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231st out of 2,636 books
—
4,866 voters
Gnomes
A re-launch of the illustrated observations of gnome habits, anatomy and lifestyle designed for all age groups.
Hardcover, 212 pages
Published
May 1st 1977
by Harry N. Abrams
(first published 1976)
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3,000)
Mar 18, 2008
Charissa
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
no one! stay away from gnomes!! I warn you!!
Recommended to Charissa by:
some evil person
Shelves:
crack
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 seen them since...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 seen them since...more
Dec 02, 2008
Kathryn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
gnome fans
Shelves:
fantasy-sci-fi
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 based off this.
First of all, the entire idea is absolutely fascinating and charming--a little...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 based off this.
First of all, the entire idea is absolutely fascinating and charming--a little...more
5 likes · like · see review
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 flippe...more
8 likes · like · see review
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.
This book fulfills that s...more
This book fulfills that s...more
A great source on these creatures with wonderful artwork.
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 services gnomes provide for...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 services gnomes provide for...more
4 likes · like · see review
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 him to Ma...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 him to Ma...more
3 likes · like · see review
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...more
Little people‒trolls and gnomes especially‒loom large in my childhood memories. The crazy-haired troll dolls made a comeback in the late 70s, and the little Smoky Mountain towns my parents liked to visit were haunted by Norwegian troll statues and "Arensbak trolls" made from logs, nuts, and pine cones. There were also the Smurfs, who made their entrance into my life on a family vacation to Florida, as little blue vinyl figurines with stubby blue tails living in plastic mushrooms for sale at the...more
1 like · like · see review
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.
Jan 08, 2010
Tiffany
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
faery-tale,
illustrated-artwork
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 was sleeping...more
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 was publish...more
Garden gnomes were around before this book was publish...more
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."
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/31...) and so this book was a very exciting discovery.
If you enjoy thinking about the life...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/31...) and so this book was a very exciting discovery.
If you enjoy thinking about the life...more
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. The book inclu...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. The book inclu...more
This profusely illustrated, highly imaginative and charming fantasy sketchbook is one of my most beloved childhood books. We had one worn copy in the house, and I (being small and liable to soil and tear things) could only obtain permission to look through its pages by solemnly promising to handle it with care. The novel and humorous collection of gnome customs, gnome inventions, gnome neighbors, and gnome legends delighted me to no end. Today, this book still strikes me as marvelously ingenious...more
This was one of my favorite books as a child--enormous, colorful, detailed, imaginative, and funny. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful, and together the authors present a "scientific" observation of gnomes as glimpsed in the wild, putting together descriptions of their homes, clothing, social customs, diet, religion, child-rearing, and battles with evil creatures such as ogres and trolls. The color plates even have handwritten descriptions of the gnomes, as if they were taken from a lavi...more
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 - "Fairies" - not a good...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 - "Fairies" - not a good...more
I have fond memories of this book. The year it was published, it was the go-to Christmas gift for SF and fantasy readers, which is how I think I got my copy. It is written like an old fashioned field guide with annotations (think James Audubon and his bird folios) so part of its appeal is the pseudo-natural science. In fact, I believe it influenced the later design and publication of Dougal Dixon's After Man and New Dinosaurs, as well as numrous guides to fairies, goblins and other beasties that...more
For hundreds of years gnomes have watched, listened, advised, assisted and inspired us. Known for their wisdom, patience and kindness to small animals, gnomes have always been there as an essential part of nature. At times they have even been known to assist those in need, council those with difficulties and on occasion teach the unpleasant among us a hard lesson.
Elusive and cunning, these happy little men with their affinity for animals and knowledge of plant life run about the night on their s...more
Elusive and cunning, these happy little men with their affinity for animals and knowledge of plant life run about the night on their s...more
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 one not to...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 one not to...more
"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."
One of my favorites as a kid, I recently re-read this classic and thoroughly enjoyed it again as an adult. I don't really know what differences there are in the Thirtieth Anniversary Edition versus the original, but I didn't really notice any changes (of course it's been at least twenty to twenty-five years since I last flipped through the pages of this beautiful and fascinating book.)
What makes this book so wonderful is the stunning artwork combined with the tongue-in-cheek text written as a na...more
What makes this book so wonderful is the stunning artwork combined with the tongue-in-cheek text written as a na...more
I remember poring over this oddly delightful and colorful book as a child, being utterly confused whether these creatures actually existed. Mr. Huygen portrays gnomes in such a realistic degree that even now I sometimes doubt that they don't exist. The illustrations and descriptions are worthy of spending many a lazy afternoon casually going through the pages and imagining these little men and women cavorting around your garden.
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.
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
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
children & the young-at-heart
"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 enjoyed watching 'David the Gnome' on television.
"...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 enjoyed watching 'David the Gnome' on television.
"...more
Feb 10, 2013
Simon Wheeler
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Kids with imagination - or needing some.
I think a book is special when you become so immersed in the world it creates that you end up almost believing it. This book made such an impression on me as a kid, that it was probably the reason I decided to become a writer. It awoke my imagination - I could never be the same person again.
So much detail and evocative artwork gives it credibility. Do your kids a favour and give it to them for Christmas.
So much detail and evocative artwork gives it credibility. Do your kids a favour and give it to them for Christmas.
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.
Finally got my hands on this after years of wanting it. It is a first edition (in English) printing, too, and I got it for a whopping $3. It is gorgeous, and well worth the wait. The noise I made when I found it was -incredible-, and I REGRET NOTHING.
I sat down with it and literally read it from cover to cover. It is delicious.
447635325 stars, if I could. I love gnomes, okay?
I sat down with it and literally read it from cover to cover. It is delicious.
447635325 stars, if I could. I love gnomes, okay?
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Ruth... you know my pain, clearly.
Sarah... gnomes are small, but crafty. They will steal everything, including your attention. Be...more
Mar 20, 2008 10:21am
Oct 11, 2011 02:50pm