A re-launch of the illustrated observations of gnome habits, anatomy and lifestyle designed for all age groups.
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Mar 18, 2008
Charissa
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This is one of my stranger and more embarrassing tales.
For some bizarre reason, gnomes are a recurring theme in my life. Someone gave me this book the month I was getting married. I thought the gnome man and woman were cute, ad I bought a gnome man and woman as our wedding cake toppers. For our thank you notes after the wedding I bought a postcard of a gnome couple sitting by the side of a lake, fishing. The cake topper couple disappeared the night of the wedding and I have never More...
For some bizarre reason, gnomes are a recurring theme in my life. Someone gave me this book the month I was getting married. I thought the gnome man and woman were cute, ad I bought a gnome man and woman as our wedding cake toppers. For our thank you notes after the wedding I bought a postcard of a gnome couple sitting by the side of a lake, fishing. The cake topper couple disappeared the night of the wedding and I have never More...
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Dec 02, 2008
Kathryn
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Okay, here is the review that most of you have been waiting for, haha! Is "Gnomes" cute? or scary?
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Mostly cute, with a dash of "um, really...!?" tossed in that will probaby count as "scary" for those of you not already predisposed to like gnomes.
Now, I admit that I have not read this word-for-word as it's much longer than I was expecting, but I've done a fair amount of perusing and my review is ba More...
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Mostly cute, with a dash of "um, really...!?" tossed in that will probaby count as "scary" for those of you not already predisposed to like gnomes.
Now, I admit that I have not read this word-for-word as it's much longer than I was expecting, but I've done a fair amount of perusing and my review is ba More...
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Apr 16, 2009
Chandra
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I was fascinated by this book as a child. It is a sort of mythical field guide that has become very popular lately, but at the time when it was published (1976) I have to think it was quite innovative. I didn't actually own my own copy back then, but I must have known someone who did, because I remember staring at it for what seemed like hours. If I'm honest the fact that some of the featured gnomes were partially nude made it even a little more appealing. And, yes, it's the first thing I fl
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(4 people liked it)
Aug 13, 2007
Chris
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This book fascinated me as a kid -- my dad was an engineer, so I was drawn to the technical drawings, diagrams, and labels. Within the sphere of the fantasy geek, I was most drawn to the "complete world" authors like Tolkien, authors who didn't just create characters and plots but entire worlds, cultures, and linguistic systems. It's telling that my favorite part of "Return of the The King" is the appendices, and I spent many hours translating phrases into Dwarven Runes.
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 02, 2008
Jim
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A great source on these creatures with wonderful artwork.
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(2 people liked it)
May 27, 2011
Jeanette
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Tom Robbins once wrote, "Those who shun the whimsy of things will experience rigor mortis before death." So if you think you're too sophisticated for this big, delightful book, check your pulse and the rigidity of your limbs!
This is the definitive work on all things gnome. Playful and whimsical for sure, but these guys take their gnome studies seriously. ;-) They cover every aspect of gnome life including marriage, home building, food, medicine, friends, enemies, and ser More...
This is the definitive work on all things gnome. Playful and whimsical for sure, but these guys take their gnome studies seriously. ;-) They cover every aspect of gnome life including marriage, home building, food, medicine, friends, enemies, and ser More...
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 10, 2010
Ami
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I've loved this book for a long time, but keep forgetting to name it as one of my favorite books of all time. For posterity, I'll do that here--this book and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (and sequels) are my FAVORITE BOOKS OF ALL TIME. And Rose just gave me my very own copy!!
For those of you not familiar with this awesome book, it is written as a scientific field guide to gnomes. David & I read through it a little bit at a time. I flip the pages & make like I'm exposing h More...
For those of you not familiar with this awesome book, it is written as a scientific field guide to gnomes. David & I read through it a little bit at a time. I flip the pages & make like I'm exposing h More...
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Dec 14, 2009
jess
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This is the second in the series of gnome books I've been reading lately. This book was a best seller from the 1970s, which means you can get tons of copies of it at used bookstores for very affordable prices and you will never have to wait to get a copy at the library. It also means that I just barely missed being part of the generation that read this book as a child, since I was born a few years too late. It's a largeish format book with really delightful illustrations, the kind of stuff that
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Jan 06, 2008
Turner
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This coffee-table-sized book was a present my mom gave my dad back when I was very tiny.
It rather quickly became (in all but name) my book: Dad didn't get very into it, but I was fascinated by the concept of this whole little world of sentient beings we just overlook in our hurly-burly modern world.
I haven't looked between the covers in years- God knows what I'd think now.
It rather quickly became (in all but name) my book: Dad didn't get very into it, but I was fascinated by the concept of this whole little world of sentient beings we just overlook in our hurly-burly modern world.
I haven't looked between the covers in years- God knows what I'd think now.
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Jan 08, 2010
Tiffany
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My brother had this book when I was little. I absolutely loved the pictures and the "research" with diagrams about the gnome and the life of the gnome. However, it was the trolls that caused the biggest thrill. They were horrible, nasty creatures, and the descriptions of their terrible and cruel ways were bad enough, but the artwork of those stinking, bug-infested creatures! My friend and I would scare ourselves to hysterics when we were about 10 or so, well into the nights when she wa
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Dec 18, 2011
Trike
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I remember when this book came out back 1977, around the same time Star Wars was released. (Might have been the same week.) I bought it with my hoarded money because there was nothing like it at the time. I must've read it two dozen times, and loaned it out just as often. Like Star Wars, it was a watershed moment and a huge hit; all of the hundreds of similar books that have been released since then are direct descendants of this masterpiece.
Garden gnomes were around before this book More...
Garden gnomes were around before this book More...
Mar 02, 2009
Sally
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My favorite line so far (aside from the fun illustrations):
"although the female gnome has a substantial bosom, decreased gravity (at her height) allows her to go through life unencumbered by a brassiere."
"although the female gnome has a substantial bosom, decreased gravity (at her height) allows her to go through life unencumbered by a brassiere."
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Sep 03, 2010
Melissa
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I thought this book was my own secret discovery for a long time.
Left outside of a neighbor's front door with a bunch of nondescript paperbacks, as a child I took this book up to my room and marveled at every beautiful hand-written and illustrated page. I was obsessed with fairy tales in my childhood (the colored Fairy books as well as very old classics like The Brownies http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31857...) and so this book was a very exciting discovery.
If you e More...
Left outside of a neighbor's front door with a bunch of nondescript paperbacks, as a child I took this book up to my room and marveled at every beautiful hand-written and illustrated page. I was obsessed with fairy tales in my childhood (the colored Fairy books as well as very old classics like The Brownies http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31857...) and so this book was a very exciting discovery.
If you e More...
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(1 person liked it)
Dec 30, 2009
Meg
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This was a Christmas present from my younger brother and, after reading the first several pages, I realized when I was much younger we had a copy of this book. I have to admit that the first time I read it I was more interested in the pictures, mostly because I was 4 and could only read a couple words.
The illustrations are fantastic and very detailed. The troll illustrations are creepy, I remember getting nightmares from them at 4. I still find them creepy but not to that extent. More...
The illustrations are fantastic and very detailed. The troll illustrations are creepy, I remember getting nightmares from them at 4. I still find them creepy but not to that extent. More...
Jan 12, 2009
Yoby
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I loved this book when it first came out - loved the little stories added to the drawings and paintings.
I abhored the the cartoon with Tom Bosley as the head Gnome - and all the little cement and stuffed gnomes that my mother collected - but I liked the freshness of the idea when the book first came out - and loved sharing it with my kids (despite the bare-breasted young ladies who were still considered children till they were over a 100.
Also like the corresponding book - More...
I abhored the the cartoon with Tom Bosley as the head Gnome - and all the little cement and stuffed gnomes that my mother collected - but I liked the freshness of the idea when the book first came out - and loved sharing it with my kids (despite the bare-breasted young ladies who were still considered children till they were over a 100.
Also like the corresponding book - More...
Aug 18, 2010
Fluffy
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Originally published in 1977, Gnomes, written by Wil Huygen and illustrated by Rien Poortvliet, started the gnome trend. If you've never seen this book I highly recommend that you hoof it on down to your local public library and procure yourself a copy.
It is a delightfully entertaining read about every imaginable detail of a gnome's life. And the illustrations are stunning. They're so richly colored and intricately drawn that you actually start believing that gnomes are real. This is More...
It is a delightfully entertaining read about every imaginable detail of a gnome's life. And the illustrations are stunning. They're so richly colored and intricately drawn that you actually start believing that gnomes are real. This is More...
Mar 13, 2011
NarcissusTea
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"I love this book![return][return]I was first drawn to it by the art. I love the style - warm, intimate, realistic and believable. I love guide books, and I love that this book details all kinds of little things about life as a gnome.[return][return]I found the story to be quite believable as well. The book is very immersive. I could easily imagine myself in the shoes of the authors as they were given a tour of the world beneath our feet, and usually beneath our notice."
Nov 08, 2010
Anna
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This is the book that reminds me of my childhood. My mother bought it as a present for me and my sister in 1982 and I remember she'd read it to us every night to make us fall asleep. As my sister and I grew up and moved out from my mom's place, my sister kept the original copy that is now impossible to find in Italy. I must admit I was quite disappointed! But last year she found a new paperback edition and sent it as a present for my daughter's Lucia birthday. It really came as a wonderful surpr
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Dec 21, 2008
Chas
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I was 9 when my mother gave me this book in 1977. It is one of my all time favorites. I think it brought me closer to nature. In my youth, as a family, we often hiked. This book took me to the depths of the forests we traversed with a new eye on the environment; flora and fauna alike! The tales of the Gnomes created by Huygen took me on great adventures; Poortvliet's art is absolutely fantastic bringing it all to life.
Jan 30, 2012
Kim
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The lovely thing about this book is that you don't have to read it in order, or even read it at all, to gain a beautiful sense of magic and wonderment from it. As a child I would stare at the pictures for hours, reading snippets every once in a while, imagining the images were moving in my hands. It truly is a beautiful, magical book. The illustrations are divine and the text perfectly helps build up the world the gnomes live in.
Nov 20, 2008
Catt
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"Dear reader! When you have finished reading this book, you may feel lonely or sad. You can always go back and reread this book which is lying before you. But the best thing you can do is to seek contact with gnome-life anywhere on the globe..."
i do go back to this book over the years. It does not make me sad or lonely - it inspires me. It reminds me of how wonderful Nature is & the magic that is found therein.
It also takes me back to when i en More...
i do go back to this book over the years. It does not make me sad or lonely - it inspires me. It reminds me of how wonderful Nature is & the magic that is found therein.
It also takes me back to when i en More...
Jan 13, 2012
Sylvia
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Re-reading is always nice. Especially when it is a nice fantasy book like this. The drawings are fabulous and let the reader wonder about the world of the gnomes.
First part of this book tells about the world of the gnomes, which is similar to our, but more balanced with nature. The second part tells stories in which gnomes play important parts.
A wonderful book for the whole family.
First part of this book tells about the world of the gnomes, which is similar to our, but more balanced with nature. The second part tells stories in which gnomes play important parts.
A wonderful book for the whole family.
Aug 02, 2011
Lotus
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This is an absolutely charming book for all ages. I seriously recommend this if you have small children. They will love it. The world-building via illustrations and cute facts keep you exploring each page to such an extent that you don't even see it as a book. It's an invitation to a fantastical and warm world inhabited by gnomes!
As a kid at heart, I would gladly read this again.
As a kid at heart, I would gladly read this again.
Jan 30, 2011
Robert
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In the late 1970s I had gotten into Dungeons and Dragons. I sought as much information on these new characters I was being introduced to. At the time, this book about gnomes was all the rage. I believe I got this for Christmas, but am not certain about that. I also believe this is the first coffee table book I ever received.
The illustrations are gorgeous!
The illustrations are gorgeous!
Oct 30, 2009
Vicki
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Man. Such a weird book! I stumbled upon it at the library, and took it home, sort of curious. My Oma always had garden gnomes, and we used to tease her about them, but the truth is that I actually love them. This book is chockabock full of cool illustrations, weird facts, and is the true story of the gnome people. Pick it up and enjoy the weird coolness.
Jan 06, 2009
BoekenTrol
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The first time I read this book was when my brother got it for his birthday. I loved it so much, that a few years later I got a copy myself.
Reading this book was the first time I got to know gnomes. As a child you know of course, that gnomes exist. But, that they would have such a rich life and do such useful things, I had never imagined.
It is a beautiful book, the text is, for me, interesting as explanation to the drawings, that are exceptional.
For a city girl like me this wa More...
Reading this book was the first time I got to know gnomes. As a child you know of course, that gnomes exist. But, that they would have such a rich life and do such useful things, I had never imagined.
It is a beautiful book, the text is, for me, interesting as explanation to the drawings, that are exceptional.
For a city girl like me this wa More...
Apr 15, 2011
Brigette
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Totally glad I spotted this on the dusty Mesquite Library shelves years ago...So much FUN!! Also why I started collecting gnome figurines and got interested in the vast world of mythology!! (Spiked my love for fairies, elves, trolls, mermaids, etc.) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE...!
Nov 09, 2011
Suzanne
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I have had this book since I was very very little, due to my father owning it. I remember it being what got me into fantasy in the first place. Wonderfully interesting, and informative book that anyone who enjoys fantasy in a more real setting should read.
Dec 05, 2008
Scott
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This delightful book makes a wonderful coffeetable piece. Kids can spend hours looking at the imaginative pictures. Which is why I recommend editing out the 2 pages containing nudity, which is very out of place in this otherwise wholesome book.
Oct 26, 2011
Celine
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How can I not have added this to my library before? I have had my edition since I was a child ( It was my lovely dad's)Its so worn and well loved that I'm almost afraid to take it from the shelf in case it falls apart.
An absolute joy.
An absolute joy.
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