that contains the actual letters is fun to read. Who isn't tempted to read other people's mail? And the characters are interesting and sweet. A great book to leave out in your living room and share with friends.
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These books were such a different experience. It was almost like rifling through someone's mail. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if I was going to get caught.
The story of the mysterious correspondence between Griffin and Sabine is fascinating and punctuated with the amazing artwork of Nick Bantock.
A must read for story lovers and art lovers alike.
The story of the mysterious correspondence between Griffin and Sabine is fascinating and punctuated with the amazing artwork of Nick Bantock.
A must read for story lovers and art lovers alike.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettermo Epistola...: Griffin & Sabine | 3 | 2 | May 09, 2013 08:34pm | |
| More like Griffin & Sabine? | 1 | 37 | Jul 21, 2011 10:51am |
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2 trivia questions
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“Pain and beauty, our constant bedfellows”
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15 people liked it
“You have told me your history, but speak little fo teh present. Why's that - Sabine Strohem”
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1 person liked it
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