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Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions
Over the last two decades, writer-director Guillermo del Toro has mapped out a territory in the popular imagination that is uniquely his own, astonishing audiences with Cronos, Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, and a host of other films and creative endeavors. Now, for the first time, del Toro reveals the inspirations behind his signature artistic motifs, sharing the contents of his personal notebooks, collections, and other obsessions. The result is a startling, intimate glimpse into the life and mind of one of the world's most creative visionaries. Complete with running commentary, interview text, and annotations that contextualize the ample visual material, this deluxe compendium is every bit as inspired as del Toro is himself.
Contains a foreword by James Cameron, an afterword by Tom Cruise, and contributions from other luminaries, including Neil Gaiman and John Landis, among others.
Contains a foreword by James Cameron, an afterword by Tom Cruise, and contributions from other luminaries, including Neil Gaiman and John Landis, among others.
263 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
250 people are currently reading
4273 people want to read
About the author
Guillermo del Toro
148 books4,977 followersGuillermo del Toro is a Mexican director mostly known for his acclaimed films Pan's Labyrinth, The Devils Backbone, Crimson Peak and the Hellboy film franchise. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction, fantasy, horror, and war. In 2009, Del Toro released his debut novel, The Strain, co-authored with Chuck Hogan, as the first part of The Strain Trilogy, an apocalyptic horror series featuring vampires. The series continued with The Fall in 2010 and concluded with The Night Eternal in 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
August 12, 2023
Foarte interesanta - am avut ocazia sa intru in universul lui Guillermo del Toro, atat prin notitele, desenele si schitele prezentate, cat si prin ochii altor persoane cu care a colaborat in timp (James Cameron, Neil Gaiman, Ron Perlman, etc.).
De asemenea, mi-a placut foarte mult prezentarea casei Bleak - del Toro detine o colectie impresionanta de carti si obiecte deosebite si ciudate (recunosc, ar putea fi casa perfecta pentru mine 😍).
Inca nu am reusit sa-i vad toate filmele, insa imi doresc sa ajung la ele - pana acum, preferatul meu ramane Pan's Labyrinth.
De asemenea, mi-a placut foarte mult prezentarea casei Bleak - del Toro detine o colectie impresionanta de carti si obiecte deosebite si ciudate (recunosc, ar putea fi casa perfecta pentru mine 😍).
Inca nu am reusit sa-i vad toate filmele, insa imi doresc sa ajung la ele - pana acum, preferatul meu ramane Pan's Labyrinth.
September 29, 2013
Cabinet of Curiosities: “A cabinet of curiosities was an encyclopedic collection in Renaissance Europe of types of objects whose categorial boundaries were yet to be defined.” (Wikipedia)
When I was young, I used to read (with great envy) of Forrest Ackerman and his yearly tradition of opening his house/museum (the ‘Ackermansion’) to visitors at Halloween, to show items from movies such as Dracula, King Kong, Frankenstein, War of the Worlds and the like. I hoped that one day I would visit myself, even though I live in the UK. (Alas, it has never happened.)
However, I was fascinated by the pictures of all the items and the rooms. There was such a variety, things hidden away in every corner. I would spend hours looking over the pictures.
The reason for raising this here is that this book reminds me very much of that mansion. Coincidentally, one of those visitors to the Ackermansion was a young Guillermo del Toro. To the young del Toro it was a revelation and an inspiration. He admits here that it was something that gave him the inspiration that led to his future career. Now, as co-author of the Strain series of novels, director of the Hellboy movies, Oscar-winning film Pan’s Labyrinth and, most recently, Pacific Rim, it seems his dreams have been realised.
Throughout all of these, Guillermo’s visual flair has shown his lifelong love of science fiction, fantasy, horror and film, and he has a great knowledge of the genre. Guillermo’s reputation for making detailed notes, maps and sketches of his project ideas are now very well known. Guillermo del Toro: Cabinet of Curiosities is (as the Wikipedia definition above may suggest) a miscellany of pictures of Guillermo’s notebooks, storyboards, director’s notes, art designs from one of his houses.
Note that: one of his houses. Guillermo has a home, named Bleak House (after Charles Dickens’ novel), which is both his workshop and source of inspiration, stuffed to overflowing with books, posters and artwork. Bleak House is Guillermo’s version of the Ackermansion. “Catholics go to church, Jews go to temple, I come here.” he says at one point.
The book is divided into three sections – his Bleak House collections, his movies and a final part on Unfinished Projects.
Poring over the 300+ illustrations, there is much to delight. Each turn of the page shows the reader something new, something delightfully ghoulish, often jawdropping. In the Bleak House collection section we have in one room a statue of legendary Jack Pierce putting on Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein makeup whilst Karloff is drinking tea; in del Toro’s library we have a life-size statue of HP Lovecraft reading a book. A huge bust of Frankenstein's monster overlooks the lobby. Throughout there are automatons, creepy artwork, models, severed hands and heads galore. There’s even a room (the Rain Room) with a window that can give the impression of it raining at night 24 hours a day, no doubt to inspire those ideas. “As a kid I dreamed of having a house with secret passages and a room where it rained 24 hours a day.” says del Toro.
The Notebooks section of the book looks at each of his major films chronologically, from Cronos to Pacific Rim. Not only are pictures of pages from his notebooks there (with translations from the Spanish where appropriate) but photographs, maps and models.
The most tantalising section is the final one, where Guillermo’s unrealised projects are shown (although not The Hobbit, for as Guillermo says “I kept a lot of notes, but I was very paranoid of them being lost because that was a supersecret project….if I reveal anything that’s stayed in the movies, it’s legally very, very binding.” p.239).
There are lots of comments here about things that never came to fruition, from Mephisto’s Bridge, to The List of Seven and The Left Hand of Darkness (not the Ursula K. LeGuin novel, but a version of Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo) and the best known aborted example other than The Hobbit, HP Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness , a film Guillermo says he’s been trying to do for almost twenty years. I was very surprised that at one point Guillermo and Tom Cruise were considering a film of the 1960’s UK TV series The Champions.
Based on hours of interviews, Marc Scott Zicree, (author of one of my most used reference books, The Twilight Zone Companion) does a sterling job of interviewing Guillermo throughout, about his work and his ideas, showing us the inspirations and the love of fantasy that Guillermo clearly has. It also gives the reader an insight into the man’s hyperactive imagination. To add to this, Guillermo himself suggests four mainstays of Horror that have inspired him and some musings on Symbolist Art.
If that wasn’t enough, the book is peppered with essays from friends and work colleagues about Guillermo or his work. There is an introduction to the book from James Cameron (Avatar, Aliens) who Guillermo worked with on the aborted HP Lovecraft movie At the Mountains of Madness. Tom Cruise, once slated as one of the film’s lead characters, also writes an Afterword and talks of the imagination of Guillermo. Much of this is echoed by others. Cornelia Funke explains del Toro’s ability to use the skills of storytelling and myth in his work. Mike Mignola talks of their collaborations on Blade II and the Hellboy movies, Ron Perlman tells of how del Toro persuaded him to take on a part in Spanish (in Cronos), which led to bigger things and resurrected his career. John Landis writes of the Ackermansion and Bleak House. Alfonso Cuaron writes of their first meeting and their work on Pan’s Labyrinth. Neil Gaiman of their first meeting too, in Austin, Texas.
In summary, Cabinet of Curiosities is a delightful cornucopia of a book, lovingly produced, that will be appreciated by any fan of Guillermo’s work, or indeed of the genre. Not only does it give you an insight into the thoughts of a genre-loving director, there is enough imagery in there to inspire any budding writer or director. (Or book reviewer!)
Recommended.
Mark Yon, September 2013
When I was young, I used to read (with great envy) of Forrest Ackerman and his yearly tradition of opening his house/museum (the ‘Ackermansion’) to visitors at Halloween, to show items from movies such as Dracula, King Kong, Frankenstein, War of the Worlds and the like. I hoped that one day I would visit myself, even though I live in the UK. (Alas, it has never happened.)
However, I was fascinated by the pictures of all the items and the rooms. There was such a variety, things hidden away in every corner. I would spend hours looking over the pictures.
The reason for raising this here is that this book reminds me very much of that mansion. Coincidentally, one of those visitors to the Ackermansion was a young Guillermo del Toro. To the young del Toro it was a revelation and an inspiration. He admits here that it was something that gave him the inspiration that led to his future career. Now, as co-author of the Strain series of novels, director of the Hellboy movies, Oscar-winning film Pan’s Labyrinth and, most recently, Pacific Rim, it seems his dreams have been realised.
Throughout all of these, Guillermo’s visual flair has shown his lifelong love of science fiction, fantasy, horror and film, and he has a great knowledge of the genre. Guillermo’s reputation for making detailed notes, maps and sketches of his project ideas are now very well known. Guillermo del Toro: Cabinet of Curiosities is (as the Wikipedia definition above may suggest) a miscellany of pictures of Guillermo’s notebooks, storyboards, director’s notes, art designs from one of his houses.
Note that: one of his houses. Guillermo has a home, named Bleak House (after Charles Dickens’ novel), which is both his workshop and source of inspiration, stuffed to overflowing with books, posters and artwork. Bleak House is Guillermo’s version of the Ackermansion. “Catholics go to church, Jews go to temple, I come here.” he says at one point.
The book is divided into three sections – his Bleak House collections, his movies and a final part on Unfinished Projects.
Poring over the 300+ illustrations, there is much to delight. Each turn of the page shows the reader something new, something delightfully ghoulish, often jawdropping. In the Bleak House collection section we have in one room a statue of legendary Jack Pierce putting on Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein makeup whilst Karloff is drinking tea; in del Toro’s library we have a life-size statue of HP Lovecraft reading a book. A huge bust of Frankenstein's monster overlooks the lobby. Throughout there are automatons, creepy artwork, models, severed hands and heads galore. There’s even a room (the Rain Room) with a window that can give the impression of it raining at night 24 hours a day, no doubt to inspire those ideas. “As a kid I dreamed of having a house with secret passages and a room where it rained 24 hours a day.” says del Toro.
The Notebooks section of the book looks at each of his major films chronologically, from Cronos to Pacific Rim. Not only are pictures of pages from his notebooks there (with translations from the Spanish where appropriate) but photographs, maps and models.
The most tantalising section is the final one, where Guillermo’s unrealised projects are shown (although not The Hobbit, for as Guillermo says “I kept a lot of notes, but I was very paranoid of them being lost because that was a supersecret project….if I reveal anything that’s stayed in the movies, it’s legally very, very binding.” p.239).
There are lots of comments here about things that never came to fruition, from Mephisto’s Bridge, to The List of Seven and The Left Hand of Darkness (not the Ursula K. LeGuin novel, but a version of Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo) and the best known aborted example other than The Hobbit, HP Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness , a film Guillermo says he’s been trying to do for almost twenty years. I was very surprised that at one point Guillermo and Tom Cruise were considering a film of the 1960’s UK TV series The Champions.
Based on hours of interviews, Marc Scott Zicree, (author of one of my most used reference books, The Twilight Zone Companion) does a sterling job of interviewing Guillermo throughout, about his work and his ideas, showing us the inspirations and the love of fantasy that Guillermo clearly has. It also gives the reader an insight into the man’s hyperactive imagination. To add to this, Guillermo himself suggests four mainstays of Horror that have inspired him and some musings on Symbolist Art.
If that wasn’t enough, the book is peppered with essays from friends and work colleagues about Guillermo or his work. There is an introduction to the book from James Cameron (Avatar, Aliens) who Guillermo worked with on the aborted HP Lovecraft movie At the Mountains of Madness. Tom Cruise, once slated as one of the film’s lead characters, also writes an Afterword and talks of the imagination of Guillermo. Much of this is echoed by others. Cornelia Funke explains del Toro’s ability to use the skills of storytelling and myth in his work. Mike Mignola talks of their collaborations on Blade II and the Hellboy movies, Ron Perlman tells of how del Toro persuaded him to take on a part in Spanish (in Cronos), which led to bigger things and resurrected his career. John Landis writes of the Ackermansion and Bleak House. Alfonso Cuaron writes of their first meeting and their work on Pan’s Labyrinth. Neil Gaiman of their first meeting too, in Austin, Texas.
In summary, Cabinet of Curiosities is a delightful cornucopia of a book, lovingly produced, that will be appreciated by any fan of Guillermo’s work, or indeed of the genre. Not only does it give you an insight into the thoughts of a genre-loving director, there is enough imagery in there to inspire any budding writer or director. (Or book reviewer!)
Recommended.
Mark Yon, September 2013
December 20, 2023
3.5 stars. I wasn't previously a huge del Toro fan..it has never been a dislike, more of simply not being exposed to a ton of his work, but I'm a sucker for any kind of journal, so I gave this a go. It was fascinating seeing the sparks behind some of his most famous characters. Even his movies I haven't seen, like Hellboy, are famous enough that I knew the look of the namesake. I also enjoyed the interview snippets in between.
June 12, 2014
Back off while I do some serious fan-girl-ing.
I've been in love with del Toro's mind since I saw The Devil's Backbone in 2001. Since then I've tried to see most of his movies as they've come out, though I have missed a few (like Blade II, because I haven't seen the first one yet, and I do want to be fair about it) and Pacific Rim because I've heard awful things about it (which in turn makes me awful because my brother worked on that movie too). But I've enjoyed taking my time, leisurely, to get to know del Toro's work over the years. It allows me a chance to savor everything he does. I just saw Cronos this year and thought it was great, especially considering it was such an early work of his. It shows so much promise (and features a young and adorable Ron Perlman!).
When I heard about this book, however, I knew I had to get my paws on it. It's a collection of excerpts from his work notebooks, all of his sketches, ideas, thoughts, questions, and dreams for movies he's currently working on and ones he hopes to accomplish in the future. Interspersed throughout the book are what I've come to call "love letters" to del Toro, brief interludes written by various directors, actors, producers, authors, and other people who have worked with del Toro in some capacity over the years. I'm trying to ignore the fact that the Forward was written by James Cameron (snooze, "I will never let you go, Jack!", just die already, Jack) and the Afterword was written by Tom Cruise. I'm not a fan of either of them, but they both play significant parts in del Toro's career, so whatever. But other love letters here were written by people I do respect, like Ron Perlman, whose open letter to del Toro is one of the sweetest things I've ever read. ♥
The beginning of the book is actually pretty fascinating in and of itself. It's a tour of sorts through Bleak House, del Toro's second home and studio. It's exploding with all of his artistic and literary collections. As much as I want to pore over his notebooks, I also want to physically walk through his various rooms and talk to him about every piece of artifact he has in each one. Everything there has a story, some of which are detailed here in the book, but I want more, dammit. I'm insatiable.
This book probably won't be of much interest to someone who doesn't care about del Toro, doesn't care about movies, doesn't care about notebooks, or doesn't care about collections or the creative process or artistic endeavors or anything - to which I say you sound incredibly boring. But my point is, this is a very specific book for a very specific sort of reader and movie-fan. It's large and smells very clean and the pages are thick. The interview between del Toro and Marc Scott Zicree that make up the main body of the book is fascinating and gives us an idea of what makes del Toro the man and the director tick. It will, even to a serious fan, at times feel tedious. Are we still talking about Hellboy?? There's marginalia galore. There's a lot to look at. For a coffee table-style book, this isn't one you can just flip through and truly walk away feeling like you know anything about it. It's a combination of seeing his doodles and reading his words that make this such a great collection.
My only complaint is while there are some photographs from the 2010 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark in this collection, that is not one of the movies that was discussed in its own chapter. That was a disappointment for me because I actually didn't think that movie was all bad, and I would have liked to have known del Toro's process for that one. A lot of time is spent, understandably, on the Hellboy franchise and Blade II, with a little less time and focus on some of his other films. Still, I did appreciate the bit at the end that involved talk of his unfinished works, all of which I hope one day see the light day of day. (Although, really, let's do Lovecraft without Tom Cruise, mmmkay?)
More than once this collection made me think of Jodorowsky's Dune, a fantastic documentary about a movie that never came to be. I see a lot of similarities in del Toro's thought processes in this book and would expect he and Jodorowsky have quite a bit in common. Though probably no one is as crazy or as vulgar as Jodorowsky. And del Toro seems to really research his projects, whereas Jodorowsky never even read the damn book of which he was trying to make a movie. WHUT. But the idea of spiritual warriors and finding all the right team members for a project? Both are dead on with that one.
I've been in love with del Toro's mind since I saw The Devil's Backbone in 2001. Since then I've tried to see most of his movies as they've come out, though I have missed a few (like Blade II, because I haven't seen the first one yet, and I do want to be fair about it) and Pacific Rim because I've heard awful things about it (which in turn makes me awful because my brother worked on that movie too). But I've enjoyed taking my time, leisurely, to get to know del Toro's work over the years. It allows me a chance to savor everything he does. I just saw Cronos this year and thought it was great, especially considering it was such an early work of his. It shows so much promise (and features a young and adorable Ron Perlman!).
When I heard about this book, however, I knew I had to get my paws on it. It's a collection of excerpts from his work notebooks, all of his sketches, ideas, thoughts, questions, and dreams for movies he's currently working on and ones he hopes to accomplish in the future. Interspersed throughout the book are what I've come to call "love letters" to del Toro, brief interludes written by various directors, actors, producers, authors, and other people who have worked with del Toro in some capacity over the years. I'm trying to ignore the fact that the Forward was written by James Cameron (snooze, "I will never let you go, Jack!", just die already, Jack) and the Afterword was written by Tom Cruise. I'm not a fan of either of them, but they both play significant parts in del Toro's career, so whatever. But other love letters here were written by people I do respect, like Ron Perlman, whose open letter to del Toro is one of the sweetest things I've ever read. ♥
The beginning of the book is actually pretty fascinating in and of itself. It's a tour of sorts through Bleak House, del Toro's second home and studio. It's exploding with all of his artistic and literary collections. As much as I want to pore over his notebooks, I also want to physically walk through his various rooms and talk to him about every piece of artifact he has in each one. Everything there has a story, some of which are detailed here in the book, but I want more, dammit. I'm insatiable.
This book probably won't be of much interest to someone who doesn't care about del Toro, doesn't care about movies, doesn't care about notebooks, or doesn't care about collections or the creative process or artistic endeavors or anything - to which I say you sound incredibly boring. But my point is, this is a very specific book for a very specific sort of reader and movie-fan. It's large and smells very clean and the pages are thick. The interview between del Toro and Marc Scott Zicree that make up the main body of the book is fascinating and gives us an idea of what makes del Toro the man and the director tick. It will, even to a serious fan, at times feel tedious. Are we still talking about Hellboy?? There's marginalia galore. There's a lot to look at. For a coffee table-style book, this isn't one you can just flip through and truly walk away feeling like you know anything about it. It's a combination of seeing his doodles and reading his words that make this such a great collection.
My only complaint is while there are some photographs from the 2010 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark in this collection, that is not one of the movies that was discussed in its own chapter. That was a disappointment for me because I actually didn't think that movie was all bad, and I would have liked to have known del Toro's process for that one. A lot of time is spent, understandably, on the Hellboy franchise and Blade II, with a little less time and focus on some of his other films. Still, I did appreciate the bit at the end that involved talk of his unfinished works, all of which I hope one day see the light day of day. (Although, really, let's do Lovecraft without Tom Cruise, mmmkay?)
More than once this collection made me think of Jodorowsky's Dune, a fantastic documentary about a movie that never came to be. I see a lot of similarities in del Toro's thought processes in this book and would expect he and Jodorowsky have quite a bit in common. Though probably no one is as crazy or as vulgar as Jodorowsky. And del Toro seems to really research his projects, whereas Jodorowsky never even read the damn book of which he was trying to make a movie. WHUT. But the idea of spiritual warriors and finding all the right team members for a project? Both are dead on with that one.
May 8, 2022
Pan’s Labyrinth, Cronos, Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy. What do they all have in common besides being visual works of art, treading the fine line between nightmarish fairytale and astounding beauty? They were all made by visionary director Guillermo del Toro. And of course these are only a few of the horrific, fantastical, but always emotive and humane movies in his stunning oeuvre.
In Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions, GDT provides us with an embarrassment of riches regarding his fascinating and vastly imaginative inner-workings, showcasing his numerous densely packed notebooks which have been his creative touchstones and reference points throughout his entire cinematic career. These notebooks are bursting with ideas both realised, abandoned or otherwise transplanted from one movie to another.
With each notebook page being graffitied with copious illustrations of possible creature designs, arcane symbols or anything else which was slowly gestating in his mind during the creative process, including scrawled questions the writer/director asked himself during the developmental stages of his various productions, which are very enlightening; particularly when he’s clearly hopping back and forth from one project to the next due to a combination of his prolific nature and various studio deadlines.
We are also treated to occasional storyboard breakdowns and various concept designs from GDT’s collaborating production designers, which are a welcome addition.
On top of these wonderful glimpses into his notebooks, CoC also provides interview questions conducted by the book’s contributor, Marc Scott Zicree, which help us delve into various aspects of GDT’s personal life, upbringing, and multitudinous influences. Enhancing these Q&A sessions, are anecdotes from actors, artists, authors and directors such as Ron Perlman (Hellboy himself!), Mike Mignola (Hellboy’s creator!), Neil Gaiman, and James Cameron, respectively, who all know the man himself, and provide behind-the-scenes stories of their friendships, histories, or even just amusing asides about GDT’s idiosyncrasies.
GDT even provides a guided tour of his famous Bleak House via photography and his own written descriptions, detailing the two-house shrine/museum to his staggering collection of artwork, sculptures, busts, books, comics and paintings on all things horror, fantasy, and weirdly speculative across the mediums of cinema, literature, and art. It looks like an amazing place to get lost in, and also boasts various rooms for his creative outlets, be they writing or illustrating.
And of course, GDT’s autobiographical accounts of his early days are illuminating, taking you through his precociously creative childhood to budding movie-maker, plus his continual (and admirable!) mule-stubborn struggles to keep studio suits and hacks from diluting, and even poisoning his artistic integrity e.g. Cronos may have got his foot on the first rung of the ladder, but only after experiencing a set-back involving a dull-minded studio producer first telling him that it essentially sucked and nobody would like it! And then there was the continuous head-butting over Mimic, his first US movie, which would have been so much better if he had been left to his own devices.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this hefty compendium which chronicles his career from Cronos up until Pacific Rim. I loved the boundless enthusiasm with which GDT talks about everything from his creative drive to life in general, which he does in a very down-to-earth manner, peppered with humour, humility, and philosophical nuggets on his creative beliefs and the oft-recurring themes which run through his movies.
My only real grievance is that the book concludes with a brief (sadly, too brief) glimpse into his numerous aborted projects, from Meat Market to At the Mountains of Madness; plus, I incorrectly assumed one of these projects might have detailed his screenplay for the Justice League Dark movie, which he would have nailed, but then that would also require a complete lack of studio interference which would never happen! Nevertheless, I would have loved to have been given a more detailed breakdown of the plots, characters and ideas of these movies; alas, perhaps the concise summaries of these projects is precisely due to their stalled productions, or the auteur’s fear of disclosing too much should he one day get to see their fruition. We can only hope, because Meat Market sounds very intriguing.
Highly recommended for any GDT fan, or anybody who has an interest in making horror/dark fantasy movies, for that matter.
In Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections, and Other Obsessions, GDT provides us with an embarrassment of riches regarding his fascinating and vastly imaginative inner-workings, showcasing his numerous densely packed notebooks which have been his creative touchstones and reference points throughout his entire cinematic career. These notebooks are bursting with ideas both realised, abandoned or otherwise transplanted from one movie to another.
With each notebook page being graffitied with copious illustrations of possible creature designs, arcane symbols or anything else which was slowly gestating in his mind during the creative process, including scrawled questions the writer/director asked himself during the developmental stages of his various productions, which are very enlightening; particularly when he’s clearly hopping back and forth from one project to the next due to a combination of his prolific nature and various studio deadlines.
We are also treated to occasional storyboard breakdowns and various concept designs from GDT’s collaborating production designers, which are a welcome addition.
On top of these wonderful glimpses into his notebooks, CoC also provides interview questions conducted by the book’s contributor, Marc Scott Zicree, which help us delve into various aspects of GDT’s personal life, upbringing, and multitudinous influences. Enhancing these Q&A sessions, are anecdotes from actors, artists, authors and directors such as Ron Perlman (Hellboy himself!), Mike Mignola (Hellboy’s creator!), Neil Gaiman, and James Cameron, respectively, who all know the man himself, and provide behind-the-scenes stories of their friendships, histories, or even just amusing asides about GDT’s idiosyncrasies.
GDT even provides a guided tour of his famous Bleak House via photography and his own written descriptions, detailing the two-house shrine/museum to his staggering collection of artwork, sculptures, busts, books, comics and paintings on all things horror, fantasy, and weirdly speculative across the mediums of cinema, literature, and art. It looks like an amazing place to get lost in, and also boasts various rooms for his creative outlets, be they writing or illustrating.
And of course, GDT’s autobiographical accounts of his early days are illuminating, taking you through his precociously creative childhood to budding movie-maker, plus his continual (and admirable!) mule-stubborn struggles to keep studio suits and hacks from diluting, and even poisoning his artistic integrity e.g. Cronos may have got his foot on the first rung of the ladder, but only after experiencing a set-back involving a dull-minded studio producer first telling him that it essentially sucked and nobody would like it! And then there was the continuous head-butting over Mimic, his first US movie, which would have been so much better if he had been left to his own devices.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this hefty compendium which chronicles his career from Cronos up until Pacific Rim. I loved the boundless enthusiasm with which GDT talks about everything from his creative drive to life in general, which he does in a very down-to-earth manner, peppered with humour, humility, and philosophical nuggets on his creative beliefs and the oft-recurring themes which run through his movies.
My only real grievance is that the book concludes with a brief (sadly, too brief) glimpse into his numerous aborted projects, from Meat Market to At the Mountains of Madness; plus, I incorrectly assumed one of these projects might have detailed his screenplay for the Justice League Dark movie, which he would have nailed, but then that would also require a complete lack of studio interference which would never happen! Nevertheless, I would have loved to have been given a more detailed breakdown of the plots, characters and ideas of these movies; alas, perhaps the concise summaries of these projects is precisely due to their stalled productions, or the auteur’s fear of disclosing too much should he one day get to see their fruition. We can only hope, because Meat Market sounds very intriguing.
Highly recommended for any GDT fan, or anybody who has an interest in making horror/dark fantasy movies, for that matter.
July 21, 2020
Guillermo del Toro is a very visual storyteller. His films are all a visual treat where every frame seems to be exquisitely crafted and they depend very little on dialogue. This interesting book offers some insight into his creative process, his ideas, and his inspirations. It starts with tour of his "Bleak House" where he houses all his artistic and literary collections and which he also uses as his studio. There are interviews that provide an insight into Guillermo's views on the medium of films and his artistic and literary inspirations. There is a chapter each dealing with each of his films and also his unfinished projects which are very fascinating as they contain many original sketches and writings from his personal notebooks dealing with the design process, his colour choices and how the final designs evolved. I especially loved the ones on Hellboy movies and Pan's Labyrinth. I am surprised by how much attention Guillermo pays to the smallest of details in his designs.
January 22, 2018
This book was fascinating. It is filled with images of Guillermo del Toro’s notebooks and of the Bleak House, along with interviews with del Toro and kind words from those he’s worked with. I thoroughly enjoyed the sneak peek into the mind of one of my favorite directors.
4.5 Stars
4.5 Stars
October 3, 2019
Writer-director Guillermo del Toro opens his Cabinet of Curiosities & gives us some insight into his life & work. I like some of del Toro's films, but I am not a big fan of his to be honest. However, a friend of mine lent me this book & I really quite enjoyed it.
Pan's Labyrinth & Hellboy (the original-not the poor sequels) are my favourite del Toro films, but even ones I find dull like Cronos are a visual treat. One amazing thing in this book are the photographs of Guillermo del Toro's house & these make the book worth getting on their own. It's a place full of film memorabilia & some truly incredible life size statues.
This book would appeal to any big fans of del Toro, or even a little fan like myself & is full of excellent photographs, drawings & an informative text.
For a book about del Toro it certainly isn't a load of bull.
Pan's Labyrinth & Hellboy (the original-not the poor sequels) are my favourite del Toro films, but even ones I find dull like Cronos are a visual treat. One amazing thing in this book are the photographs of Guillermo del Toro's house & these make the book worth getting on their own. It's a place full of film memorabilia & some truly incredible life size statues.
This book would appeal to any big fans of del Toro, or even a little fan like myself & is full of excellent photographs, drawings & an informative text.
For a book about del Toro it certainly isn't a load of bull.
November 5, 2013
If you are a fan of Shattered Ravings, then you know already that I love Special Features. Watching the Making Of and other featurettes lets me get into the minds of the directors and other creative forces behind these productions and see where their inspirations come from. This is one of my favorite things. So when I learned one of my idols, Guillermo del Toro, had put out a book that featured some of his private notebooks, I knew I had to check it out. And I’m so thankful I got the opportunity to do so. This huge book is the Holy Grail of a genius filmmaker and lets us peek into one of the most imaginative minds of the new century.
When this book came in the mail, I was almost stunned by its size. I knew it was a big book, but wow...I didn’t know it was this big. And that is certainly not a complaint, either. There’s a wealth of knowledge crammed into this tome and it is something every fan of cinema should own.
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is not just a collection of sketches or notes about del Toro’s films; it is something far better. This is a glimpse into a master’s mind, a small sliver of the place where PACIFIC RIM, PAN’S LABYRINTH, and CRONOS came from. And it is amazing. While reading through this book, I felt like Alice as she ventured through Wonderland: I didn’t know what to expect around the next bend or corner, but I knew it would be extraordinary.
In addition to reading excerpts from his journals about each film he’s made, we also get to explore his house and see what inspires his muse. Then, towards the end of the book, we get to see a bit of his Unfinished Projects collection, where he houses up and coming titles that have yet to be completed. I don’t want to say too much more about this book, because you simply have to read through it to understand why I’m gushing about it.
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is an awesome book, and every aspiring filmmaker and/or writer should own a copy of it. Not only do we get an inside look at del Toro’s brain, but we get a behind the scenes glance at where he makes his magic as well. If you’re a fan of cinema or simply good storytelling, snatch this one up today. You won’t be disappointed.
When this book came in the mail, I was almost stunned by its size. I knew it was a big book, but wow...I didn’t know it was this big. And that is certainly not a complaint, either. There’s a wealth of knowledge crammed into this tome and it is something every fan of cinema should own.
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is not just a collection of sketches or notes about del Toro’s films; it is something far better. This is a glimpse into a master’s mind, a small sliver of the place where PACIFIC RIM, PAN’S LABYRINTH, and CRONOS came from. And it is amazing. While reading through this book, I felt like Alice as she ventured through Wonderland: I didn’t know what to expect around the next bend or corner, but I knew it would be extraordinary.
In addition to reading excerpts from his journals about each film he’s made, we also get to explore his house and see what inspires his muse. Then, towards the end of the book, we get to see a bit of his Unfinished Projects collection, where he houses up and coming titles that have yet to be completed. I don’t want to say too much more about this book, because you simply have to read through it to understand why I’m gushing about it.
CABINET OF CURIOSITIES is an awesome book, and every aspiring filmmaker and/or writer should own a copy of it. Not only do we get an inside look at del Toro’s brain, but we get a behind the scenes glance at where he makes his magic as well. If you’re a fan of cinema or simply good storytelling, snatch this one up today. You won’t be disappointed.
January 26, 2014
I honestly didn't think I could be more of a Guillermo del Toro fan than I already was. But this compulsively readable and gorgeously designed book ended up enhancing my appreciation for his particular kind of genius many times over. Unlike the Wes Anderson book, which came out around the same time and is also very pretty to look at, this volume gives real insight into an artist's ideas, ambitions, methods, and sensibilities. The result isn't just the best film book of 2013, but the finest of its kind in many years.
February 11, 2024
وكأنها قصة واحدة بنفس الأبطال والوحوش والرعب، لكنها اتخذت مسمى مختلفًا في كل قصة. جميع الأبطال في موقف غريب مريب مع أشياء معلومة او غير محددة 🤷 المسلسل عالج القصص بحرفية وجعلها بديعة ومخيفة. يبدو أن لدي مشكلة ولا أتعلم من اخطائي مع انتاجات Netflix المقتبسة عن روايات رعب قديمة للغاية مثل: أشباح عزبة بلاي، وسكنى منزل التل وهذا الكتاب. أنا مني لله 🙆🏻♀️
خيبة أمل كبيرة 💀
تقييمي: ⭐⭐ أخر قصة رفعت التقييم عشان أنا بخاف من الفئران 😬
خيبة أمل كبيرة 💀
تقييمي: ⭐⭐ أخر قصة رفعت التقييم عشان أنا بخاف من الفئران 😬
June 26, 2014
This book is a remarkable glimpse into the singular and visionary world of Guillermo del Toro, truly a creative renaissance man. Each page is filled with marvel upon marvel, from a jaw-dropping photo tour of his house/art gallery/funhouse named Bleak House to pages from his meticulous notebooks of art and writings from all his past films (and tantalizingly unmade ones). The bulk of the text is an extensive interview with del Toro on all aspects of his creative works and inspirations, which is also peppered with glowing testimonials from the likes of other creative luminaries such as James Cameron, Alfonso Cuaron, Adam Savage, Neil Gaiman, Ron Perlman, and others. I haven't even read the whole thing since there's so much to digest, but this is a 5 star book through and through. Even if you're not a fan, you should borrow this from your local library, flip through the pages, and let your mind be sucked into his world.
August 29, 2019
I want to set a background for my review with a personal story:
Back in October 1999, I was one of many attendees to the Austin Screenwriter’s Conference and Film Festival. One of the sessions that made my “must attend” list was on writing suspense. Four guests were on the panel. I was aware of Guillermo del Toro having seen “Cronos” and “Mimic.” However, to be completely honest, I was there to see Joseph Stefano.
As the session progressed, I became fascinated by del Toro. Indeed, well over two-thirds of my notes were from his comments. When the Q & A time arrived, I just had to ask him about MIMIC ... specifically, putting children in danger. Del Toro smiled as he explained his rationale, causing me to blurt out, “Yes, but you killed them!” After the briefest pause, del Toro let out a hearty laugh.
You see, it was an industry taboo to kill children in movies. Yet, Guillermo del Toro did it in his film, and he was completely unapologetic if it was not done for sensationalism and if it strengthened the story. I wrote down in big block letters in my notebook, DEFY CONVENTION.
The next morning, I saw del Toro checking out of the hotel. I waited until he was done and then sincerely thanked him for his observations and perspectives at the seminar session. I was pleased to see that he recognized me, yet far more pleased when he smiled, shook my hand and said, “You get it.”
My head was bouncing off of the ceiling for the remainder of the conference ... and I had a new “Favorite Director.”
I mention this not to name-drop or brag, but to give you a sense of the man I encountered. I wasn’t “anybody.” He was one of two Official Guests I encountered who didn’t recognize status as a reason to talk with someone. (The other was the actress, Karen Black. I rode an elevator with her!) We were two people who loved film, and that was reason enough to talk. I’ve never forgotten his generosity.
In the book, GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, I learned that he had even more examples of the lesson he taught me at the conference: The importance of being Authentic. Yes, there’s much to enjoy here as a background to his films and his creative process. However, what really struck me was how he determines to live his life based on who he is and what is important to him ... rather than jumping at the beckonings of the power brokers in the film industry. (At one point, he turns down highly lucrative offers to direct one of the “X-Men” and “Men In Black” movies in order to finish “Pan’s Labyrinth” ... and he was heavily in debt.)
This is not to say that he will not listen to others or will refuse to compromise. It’s just that he is particularly attuned to his connection to his Art, and to deny it is to deny himself.
In the book, the Reader is invited to Bleak House, a huge collection of artifacts and mementos that offer personal inspiration and reference material. Even only looking at the photographs brought strong emotional connections to mind of films and stories that I loved. Bleak House becomes a physical entryway into the mind of Guillermo del Toro ... not too unlike a literal version of “Being John Malkovich.”
Then, there are the excerpts from the notebooks. Inside them, the Reader sees sketches, random thoughts, production ideas, and fascinating tidbits that are consulted during the creation process of formal productions. Honestly, I was lost a number of times because del Toro will have thoughts about multiple projects at once. So, comments about “Hellboy” may also have ideas for “Pan��s Labyrinth” folded in among them. Even so, it was intriguing to see how stray considerations solidified into a fully realized project.
As of this writing, I believe I have seen all of Guillermo del Toro’s filmed works since “Cronos” with the exception of the television mini-series and book, “The Strain.” Only two have left me cold and indifferent ... and wouldn’t you know that they are his favorites, the “Hellboy” movies. At some point, I should go back and look at them again.
And that is a major point. Del Toro mentions his belief that no matter how many times a person watches a movie, the same film is never seen twice. That has certainly been the case in my life. It is not merely becoming aware of something I had missed before. It is also that I am not exactly the same person each time. (I remember loathing Bertolucci’s “The Dreamers” the first time I saw it. Now, it is one of my favorite films.) If we let them, movies can be a fluid Art that helps us define who we are.
I am grateful to have read this book. Recently, I’ve been facing some challenges in which the number of compromises I’d been making had me feeling that I was being unfaithful to myself. GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES reminded me of that important lesson learned years ago in Austin ... be Authentic.
Back in October 1999, I was one of many attendees to the Austin Screenwriter’s Conference and Film Festival. One of the sessions that made my “must attend” list was on writing suspense. Four guests were on the panel. I was aware of Guillermo del Toro having seen “Cronos” and “Mimic.” However, to be completely honest, I was there to see Joseph Stefano.
As the session progressed, I became fascinated by del Toro. Indeed, well over two-thirds of my notes were from his comments. When the Q & A time arrived, I just had to ask him about MIMIC ... specifically, putting children in danger. Del Toro smiled as he explained his rationale, causing me to blurt out, “Yes, but you killed them!” After the briefest pause, del Toro let out a hearty laugh.
You see, it was an industry taboo to kill children in movies. Yet, Guillermo del Toro did it in his film, and he was completely unapologetic if it was not done for sensationalism and if it strengthened the story. I wrote down in big block letters in my notebook, DEFY CONVENTION.
The next morning, I saw del Toro checking out of the hotel. I waited until he was done and then sincerely thanked him for his observations and perspectives at the seminar session. I was pleased to see that he recognized me, yet far more pleased when he smiled, shook my hand and said, “You get it.”
My head was bouncing off of the ceiling for the remainder of the conference ... and I had a new “Favorite Director.”
I mention this not to name-drop or brag, but to give you a sense of the man I encountered. I wasn’t “anybody.” He was one of two Official Guests I encountered who didn’t recognize status as a reason to talk with someone. (The other was the actress, Karen Black. I rode an elevator with her!) We were two people who loved film, and that was reason enough to talk. I’ve never forgotten his generosity.
In the book, GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES, I learned that he had even more examples of the lesson he taught me at the conference: The importance of being Authentic. Yes, there’s much to enjoy here as a background to his films and his creative process. However, what really struck me was how he determines to live his life based on who he is and what is important to him ... rather than jumping at the beckonings of the power brokers in the film industry. (At one point, he turns down highly lucrative offers to direct one of the “X-Men” and “Men In Black” movies in order to finish “Pan’s Labyrinth” ... and he was heavily in debt.)
This is not to say that he will not listen to others or will refuse to compromise. It’s just that he is particularly attuned to his connection to his Art, and to deny it is to deny himself.
In the book, the Reader is invited to Bleak House, a huge collection of artifacts and mementos that offer personal inspiration and reference material. Even only looking at the photographs brought strong emotional connections to mind of films and stories that I loved. Bleak House becomes a physical entryway into the mind of Guillermo del Toro ... not too unlike a literal version of “Being John Malkovich.”
Then, there are the excerpts from the notebooks. Inside them, the Reader sees sketches, random thoughts, production ideas, and fascinating tidbits that are consulted during the creation process of formal productions. Honestly, I was lost a number of times because del Toro will have thoughts about multiple projects at once. So, comments about “Hellboy” may also have ideas for “Pan��s Labyrinth” folded in among them. Even so, it was intriguing to see how stray considerations solidified into a fully realized project.
As of this writing, I believe I have seen all of Guillermo del Toro’s filmed works since “Cronos” with the exception of the television mini-series and book, “The Strain.” Only two have left me cold and indifferent ... and wouldn’t you know that they are his favorites, the “Hellboy” movies. At some point, I should go back and look at them again.
And that is a major point. Del Toro mentions his belief that no matter how many times a person watches a movie, the same film is never seen twice. That has certainly been the case in my life. It is not merely becoming aware of something I had missed before. It is also that I am not exactly the same person each time. (I remember loathing Bertolucci’s “The Dreamers” the first time I saw it. Now, it is one of my favorite films.) If we let them, movies can be a fluid Art that helps us define who we are.
I am grateful to have read this book. Recently, I’ve been facing some challenges in which the number of compromises I’d been making had me feeling that I was being unfaithful to myself. GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S CABINET OF CURIOSITIES reminded me of that important lesson learned years ago in Austin ... be Authentic.
June 10, 2024
متحف الغرائب
اربع قصص رعب كلاسيكي
حبيت اوي و اتشديت مع القصه الثالثه و الرابعه تشويق عالي خصوصا الرابعه لكن بالنسبه للقصه الاولي و الثانيه رغم اني من محبين ادب الرعب لكن محبتش اوي النوع ده من الرعب
بالنسبه للترجمه اكتر من هايله و واضح مجهود البحث حبيت جدا توضيح الاحداث و المعلومات التي ذكرتها المترجمه في الهوامش
تقييمي للقصص ٣/٥
تقييمي للترجمه ٥/٥
اتمنالك التوفيق دائما و منتظره عمل اخر خصوصا مع البدايه المشجعه جدا جدا 🥰
اربع قصص رعب كلاسيكي
حبيت اوي و اتشديت مع القصه الثالثه و الرابعه تشويق عالي خصوصا الرابعه لكن بالنسبه للقصه الاولي و الثانيه رغم اني من محبين ادب الرعب لكن محبتش اوي النوع ده من الرعب
بالنسبه للترجمه اكتر من هايله و واضح مجهود البحث حبيت جدا توضيح الاحداث و المعلومات التي ذكرتها المترجمه في الهوامش
تقييمي للقصص ٣/٥
تقييمي للترجمه ٥/٥
اتمنالك التوفيق دائما و منتظره عمل اخر خصوصا مع البدايه المشجعه جدا جدا 🥰
April 8, 2015
Guillermo del Toro's my favorite director mainly due to the 'Hellboy' films, 'Pan's Labyrinth', the 42 steps beyond incredible 'Pacific Rim' and his total persistence in not letting his dream of filming "At the Mountains of Madness" die. (Not to mention the countless films he's produced, executively-produced or co-written.)
Well, 'Cabinet of Curiosities' only adds to my man-crush of del Toro. Peeking into his notebooks is entertaining to no end with all of the drawings which populate his notes and help him ultimately flesh his movie ideas into shape. The look inside Bleak House, basically his creative control center, where he houses room upon room of fantasy and horror memorabilia is almost sensory overload for a geek like me.
A fascinating look into one of the most creative guys to roll through Hollywood in ages.
Well, 'Cabinet of Curiosities' only adds to my man-crush of del Toro. Peeking into his notebooks is entertaining to no end with all of the drawings which populate his notes and help him ultimately flesh his movie ideas into shape. The look inside Bleak House, basically his creative control center, where he houses room upon room of fantasy and horror memorabilia is almost sensory overload for a geek like me.
A fascinating look into one of the most creative guys to roll through Hollywood in ages.
December 20, 2013
This is a look at the director's notebooks in which he plots and sketches his projects, as well as his second home that he works out of and uses to store his insane collection of fantasy/monster/movie paraphernalia. It's a fascinating peek into an immensely creative mind.
That said, Pacific Rim really should have been better.
That said, Pacific Rim really should have been better.
April 26, 2018
Top 10 Fav Del Toro films in order:
Pan's Labyrinth
The Devil's Backbone
The Orphanage
Julia's Eyes
Mama
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Hellboy
Crimson Peak
Blade II
The Shape of Water
Pan's Labyrinth
The Devil's Backbone
The Orphanage
Julia's Eyes
Mama
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Hellboy
Crimson Peak
Blade II
The Shape of Water
June 10, 2020
Admiro mucho el trabajo de Guillermo del Toro, y es fascinante su colección de objetos y sus libretas de apuntes. El libro trata de tener un poco de orden, presentándonos primero la casa y luego siguiendo los cuadernos de película en película, pero como Del Toro mezcla todo, el orden es casi imposible. Me gustaron los comentarios de gente que ha trabajado con el director, como Pearlman, Mignola e incluso Tom Cruise. El único aspecto que no me gustó, o que más bien me desesperó, es que cuando se analizan algunas páginas de notas, Guillermo hace énfasis en ciertos comentarios y dibujos, y algunos otros se los pasa por alto, pero resulta que muchos de los que comenta no me interesaban mucho, y otros que ignora me interesaba saber sobre ellos. Salvo esos detalles, es un interesantísimo viaje a la mente, imaginación y trabajo de un extraordinario director.
October 14, 2025
من وجهه نظري المسلسل أفضل بكتير من الرواية لأنها نسخه طبق الأصل منه بل المسلسل أحسن كمان.
January 17, 2024
Man-cave. | Nightmares transformed into visual storytelling.
Forward by James Cameron: "Guillermo del Toro's notebooks have been compared to the codices of da Vinci for good reason: Both are representations of the creative process of a genius unique in his time and perhaps in all time... His notebooks are a map of the subconscious, and his films doorways into the dungeons of our dreams, allowing us to confront our own individual hearts of darkness, to do battle and emerge victorious." (p. 8)
" "Fifty percent of the storytelling in a movie is submerged beneath the screenplay," he says. In other words, the vast freight of meaning lies in the tension between what we can and cannot control, in the play between the conscious, the subconscious, and the unconscious. "In the symbolic and Jungian sense, and in every sense," he adds, " I am interested by surface and beneath." " (p. 13)
He is an omnivore. "I am influenced by literature as much as I am by comics, and by fine art as much as I am by so-called low-brow." (p. 19)
"In designing his notebooks, Guillermo was intent on rendering flaws into the weave, deliberate stains and blemishes. "In the end," he says, "perfection is just a concept - an impossibility we use to torture ourselves and that contradicts nature." (p. 24)
"It's really important in our life to have talismans... You have to imbue things that surround you with power." (p. 24)
"Bleak House is Guillermo's second home and working office, his artistic masterpiece, his cluttered attic, his pride and joy. It's where he goes to draw and write, to recharge his batteries, to explore unfettered his creative whims." (p. 31)
"What I was trying to do in the third notebook, in particular, was make it feel like a found object... I found the right color for the blood, and I thought it looked good to have it, so that it started to look like a found grimoire." (p. 72)
"Before I start shooting a movie, I read all the notebooks. They travel with me. I consider the notebooks a catalog, and that's why I try to explain to people that these are not necessarily the thoughts of a linear thinker. They're the opposite. The notebooks are a catalog - like a mail-order catalog of ideas that I turn to when I'm low on ideas... I've always got five projects because, statistically, if you have a number of projects, one eventually happens... [With the notebooks] I can keep the ideas and projects alive that way." (p. 73)
Neil Gaiman says, "If ever anyone had brought anything back from the place where we dream, those notebooks were it." (p. 104)
► Piranesi: The Etchings by Luigi Ficacci – architecture, imagination, ruins
► Berenice Abbott: Changing New York by Bonnie Yochelson & Berenice Abbott – photography, documentary, new york
► Sketch and Finish: The Journey from Here to There by Milton Glaser – sketching, ideas, process
► The Art of Howl's Moving Castle by Hayao Miyazaki – animation, emergence, research
Forward by James Cameron: "Guillermo del Toro's notebooks have been compared to the codices of da Vinci for good reason: Both are representations of the creative process of a genius unique in his time and perhaps in all time... His notebooks are a map of the subconscious, and his films doorways into the dungeons of our dreams, allowing us to confront our own individual hearts of darkness, to do battle and emerge victorious." (p. 8)
" "Fifty percent of the storytelling in a movie is submerged beneath the screenplay," he says. In other words, the vast freight of meaning lies in the tension between what we can and cannot control, in the play between the conscious, the subconscious, and the unconscious. "In the symbolic and Jungian sense, and in every sense," he adds, " I am interested by surface and beneath." " (p. 13)
He is an omnivore. "I am influenced by literature as much as I am by comics, and by fine art as much as I am by so-called low-brow." (p. 19)
"In designing his notebooks, Guillermo was intent on rendering flaws into the weave, deliberate stains and blemishes. "In the end," he says, "perfection is just a concept - an impossibility we use to torture ourselves and that contradicts nature." (p. 24)
"It's really important in our life to have talismans... You have to imbue things that surround you with power." (p. 24)
"Bleak House is Guillermo's second home and working office, his artistic masterpiece, his cluttered attic, his pride and joy. It's where he goes to draw and write, to recharge his batteries, to explore unfettered his creative whims." (p. 31)
"What I was trying to do in the third notebook, in particular, was make it feel like a found object... I found the right color for the blood, and I thought it looked good to have it, so that it started to look like a found grimoire." (p. 72)
"Before I start shooting a movie, I read all the notebooks. They travel with me. I consider the notebooks a catalog, and that's why I try to explain to people that these are not necessarily the thoughts of a linear thinker. They're the opposite. The notebooks are a catalog - like a mail-order catalog of ideas that I turn to when I'm low on ideas... I've always got five projects because, statistically, if you have a number of projects, one eventually happens... [With the notebooks] I can keep the ideas and projects alive that way." (p. 73)
Neil Gaiman says, "If ever anyone had brought anything back from the place where we dream, those notebooks were it." (p. 104)
► Piranesi: The Etchings by Luigi Ficacci – architecture, imagination, ruins
► Berenice Abbott: Changing New York by Bonnie Yochelson & Berenice Abbott – photography, documentary, new york
► Sketch and Finish: The Journey from Here to There by Milton Glaser – sketching, ideas, process
► The Art of Howl's Moving Castle by Hayao Miyazaki – animation, emergence, research
February 2, 2024
مجموعة قصصية
من عدة قصص
نموذج بيكمان
احلام فى منزل الساحرة
الغريب
ال 3 ل H.P.LoveCraft
قراتنموذج بيكمان
سابقا في نداء كتولو
ترجمة د احمد خالد توفيق ..الله يرحمه ترجمة ممتازة و اسمها "موديل بيكمان" و ليس نموذج بيكمان و هى الترجمة الادق
احلام فى منزل الساحرة قرأتها سابق فى المجموعة
(الأعمال الكاملة لافكرافت (الجزء الأول
قصة ال الغريب
هى تقريبا القصة لالوحيدة ل لافكرافت فى هذه المجموعة التى لم اقرؤها من قبل
فيها twist
فى آخر سطر "آخر جملة"
فئران المقبرة
ل Henry Kuttner
تحذير للبنات اللاتي يخفن من الفئران لا تقرأي هذه القصة
و لا قصة
وردية منتصف الليل
من المجموعة القصصية
وردية الليل
ل Stephen King
فرحت جدا حينما وجدت مجموعة قصصية جديدة لم أقرؤها فيها قصص ل لافكرافت
و تهاوت احلامي للارض حينما وجدتها نفس القصص من مجموعات قصصية سابقة
لا جديد....اللهم الا ترضية اخيرة ب قصة
فئران المقبرة
ل Henry Kuttner
الكتاب القادم : ميت مطلوب للشهادة عن الطب الشرعي
من عدة قصص
نموذج بيكمان
احلام فى منزل الساحرة
الغريب
ال 3 ل H.P.LoveCraft
قراتنموذج بيكمان
سابقا في نداء كتولو
ترجمة د احمد خالد توفيق ..الله يرحمه ترجمة ممتازة و اسمها "موديل بيكمان" و ليس نموذج بيكمان و هى الترجمة الادق
احلام فى منزل الساحرة قرأتها سابق فى المجموعة
(الأعمال الكاملة لافكرافت (الجزء الأول
قصة ال الغريب
هى تقريبا القصة لالوحيدة ل لافكرافت فى هذه المجموعة التى لم اقرؤها من قبل
فيها twist
فى آخر سطر "آخر جملة"
فئران المقبرة
ل Henry Kuttner
تحذير للبنات اللاتي يخفن من الفئران لا تقرأي هذه القصة
و لا قصة
وردية منتصف الليل
من المجموعة القصصية
وردية الليل
ل Stephen King
فرحت جدا حينما وجدت مجموعة قصصية جديدة لم أقرؤها فيها قصص ل لافكرافت
و تهاوت احلامي للارض حينما وجدتها نفس القصص من مجموعات قصصية سابقة
لا جديد....اللهم الا ترضية اخيرة ب قصة
فئران المقبرة
ل Henry Kuttner
الكتاب القادم : ميت مطلوب للشهادة عن الطب الشرعي
May 21, 2024
"يوفر خيال الرعب بيئة آمنة إلى حد كبير لتجربة مشاعر الخوف الحادة والمكثفة. يتيح التعامل مع الروايات المخيفة للافراد بتجربة مجموعة من المشاعر في سياق آمن "
رواية "متحف الغرائب" هو مجموعة قصصية تم تحويلها إلى مسلسل تلفزيوني من إخراج جييرمو ديل تورو على شبكة نتفليكس. تستعرض هذه المجموعة، إلى جانب مقدمة تحليلية، أربع قصص قصيرة، ثلاث منها بقلم هوارد فيليبس لافكرافت وواحدة من تأليف هنري كوتنر.
القصة الاولى نموذج بیکمان:
هذه القصة تركز على الرعب الكامن في الفنون البصرية. تحكي عن فنان يرسم لوحات شيطانية تثير الفزع والرعب في نفوس من يشاهدها. يكتشف القارئ تدريجياً أن هذه اللوحات ليست مجرد أعمال فنية، بل بوابات إلى عوالم مظلمة مليئة بالرعب والهول.
القصة الثانية أحلام في منزل الساحرة:
تأخذنا هذه القصة إلى تجربة شنيعة حيث يختلط الواقع بالحلم في منزل قديم. كان هذا المنزل مأوى لساحرة تمارس أبشع طقوس السحر الأسود. تتميز هذه القصة بجوها الكابوسي والتوتر المستمر، وتعد واحدة من أجمل قصص الكتاب، حيث تترك القارئ في حالة من الترقب والرعب.
القصة الثالثة الغريب:
تدور أحداث هذه القصة حول اكتشاف شخص ما لممر غريب داخل قصر قديم. يقوده هذا الممر إلى كشف مروع عن نفسه، حيث يكتشف حقائق مرعبة تقلب حياته رأساً على عقب. تتميز القصة بجوها الغامض واكتشافاتها المفاجئة.
القصة الرابعة فئران المقبرة:
هذه القصة من تأليف هنري كوتنر، وتعتبر من أجمل قصص الكتاب. تحكي عن حارس مقبرة ينبش القبور لسرقة متعلقات الأموات. يقوده جشعه إلى مواجهة أهوال لا قبل له بها، حيث يكتشف أن هناك ما هو أكثر رعباً في المقابر من مجرد الموتى.
ما أعجبني في هذه الرواية هو قدرتها على إثارة الخوف ليس فقط من خلال الأحداث المخيفة، بل من خلال الغوص في النفس البشرية ومخاوفها الأعمق. القصص تجعلك تشعر وكأنك تعيش التجارب نفسها، مما يضفي على القراءة بعداً واقعياً مرعباً.
تحفة أدبية ��عكس مهارة الكاتبين في دمج الفلسفة بالرعب. تحويلها إلى مسلسل تلفزيوني من قبل جييرمو ديل تورو يعد دليلاً على تأثيرها الكبير وأهميتها في أدب الرعب.
أنصح ب قراءتها لكل عشاق أدب الرعب والغموض 🔥
رواية "متحف الغرائب" هو مجموعة قصصية تم تحويلها إلى مسلسل تلفزيوني من إخراج جييرمو ديل تورو على شبكة نتفليكس. تستعرض هذه المجموعة، إلى جانب مقدمة تحليلية، أربع قصص قصيرة، ثلاث منها بقلم هوارد فيليبس لافكرافت وواحدة من تأليف هنري كوتنر.
القصة الاولى نموذج بیکمان:
هذه القصة تركز على الرعب الكامن في الفنون البصرية. تحكي عن فنان يرسم لوحات شيطانية تثير الفزع والرعب في نفوس من يشاهدها. يكتشف القارئ تدريجياً أن هذه اللوحات ليست مجرد أعمال فنية، بل بوابات إلى عوالم مظلمة مليئة بالرعب والهول.
القصة الثانية أحلام في منزل الساحرة:
تأخذنا هذه القصة إلى تجربة شنيعة حيث يختلط الواقع بالحلم في منزل قديم. كان هذا المنزل مأوى لساحرة تمارس أبشع طقوس السحر الأسود. تتميز هذه القصة بجوها الكابوسي والتوتر المستمر، وتعد واحدة من أجمل قصص الكتاب، حيث تترك القارئ في حالة من الترقب والرعب.
القصة الثالثة الغريب:
تدور أحداث هذه القصة حول اكتشاف شخص ما لممر غريب داخل قصر قديم. يقوده هذا الممر إلى كشف مروع عن نفسه، حيث يكتشف حقائق مرعبة تقلب حياته رأساً على عقب. تتميز القصة بجوها الغامض واكتشافاتها المفاجئة.
القصة الرابعة فئران المقبرة:
هذه القصة من تأليف هنري كوتنر، وتعتبر من أجمل قصص الكتاب. تحكي عن حارس مقبرة ينبش القبور لسرقة متعلقات الأموات. يقوده جشعه إلى مواجهة أهوال لا قبل له بها، حيث يكتشف أن هناك ما هو أكثر رعباً في المقابر من مجرد الموتى.
ما أعجبني في هذه الرواية هو قدرتها على إثارة الخوف ليس فقط من خلال الأحداث المخيفة، بل من خلال الغوص في النفس البشرية ومخاوفها الأعمق. القصص تجعلك تشعر وكأنك تعيش التجارب نفسها، مما يضفي على القراءة بعداً واقعياً مرعباً.
تحفة أدبية ��عكس مهارة الكاتبين في دمج الفلسفة بالرعب. تحويلها إلى مسلسل تلفزيوني من قبل جييرمو ديل تورو يعد دليلاً على تأثيرها الكبير وأهميتها في أدب الرعب.
أنصح ب قراءتها لكل عشاق أدب الرعب والغموض 🔥
January 30, 2024
تقييم الترجمة
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
لا أعرف ان كانت هذه هى التجربة الأولى للمترجمة أم أن لها محاولات سابقة ، لكن كل ما أستطيع قوله هو أن هذه الترجمة جيدة جداً ، لماذا ؟
لافكرافت كتاباته ثقيلة الوطء وتحتاج إلى ذائقة خاصة حتى يمكنك أن تخرج بالمتعة المطلوبة بعد القراءة فما بالك بترجمتها ؟. من تُقدم ترجمة بهذه الجودة لكاتب من العيار الثقيل جداً فهى تملك من الذكاء والذائقة المتميزة ما يجعلنى أوجه لها تحية كبيرة على هذا الجهد الواضح فى ايصال المعنى المطلوب للقارىء بسهولة ودون تعقيدات لغوية
----------------------------
تقييم الكتاب
⭐⭐⭐⭐
هذه المجموعة القصصية تم تحويلها إلى مسلسل تلفزيونى من إخراج المخرج الشهير جييرمو ديل تورو على شبكة نتفليكس الأمريكية. هيا بنا نتعرف على محتوى الكتاب من الناحية الأدبية
يحتوى الكتاب على مقدمه تتمثل فى شكل دراسة عن لماذا ينجذب الناس لأدب وأفلام الرعب بشكل عام ويناقش أهم الأسباب وراء هذه الظاهرة
بعد هذا ننتقل إلى أربع قصص قصيرة ، ثلاثة منها من تأليف لاڤكرافت نستعرضها كالتالى
- نموذج بيكمان
تدور حول الرعب الكامن فى اللوحات الفنية من خلال فنان يقوم برسم لوحات شيطانية تبث الفزع والهول فيمن يشاهدها
- أحلام فى منزل الساحرة
نخوض تجربة شنيعة يختلط فيها الواقع بالحلم فى منزل قديم كانت تقطنه ساحرة تمارس أبشع طقوس السحر الأسود. فى رأيي الشخصي هى أجمل قصص الكتاب بدون شك
- الغريب
قصة قصيرة عن اكتشاف شخص ما لممر غريب داخل قصر قديم يقوده إلى كشف مروع عن نفسه
القصة الرابعة وهى من تأليف كوتنر وتحمل اسم ( فئران المقبرة ) وهى من أجمل قصص الكتاب وتدور حول حارس مقبرة ينبش المقابر لسرقة متعلقات الأموات وهذا يقوده إلى هول لا قِبل له به
الكتاب يحتاج إلى محب حقيقي لأدب الرعب ويحتاج إلى قراءة مركزة حتى تستطيع تذوق القصص. اذا كنت من هذا النوع فهذا الكتاب لك بكل تأكيد
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
لا أعرف ان كانت هذه هى التجربة الأولى للمترجمة أم أن لها محاولات سابقة ، لكن كل ما أستطيع قوله هو أن هذه الترجمة جيدة جداً ، لماذا ؟
لافكرافت كتاباته ثقيلة الوطء وتحتاج إلى ذائقة خاصة حتى يمكنك أن تخرج بالمتعة المطلوبة بعد القراءة فما بالك بترجمتها ؟. من تُقدم ترجمة بهذه الجودة لكاتب من العيار الثقيل جداً فهى تملك من الذكاء والذائقة المتميزة ما يجعلنى أوجه لها تحية كبيرة على هذا الجهد الواضح فى ايصال المعنى المطلوب للقارىء بسهولة ودون تعقيدات لغوية
----------------------------
تقييم الكتاب
⭐⭐⭐⭐
هذه المجموعة القصصية تم تحويلها إلى مسلسل تلفزيونى من إخراج المخرج الشهير جييرمو ديل تورو على شبكة نتفليكس الأمريكية. هيا بنا نتعرف على محتوى الكتاب من الناحية الأدبية
يحتوى الكتاب على مقدمه تتمثل فى شكل دراسة عن لماذا ينجذب الناس لأدب وأفلام الرعب بشكل عام ويناقش أهم الأسباب وراء هذه الظاهرة
بعد هذا ننتقل إلى أربع قصص قصيرة ، ثلاثة منها من تأليف لاڤكرافت نستعرضها كالتالى
- نموذج بيكمان
تدور حول الرعب الكامن فى اللوحات الفنية من خلال فنان يقوم برسم لوحات شيطانية تبث الفزع والهول فيمن يشاهدها
- أحلام فى منزل الساحرة
نخوض تجربة شنيعة يختلط فيها الواقع بالحلم فى منزل قديم كانت تقطنه ساحرة تمارس أبشع طقوس السحر الأسود. فى رأيي الشخصي هى أجمل قصص الكتاب بدون شك
- الغريب
قصة قصيرة عن اكتشاف شخص ما لممر غريب داخل قصر قديم يقوده إلى كشف مروع عن نفسه
القصة الرابعة وهى من تأليف كوتنر وتحمل اسم ( فئران المقبرة ) وهى من أجمل قصص الكتاب وتدور حول حارس مقبرة ينبش المقابر لسرقة متعلقات الأموات وهذا يقوده إلى هول لا قِبل له به
الكتاب يحتاج إلى محب حقيقي لأدب الرعب ويحتاج إلى قراءة مركزة حتى تستطيع تذوق القصص. اذا كنت من هذا النوع فهذا الكتاب لك بكل تأكيد
April 13, 2024
أذكر محادثة لي مع واحد من أصدقائي، مفادها أن ترجمات لافكرافت سيئة لدرجة دمرت عالم الرجل الثري، ووسمت الترجمات اللاحقة لها لكن الوضع هنا جد مختلف.
لافكرافت مولع بالتفاصيل، يبدو سرده هذيانًا متصلًا لا أول له ولا أخر، لكنه مشبع بالأشياء الساحرة التي لا يمكنك تجاوزها. نجحت ماريا بدقة- اغبطها عليها كمترجم زميل- على فك شيفرة هذا الهذيان، عالمة ما يريده ذلك العقل العظيم وبدقة متناهية.
مجموعة قصصية شديدة اللطف، كل ما بها جذاب بدأ من الغلاف، مرورًا باختيار القصص وبتقديم سهيلة الجميل عن أدب الرعب وعلاقة الوعي البشري به، انتهائًا بأسلوب ماريا السلسل العذب، الذي جعل كل قصة معزوفة ضائعة استردتها لنا من سيمفونيات لافكرافت الضائعة.
أعجبتني قصة الغريب، تليها أحلام منزل الساحرات. أحببتُ استخدام كوتنر لذات التيمات رغم كونه ربما أكثر وحشية من لافكرافت.
في النهاية هذا كتاب، صالح للقراءة السريعة أنصح به وبشدة
لافكرافت مولع بالتفاصيل، يبدو سرده هذيانًا متصلًا لا أول له ولا أخر، لكنه مشبع بالأشياء الساحرة التي لا يمكنك تجاوزها. نجحت ماريا بدقة- اغبطها عليها كمترجم زميل- على فك شيفرة هذا الهذيان، عالمة ما يريده ذلك العقل العظيم وبدقة متناهية.
مجموعة قصصية شديدة اللطف، كل ما بها جذاب بدأ من الغلاف، مرورًا باختيار القصص وبتقديم سهيلة الجميل عن أدب الرعب وعلاقة الوعي البشري به، انتهائًا بأسلوب ماريا السلسل العذب، الذي جعل كل قصة معزوفة ضائعة استردتها لنا من سيمفونيات لافكرافت الضائعة.
أعجبتني قصة الغريب، تليها أحلام منزل الساحرات. أحببتُ استخدام كوتنر لذات التيمات رغم كونه ربما أكثر وحشية من لافكرافت.
في النهاية هذا كتاب، صالح للقراءة السريعة أنصح به وبشدة
February 10, 2014
If you're a del Toro fan, this is like giving a junkie a lick from the spoon - but considering this is the next best thing to jacking directly into his brain to get a look at the workings of his mind, it's better than nothing... although I'd personally would've liked to see more from AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, but I guess it's not officially dead yet...
May 24, 2019
Del Toro was already my favorite director before reading this book, so I may be biased. But this is one of the most important books I've read as a writer.
Besides having a look over the creative process of Del Toro's masterpieces that go from Cronos to Pacific Rim, we have great interventions of other people who have worked or been influenced by Del Toro, such as James Cameron, Neil Gaiman, Tom Cruise, Ron Perlman and Mike Mignola.
For me, the most important part of the book was the first one, when Del Toro talks about color-coding his stories from the very beginning, and when he talks extensively about his greatest influences such as painters and classic writers.
The book is, for the most part, a very intimate interview that almost makes you feel you're beside Del Toro who's speaking you as a friend.
If you're into GDT, filmmaking, or even storytelling in general, this is a must-read.
Besides having a look over the creative process of Del Toro's masterpieces that go from Cronos to Pacific Rim, we have great interventions of other people who have worked or been influenced by Del Toro, such as James Cameron, Neil Gaiman, Tom Cruise, Ron Perlman and Mike Mignola.
For me, the most important part of the book was the first one, when Del Toro talks about color-coding his stories from the very beginning, and when he talks extensively about his greatest influences such as painters and classic writers.
The book is, for the most part, a very intimate interview that almost makes you feel you're beside Del Toro who's speaking you as a friend.
If you're into GDT, filmmaking, or even storytelling in general, this is a must-read.
February 5, 2025
٤ قصص قصيرة، ٣ كانت لـ لافكرافت و الأخيرة لهنري كوتنر عملاقان من عمالقة الكتابات السريالية المتميزة بطابع الخيال العلمي المرعب.
. يمكنني ان اراهما يخرجان من تحت جناح الغراب لادغار الين بوه مع ميول لافكرافت الى الاسطورية فكان اسلوب هنري اقرب لبوه
.
كل قصة كانت لها تأثير غريب في النفس، و كأنها تمتلك روحاً تتسلل اليك ايها القارئ، وتنثر سحرها السريالي وبرودتها القوطية في كيانك، يحيطك سديم ازرق يزداد مع الاسترسال في القراءة .
.
الغريب للوفكرافت و فئران المقبرة لهنري كوتنر كانتا المفضلتين لدي.
الاولى عن اكتشاف الذات من خلال اكتشاف العالم، بحبكة مثيرة و نهاية صادمة !
الثانية كأنها ملخص لحياة الانسان يسعى مدفوعاً بجشعه الى ان ينتهي بصندوق في حفرة يتوجها شاهد صخري باسمه و مدة حياته التاريخية، و لكن برعب الانفاق و الظلمات.
.
تشكر الكاتبة سهيلة ابراهيم على المقدمة التي احتوت شرحاً مختصراً، مشوق وواف لاسلوب كلاً من الكاتبين، يسبق الشرح علاقة الادب و تحديداً ادب الرعب بالانسان حيث تقول "ان الادب عامة مادة خام لأشكال الحياة: الواقعية، المتخيلة المرئية والمكتوبة المعيشة والمتوهمة. اي انها رحلة نفسية في المقام الاول يخوضها الانسان"
راق لي 👌🏻👽✨
. يمكنني ان اراهما يخرجان من تحت جناح الغراب لادغار الين بوه مع ميول لافكرافت الى الاسطورية فكان اسلوب هنري اقرب لبوه
.
كل قصة كانت لها تأثير غريب في النفس، و كأنها تمتلك روحاً تتسلل اليك ايها القارئ، وتنثر سحرها السريالي وبرودتها القوطية في كيانك، يحيطك سديم ازرق يزداد مع الاسترسال في القراءة .
.
الغريب للوفكرافت و فئران المقبرة لهنري كوتنر كانتا المفضلتين لدي.
الاولى عن اكتشاف الذات من خلال اكتشاف العالم، بحبكة مثيرة و نهاية صادمة !
الثانية كأنها ملخص لحياة الانسان يسعى مدفوعاً بجشعه الى ان ينتهي بصندوق في حفرة يتوجها شاهد صخري باسمه و مدة حياته التاريخية، و لكن برعب الانفاق و الظلمات.
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تشكر الكاتبة سهيلة ابراهيم على المقدمة التي احتوت شرحاً مختصراً، مشوق وواف لاسلوب كلاً من الكاتبين، يسبق الشرح علاقة الادب و تحديداً ادب الرعب بالانسان حيث تقول "ان الادب عامة مادة خام لأشكال الحياة: الواقعية، المتخيلة المرئية والمكتوبة المعيشة والمتوهمة. اي انها رحلة نفسية في المقام الاول يخوضها الانسان"
راق لي 👌🏻👽✨
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February 22, 2021Over the past couple years I've made friends on social media with many authors and artists, and have gotten really interesting in how differently individuals' creative process works and how they think about and approach projects.
Del Toro is especially interesting in that he thinks consciously about this and also keeps notebooks recording his ideas and what he was thinking or doing when they occurred to him. These are not just jottings but frequenting include lavish illustrations. Many pages are reproduced in this lavish volume, so it is interesting to look at even if you aren't particularly into del Toro or horror films.
Del Toro is especially interesting in that he thinks consciously about this and also keeps notebooks recording his ideas and what he was thinking or doing when they occurred to him. These are not just jottings but frequenting include lavish illustrations. Many pages are reproduced in this lavish volume, so it is interesting to look at even if you aren't particularly into del Toro or horror films.
November 27, 2024
"Gabinete de las curiosidades" de Guillermo del Toro. Este libro ha sido toda una sorpresa, creo que he logrado apreciar a del Toro no solo cómo cineasta, el escribe, dibuja, diseña y colecciona, y es un apasionado de lo que hace. Recomiendo este libro para gente creativa, que les gusta el arte, los libros, las películas, trae pequeños ensayos, entrevistas , muchas fotos y dibujos de del Toro, 5⭐️
April 29, 2018
Para la gente curiosa como yo, hay algo increíblemente satisfactorio en adentrarse en el proceso creativo y las fuentes de inspiración de personas que uno considera talentosas.
Con Memo, además, está el factor de ñoñez compartida que nos recuerda que no importa que cosa extraña te llame la atención y consuma tu tiempo, al final todo eso forma parte de quién eres y termina reflejado en lo que sea que te atreves a crear.
Con Memo, además, está el factor de ñoñez compartida que nos recuerda que no importa que cosa extraña te llame la atención y consuma tu tiempo, al final todo eso forma parte de quién eres y termina reflejado en lo que sea que te atreves a crear.
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