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The Mystery of The Fool and The Vanisher
This is an illustrated gothic novella told in three parts that may just convince you that fairies really do exist!Part One of this gripping story is told by David Ellwand who, while wandering on the Sussex Downs, finds a deserted house in which there's an old chest containing some extraordinary objects including a set of ancient cylinder recordings. Part Two explores the recordings which are a diary of Isaac Wilde, a Victorian photographer on an archeological dig. Determined to prove their existence, he takes a daguerrotype (a photograph which cannot be faked) of a sleeping fairy - and then vanishes off the face of the earth. The daguerrotype goes missing. In Part Three, having listened to Isaac's diaries, David Ellwand becomes increasingly convinced that fairies exist. But his need to discover the truth might be dangerous...
100 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
About the author
Ruth Ellwand
2 books1 followerRuth Ellwand, a children's publishing specialist, previously collaborated with her husband, David, on MIDAS MOUSE. She lives with him in West Sussex, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 16, 2013
The book included so many elements I love: art photography... mysterious woods... hidden, possibly magical, objects... archaeology... Victorian fairy lore... collage...
Yet somehow it managed to be pretty mediocre.
It starts off well, with Ellwand's misty tree photos, which are really quite lovely and atmospheric. And the story-line concept of Ellwand learning about the Victorian photographer getting a job with an archaeological dig and disturbing the supernatural had plenty of potential. However, as soon we move out of the frame narrative into the core story, things become much weaker. For one thing, Ellwand's prose is not great. It's not bad, either, but it's...plain. The objects made for the photos are too obviously new and posed, so the sense of mystery and possibility of suspension of disbelief are lost. It feels more like something made for fun, casually, than either a real book or a real art project.
However, Ellwand's voice did make him seem like a nice and genuine person, and I'm planning to look for more of his photography.
October 11, 2008
Sometimes I’ll give a speech at events or conferences about children’s books that break barriers. I’ll talk about titles that don’t neatly slot into award categories and, as a result, end up ignored and discarded in spite of their overall fabulousness. But for a couple months now I haven’t found a new title to add to this talk. Leave it to Candlewick to publish something to fill this unspeakable need. Now the names “David and Ruth Ellwand” together are perhaps best known for the picture book Midas Mouse. Of course that book came out in 2000 and until now the duo hasn’t worked on much of anything together in particular. The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher is therefore a kind of unexpected treat. Part mystery, part photographic journey, and part fairy story (creeeepy fairy story), the book is certain to suck in a certain strain of child and never ever let them go. No matter how much they might want it to.
It’s a story within a story. In the first tale David Ellwand discusses The South Downs and their legends of fairies and stones with perfect natural holes in their centers. In the midst of his travels Ellwand locates a mystery box that, when opened, reveals a plethora of treasures. One of these is an old wax cylinder that he has transferred to CD. What transpires then is the story of Mr. Isaac Wilde in both words and images. The mystery of what happened to Mr. Wilde and, along the same lines, Mr. Ellwand is at the heart of the duo’s discoveries. Wilde has discovered a colony of creatures he cannot understand. And when threatened, these fairies respond with an object beyond the scope of human understanding. Peppered with authentic looking photographs of the Victorian age and contemporary prints, the book is a love story to both the art of the photograph and the nature of the “fey”.
Photography of the Victorian age lends itself to two kinds of children’s stories. Either you capture ghosts on film as in Avi’s The Seer of Shadows or you use them to capture glimpses of fairies. The fairy storyline would probably be all glitter, light, and fairy dust if left in the hands of anyone else. Under the direction of David and Ruth Ellwand, however, it becomes a distinctly dark tale. These aren’t clap-your-hands-and-Tink-will-live fairies. These are the fairies of Little, Big and the dark legends that haunt humanity. They're Rackham fairies. The ones that probably bear us a grudge.
To write this book correctly you need an author/artist that knows how to work a camera. A camera with a few more bits and pieces than your average digital toy. Ellwand’s work on this book is effective and beautiful. So effective and beautiful, in fact, that adults as well as children will be fooled into thinking these images are actual old-timey prints. And for that matter I’m not convinced that the shot of Gibson Gayle and the workers who reluctantly aid the anthropologist crew aren’t old. I mean, how many guys do you know these days with free flowing beards and (even rarer) bushy moustaches? No, if pressed I’d guess that Ellwand seamlessly melded actual historical prints with his own pseudo-historical images. Don’t look to the publication page to tell you who’s right, though. All it says is that, “The photographs were created with magic and necromancy.”
I’ve heard some people describing this title as “an adult picture book” which I think is a bit unfair. Anytime an artist gets just a little bit more complicated than your average Barney coloring book then the critics start assuming that the story is too nice to leave just to the kids (see: The Arrival by Shaun Tan). In this particular case I can understand their points a little better. There is some discussion of the photographic process going on that could be construed as less than entirely enthralling to your average everyday ten-year-old. However, those passages are short and very easy to skim over, particularly if you are of the mind to solve a mystery. But if you are going to consider it adult then you need to slot it in the same category as those Griffin and Sabine books that were so popular 15-20 years ago. Really the book that came most readily to my mind as I paged through Ellwand’s photographs was The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. This is almost a perfect companion piece to it. In both cases the books play with narrative techniques, convincing and tempting their young readers into believing that the story behind the story is true. And both are visual delights full of mystery and black-and-white (or in this case sepia-and-white) images.
To top it all off the Ellwands' book will definitely suck in certain Spiderwick fans to boot. Ellwand takes the crucial step from merely talking about fairies to showing them. Plus he practically hands you the mysterious pieces of fairy lore for you to look at first hand. The glasses tricked out with devil’s eye lenses. The armor made of mussel and oyster shells. This is an almost tactile book. You feel as if you could reach out and stroke the velvety innards of the daguerreotypes’ cases. It’s an interactive experience. Mind you, I guess I would have liked it if the mystery was played up a little more. I like fairy books where the magical creatures look less like small humans and are more dangerous and ethereal. These fairies have dirt beneath their fingernails, and I appreciate that, but it doesn’t quite gel with the aura of mystery that surrounds them before you see on in a photograph.
You librarians and booksellers out there are really going to have to sell this puppy. It won’t walk off the shelves by itself, necessarily. Plus ten’ll get you one that three-quarters of the kids who see it will assume it’s about ghosts. The beginning gets off to a slow start, but for those child readers that persevere the storyline is engaging and generally fabulous. For the child that prefers to seclude themselves in corners reading up on the wild, the weird, and the unexplained, The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher is sure to become a very personal and secretive favorite.
Ages 9 and up.
It’s a story within a story. In the first tale David Ellwand discusses The South Downs and their legends of fairies and stones with perfect natural holes in their centers. In the midst of his travels Ellwand locates a mystery box that, when opened, reveals a plethora of treasures. One of these is an old wax cylinder that he has transferred to CD. What transpires then is the story of Mr. Isaac Wilde in both words and images. The mystery of what happened to Mr. Wilde and, along the same lines, Mr. Ellwand is at the heart of the duo’s discoveries. Wilde has discovered a colony of creatures he cannot understand. And when threatened, these fairies respond with an object beyond the scope of human understanding. Peppered with authentic looking photographs of the Victorian age and contemporary prints, the book is a love story to both the art of the photograph and the nature of the “fey”.
Photography of the Victorian age lends itself to two kinds of children’s stories. Either you capture ghosts on film as in Avi’s The Seer of Shadows or you use them to capture glimpses of fairies. The fairy storyline would probably be all glitter, light, and fairy dust if left in the hands of anyone else. Under the direction of David and Ruth Ellwand, however, it becomes a distinctly dark tale. These aren’t clap-your-hands-and-Tink-will-live fairies. These are the fairies of Little, Big and the dark legends that haunt humanity. They're Rackham fairies. The ones that probably bear us a grudge.
To write this book correctly you need an author/artist that knows how to work a camera. A camera with a few more bits and pieces than your average digital toy. Ellwand’s work on this book is effective and beautiful. So effective and beautiful, in fact, that adults as well as children will be fooled into thinking these images are actual old-timey prints. And for that matter I’m not convinced that the shot of Gibson Gayle and the workers who reluctantly aid the anthropologist crew aren’t old. I mean, how many guys do you know these days with free flowing beards and (even rarer) bushy moustaches? No, if pressed I’d guess that Ellwand seamlessly melded actual historical prints with his own pseudo-historical images. Don’t look to the publication page to tell you who’s right, though. All it says is that, “The photographs were created with magic and necromancy.”
I’ve heard some people describing this title as “an adult picture book” which I think is a bit unfair. Anytime an artist gets just a little bit more complicated than your average Barney coloring book then the critics start assuming that the story is too nice to leave just to the kids (see: The Arrival by Shaun Tan). In this particular case I can understand their points a little better. There is some discussion of the photographic process going on that could be construed as less than entirely enthralling to your average everyday ten-year-old. However, those passages are short and very easy to skim over, particularly if you are of the mind to solve a mystery. But if you are going to consider it adult then you need to slot it in the same category as those Griffin and Sabine books that were so popular 15-20 years ago. Really the book that came most readily to my mind as I paged through Ellwand’s photographs was The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. This is almost a perfect companion piece to it. In both cases the books play with narrative techniques, convincing and tempting their young readers into believing that the story behind the story is true. And both are visual delights full of mystery and black-and-white (or in this case sepia-and-white) images.
To top it all off the Ellwands' book will definitely suck in certain Spiderwick fans to boot. Ellwand takes the crucial step from merely talking about fairies to showing them. Plus he practically hands you the mysterious pieces of fairy lore for you to look at first hand. The glasses tricked out with devil’s eye lenses. The armor made of mussel and oyster shells. This is an almost tactile book. You feel as if you could reach out and stroke the velvety innards of the daguerreotypes’ cases. It’s an interactive experience. Mind you, I guess I would have liked it if the mystery was played up a little more. I like fairy books where the magical creatures look less like small humans and are more dangerous and ethereal. These fairies have dirt beneath their fingernails, and I appreciate that, but it doesn’t quite gel with the aura of mystery that surrounds them before you see on in a photograph.
You librarians and booksellers out there are really going to have to sell this puppy. It won’t walk off the shelves by itself, necessarily. Plus ten’ll get you one that three-quarters of the kids who see it will assume it’s about ghosts. The beginning gets off to a slow start, but for those child readers that persevere the storyline is engaging and generally fabulous. For the child that prefers to seclude themselves in corners reading up on the wild, the weird, and the unexplained, The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher is sure to become a very personal and secretive favorite.
Ages 9 and up.
December 3, 2012
The big draw (and, really, highlight) of The Mystery of the Fool and the Vanisher will probably be the photographs, bring the reader through misty woods that look and feel haunted by... something. Here, it's fae that watch the woods.
This is in the class of so many other faux-historical books that "document" some sort of brush with the supernatural. It shines in the quality of the evidence presented. Gorgeous atmospheric photographs, carefully constructed artifacts, and a storyline that is open, mysterious, and makes at least a supernatural sort of sense. The opening and closing narration, done in the author's voice, do a great job of setting the scene.
But... the journal that makes up much of the book just isn't as compelling as the framing. And the book doesn't end so much as just stop. It's open, sure, but in an unfinished sort of way. Still a good, very quick read, and the photographs are worth the price of admission alone. But it could have been better.
This is in the class of so many other faux-historical books that "document" some sort of brush with the supernatural. It shines in the quality of the evidence presented. Gorgeous atmospheric photographs, carefully constructed artifacts, and a storyline that is open, mysterious, and makes at least a supernatural sort of sense. The opening and closing narration, done in the author's voice, do a great job of setting the scene.
But... the journal that makes up much of the book just isn't as compelling as the framing. And the book doesn't end so much as just stop. It's open, sure, but in an unfinished sort of way. Still a good, very quick read, and the photographs are worth the price of admission alone. But it could have been better.
December 17, 2017
I found this on the clearance rack at the bookstore and the photography on the cover was so gorgeous I just had to take a closer look.
This is one of those books that use a ton of photographs (both new and vintage looking) combined with prose to tell a story. Which is, ostensibly, that of a man who discovers a hidden chest in the woods and takes it home to discover that the contents tell a story of a Victorian man who photographed fairies in the woods.
I loved the gorgeous photos in the beginning of the novella - mysterious misty shots of trees and shadowy paths. But once the chest was discovered, these photos change to photos of the contents. Now, there's some cool looking vintage photography here - (and perhaps some modern photos doctored to appear vintage? If so, it's well done!) but there's also some obviously staged shots of the chest as a whole and individual objects. And unfortunately, those shots of the chest as a whole didn't jibe with the text, nor were most of the contents very convincing. They just didn't look like they went with the story, just more like these were random, oldish looking artifacts they had sitting around and they just tossed them in, and they just didn't look like thing that had been sitting out in the elements for 100 years.
As far as the prose, it was a bit lacking. There were some really odd thing that just didn't work. For instance, there were several journals in the trunk but they were really just scrapbooks without words. Instead, the story was told via a diary entries recorded on wax cylinders. Which, frankly, is a little baffling. Who on earth in the Victorian era archeological expedition would record verbal diary entries instead of just writing them? Especially when you consider you generally had to speak loudly and clearly to be properly recorded, and many of his diary entries complained that his co-workers thought he was deluded. Who would say that sort of thing loudly in an environment where he would be expected to have little or no privacy? And I don't know how long of a recording those cylinder could hold, but I'm pretty sure there were way too many diary entries for them to all fit on the three cylinders included in the trunk.
There were some weird turns of phrases too. The woods were described as both "serene" and "eerie and dead scary". How can it be both? And he walks in to a ruined building, sees a table, and says "oh, they must have left in a hurry." Which is a bit baffling - no other moveable contents were described other than a table, so how does that equate to leaving in a hurry?
The main storyline really only warrants 2 stars, but I'll add an extra star for the gorgeous outdoor photography and the neat vintage photos.
This is one of those books that use a ton of photographs (both new and vintage looking) combined with prose to tell a story. Which is, ostensibly, that of a man who discovers a hidden chest in the woods and takes it home to discover that the contents tell a story of a Victorian man who photographed fairies in the woods.
I loved the gorgeous photos in the beginning of the novella - mysterious misty shots of trees and shadowy paths. But once the chest was discovered, these photos change to photos of the contents. Now, there's some cool looking vintage photography here - (and perhaps some modern photos doctored to appear vintage? If so, it's well done!) but there's also some obviously staged shots of the chest as a whole and individual objects. And unfortunately, those shots of the chest as a whole didn't jibe with the text, nor were most of the contents very convincing. They just didn't look like they went with the story, just more like these were random, oldish looking artifacts they had sitting around and they just tossed them in, and they just didn't look like thing that had been sitting out in the elements for 100 years.
As far as the prose, it was a bit lacking. There were some really odd thing that just didn't work. For instance, there were several journals in the trunk but they were really just scrapbooks without words. Instead, the story was told via a diary entries recorded on wax cylinders. Which, frankly, is a little baffling. Who on earth in the Victorian era archeological expedition would record verbal diary entries instead of just writing them? Especially when you consider you generally had to speak loudly and clearly to be properly recorded, and many of his diary entries complained that his co-workers thought he was deluded. Who would say that sort of thing loudly in an environment where he would be expected to have little or no privacy? And I don't know how long of a recording those cylinder could hold, but I'm pretty sure there were way too many diary entries for them to all fit on the three cylinders included in the trunk.
There were some weird turns of phrases too. The woods were described as both "serene" and "eerie and dead scary". How can it be both? And he walks in to a ruined building, sees a table, and says "oh, they must have left in a hurry." Which is a bit baffling - no other moveable contents were described other than a table, so how does that equate to leaving in a hurry?
The main storyline really only warrants 2 stars, but I'll add an extra star for the gorgeous outdoor photography and the neat vintage photos.
April 22, 2018
Fascinating book with some great photos
July 10, 2019
Ich habe das Buch auf deutsch gelesen. Wunderschön gemacht, eine fantastische Geschichte erzählt mit Worten und Bildern.
November 9, 2012
Reviewed by Candace Cunard for TeensReadToo.com
David Ellwand has always been fascinated by the Downs. This rolling landscape of open plains and beech trees, with its legends about faeries and other fantastic creatures, has always excited him. He never quite believes in the legends, but one day he discovers a flint stone with a hole naturally worn through the center, a stone which, when looked through, will allow him to see the creatures around him that cannot be perceived by the naked eye. One day, he follows a will-o'-the-wisp to the ruins of an old house near some flint mines, where he discovers a padlocked chest in an outhouse. He brings the box back to his studio, pries it open, and begins to document the contents. Within, he finds old phonograph records, which he decodes to discover the secret of the objects inside the box.
The middle of the book is a transcript of the phonograph recordings, detailing the discoveries of Isaac Wilde, a photographer from the 1880s. The recordings explain that the contents of the box were collected by Wilde over the course of a mining expedition in the Downs in 1889. Wilde was supposed to be present to photographically document the scene, but as he hears from the residents of the area about the strange goings on and the myths of faeries, he decides to find out for himself if they are really true. He searches for clues of the faeries' existence, and eventually works to create a camera that could capture their images.
Both the frame narrative of Ellwand's discovery of the box and Wilde's narrative about his experiences in the mines are accompanied by haunting images of the Downs and of the contents of the box. The photographs range in style from color prints to black-and-white to reproductions of older styles of photography, like silver-gelatin prints and daguerreotypes. This is no picture book--the images enhance the story in new and different ways. The book's layout and formatting are visually pleasing, and meant to attract the attention of the eye. The realism of the photographic illustrations helps heighten the sense of wonder at the finished product, and leads one to question if this account is fact or fiction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book--I read it in one sitting! The writing itself was clear and occasionally wistful, detailing Ellwand's fascination with the English Downs and exploring the intersection of the worlds of science and fantasy at which Isaac Wilde finds himself. A wonderful "picture book" for adults!
David Ellwand has always been fascinated by the Downs. This rolling landscape of open plains and beech trees, with its legends about faeries and other fantastic creatures, has always excited him. He never quite believes in the legends, but one day he discovers a flint stone with a hole naturally worn through the center, a stone which, when looked through, will allow him to see the creatures around him that cannot be perceived by the naked eye. One day, he follows a will-o'-the-wisp to the ruins of an old house near some flint mines, where he discovers a padlocked chest in an outhouse. He brings the box back to his studio, pries it open, and begins to document the contents. Within, he finds old phonograph records, which he decodes to discover the secret of the objects inside the box.
The middle of the book is a transcript of the phonograph recordings, detailing the discoveries of Isaac Wilde, a photographer from the 1880s. The recordings explain that the contents of the box were collected by Wilde over the course of a mining expedition in the Downs in 1889. Wilde was supposed to be present to photographically document the scene, but as he hears from the residents of the area about the strange goings on and the myths of faeries, he decides to find out for himself if they are really true. He searches for clues of the faeries' existence, and eventually works to create a camera that could capture their images.
Both the frame narrative of Ellwand's discovery of the box and Wilde's narrative about his experiences in the mines are accompanied by haunting images of the Downs and of the contents of the box. The photographs range in style from color prints to black-and-white to reproductions of older styles of photography, like silver-gelatin prints and daguerreotypes. This is no picture book--the images enhance the story in new and different ways. The book's layout and formatting are visually pleasing, and meant to attract the attention of the eye. The realism of the photographic illustrations helps heighten the sense of wonder at the finished product, and leads one to question if this account is fact or fiction.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book--I read it in one sitting! The writing itself was clear and occasionally wistful, detailing Ellwand's fascination with the English Downs and exploring the intersection of the worlds of science and fantasy at which Isaac Wilde finds himself. A wonderful "picture book" for adults!
January 22, 2011
The concept of combining photography and journal writing about a mysterious journey discovering a chest full of "weird" stuff is quite cool. The first half of the book was eerie, revealing lots of photos of woods that looked like you will get lost in it.
Wonderful photographs that leads the reader throughout the first half of the story. Quite a creative way to start the journal with. Snipets of contact prints (Ilfor FP4 Plus) showing the dark, misty woods with weird looking tress. It was nice showing the visuals to tell the story.
But it felt short after the photographer/narrator found the chest, which he unveils a tale of archaeologists and fairies. The diary entires, I didn't care about any of them - about his findings, about his encounters. The writings were nowhere engaging, I just wanted to return back to the woods again. Like I've said the concept was cool but the actual execution didn't live up to it.
Wonderful photographs that leads the reader throughout the first half of the story. Quite a creative way to start the journal with. Snipets of contact prints (Ilfor FP4 Plus) showing the dark, misty woods with weird looking tress. It was nice showing the visuals to tell the story.
But it felt short after the photographer/narrator found the chest, which he unveils a tale of archaeologists and fairies. The diary entires, I didn't care about any of them - about his findings, about his encounters. The writings were nowhere engaging, I just wanted to return back to the woods again. Like I've said the concept was cool but the actual execution didn't live up to it.
December 14, 2014
Oh this book gave me feelings. And not for the usual reasons.
The presentation and the multimedia approach to this story gets 5 stars, hands down. It's a beautiful book to look at. The photography is amazing and could tell a story all on its own. The writing, unfortunately, does not do the art justice in the least. It's an interesting story, but not well written. It stops and starts, and worst of all, it has none of the magic and intrigue of the art that's meant to accompany it. Maybe in the hands of another writer, it could've been done better. As it stands, however, the writing is an uncomfortable interlude between awesome art.
The presentation and the multimedia approach to this story gets 5 stars, hands down. It's a beautiful book to look at. The photography is amazing and could tell a story all on its own. The writing, unfortunately, does not do the art justice in the least. It's an interesting story, but not well written. It stops and starts, and worst of all, it has none of the magic and intrigue of the art that's meant to accompany it. Maybe in the hands of another writer, it could've been done better. As it stands, however, the writing is an uncomfortable interlude between awesome art.
November 1, 2008
This book sure is creepy, but in a really good way. The use of photography makes you forget you are reading a work of fiction and the eerie setting for the story calls back an almost primal feeling that permeates the entire book. While I was reading it, it didn't feel like I was sitting in my dining room, it felt like I was curled up under an old oak tree and I could almost smell the must and earth. Incredible. Not sure that this will even remotely appeal to children, but I sure liked it!
April 20, 2011
An interesting look at the perpetually fascinating obsession of faeries and such magic folk. Clever photography to make things seem even more enticingly real (to those that want to believe) and a innovative journalling format help to make this book seem like it's the real MacCoy!! I really loved the depth of 'deception' of the story .... and how the pictures really make it even more convincing.
June 30, 2013
I simply adored this magical work of whimsy about the wee fairy folk and highly recommend it to anyone who is not afraid to walk alone through the dark woods or go exploring in an abandoned mine.
I wanted to get lost inside several of the photographs and would love to find a "gateway stone" of my very own.
My inner child was highly entertained by this book ... yours will be also.
I wanted to get lost inside several of the photographs and would love to find a "gateway stone" of my very own.
My inner child was highly entertained by this book ... yours will be also.
January 18, 2026
I absoutely loved reading this short graphic novel that is fiction, but I really wish it was true! It centers around a photographer who knows of a special hill that is supposedly haunted by faries, pixies and the like. While there, he finds a flint circle stone that has a round circle in the middle. This stone has magial properties, and he looks through it and sees flashes of light back and forth. The photographs are wonderful. The story takes place in 1899 and is in a journal-like nature which is wonderful. The photographer goes along on a trip with a man named Isaac Wilde and the adventure goes on from there. Highly recommend this read for anyone interested in magical beings!
March 20, 2020
Ich glaube, dieser "Forschungsbericht" ist eigentlich ein Kinderbuch. Aber es ist absolut lesbar auch für Erwachsene. Text und die zahlreichen detailreichen und relevanten Fotografien greifen ineinander und erzählen gemeinsam die Geschichte, nicht nur des Isaac Wilde. Ein optisches und haptisches Buch, das einen mit Haut und Haar in die Geschichte einlädt. So magisch, dass ich jetzt Lust habe, beim nächsten Waldspaziergang durch einen Lochstein zu schauen - man weiß ja nie, was man dann zu sehen bekommt. Schöne, moderne Umsetzung alter Sagenmotive.
December 26, 2017
I like when a fictional book is written to sound like the gospel truth. Add to that thoroughly wonderful artwork and photography and an engrossing tale and you have a winner of a story. This is such a book. Marvelous sepia toned photos and ingenious artistic craft go hand in hand with the diary format to create a story one wishes were true.
June 19, 2019
Intriguing, fascinating, and full of mystery. Unlike any children's book that I've ever read before. The antique photographs of landscapes and artifacts made this totally unique. A cool tale of an unusual box found in the woods, a century old archaeology expedition, and discovering the truth about fairies. A very neat read indeed!
January 1, 2022
A very cool little mystery, with lots of great photos of "found" items and diary entries! The format resembles a picture book, but there's so much more than a picture book going on here. A fun book!
June 5, 2021
Unheimlich und mystisch, ein angenehmer kleiner Nervenkitzel.
Read
November 18, 2021creative people I love u. I’d like to thank fun graphic novel books like this for being my friend when we reach this point in the semester
September 2, 2008
Ellwand, David and Ruth. 2008. The Mystery of the Fool & The Vanisher.
At just a little over a hundred pages, The Mystery of the Fool & The Vanisher is a perfect way to begin Carl's R.I.P. Challenge. The book evokes all these deliciously dark and creepy vibes. It's a mood piece, really, when I come to think of it. First, it's a work of fiction. I state this clearly because it is one of those works that presents itself like a journal. In this case, it would be a journal within a journal. On the one hand, it is the story of a man, a photographer, who happens to discover a mystery chest one day. On the other hand, it is the story of a man--a photographer--who is exploring and documenting these same woods, this same locale. Did I mention that this inner story is set within the 1880s? Both narrators--present and past--have a curiosity, a fascination, with all things faery, with these "superstitions" found in folklore. Both love cameras and photographs. Second, the book is illustrated. I would say the photographs do most of the work actually. And if the book succeeds in evoking the look and feel intended, it will be because the reader has a deep appreciation for the artistic merit of the illustrations, of the photographs.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
November 15, 2008
This book does not really fit neatly into any category or genre. It's a fake nonfiction and fakumentary. I was really intrigued and enjoyed the book all the way -- until the disappointing ending -- it just... ended. Yes, I know, it is supposed to be "mysterious" but it reads more like that ending of the 3rd Matrix movie: everything has been intriguing and mysterious and it builds up the anticipation of the audience/reader, thinking that something big, enlightening, or some form of epiphany awaits at the end of the journey, but because the creator(s) of the story/plot actually does not have a clear idea of what "happened" so there isn't that big reveal. This differs in the kind of stories that you KNOW the author knows more than you do, and is hiding it deliberately from you and there might be just enough clues textually or visually for the smart readers to figure out what might be behind, in the past, present, and future of the "story." This seems to me that the authors/artists have a great idea but they themselves do not quite "know" the back story and thus there cannot be more clues and hints to lead us to further speculate.
Those who like the book and disagree with me, please enlighten!
Those who like the book and disagree with me, please enlighten!
November 10, 2009
I accidentally discovered this book when I was browsing through the Children's section of the bookstore. I've already told myself that I was just there to browse for the day and not to buy anything when the cover caught my eye.
At first I thought it was a ghost story and I was wondering why it was in the children's section in the first place (right beside the coloring books and the dinosaur books). I read the jacket and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was about Faeries. Yup, that one word and I was trapped. So I browsed through the pages and was instantly floored by the photos. Just one look and I knew this book had to go home with me.
It was creepy and as the title says, very mysterious, but in a very good way. The photography used is exceptionally well done and makes you forget that you're safely curled up in bed and gives you that eerie feeling of being watched. It felt like you were actually there, discovering these magical flint stones and seeing those will-o-the-wisps with your own eyes. It's a journey worth making, a mystery worth getting involved in, and a book worth taking home whether you're a child or a child-at-heart.
At first I thought it was a ghost story and I was wondering why it was in the children's section in the first place (right beside the coloring books and the dinosaur books). I read the jacket and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was about Faeries. Yup, that one word and I was trapped. So I browsed through the pages and was instantly floored by the photos. Just one look and I knew this book had to go home with me.
It was creepy and as the title says, very mysterious, but in a very good way. The photography used is exceptionally well done and makes you forget that you're safely curled up in bed and gives you that eerie feeling of being watched. It felt like you were actually there, discovering these magical flint stones and seeing those will-o-the-wisps with your own eyes. It's a journey worth making, a mystery worth getting involved in, and a book worth taking home whether you're a child or a child-at-heart.
June 29, 2012
I came across this wonderful little book while on my daily routine at the store in the bargain bin. What drew me in were the gorgeous photographs and the rather interesting premise! I didn't intend to start the book until the weekend but after two pages, I couldn't put it down and ended up reading the whole thing in one nite (granted it's only a 104 pgs). It has got to be one of the strangest and involving books I've read in quite some time. It also had me a little bit creeped out! I think the only way to explain this book would be giving away the entire premise, so I won't. I'll leave it the mystery that it is but I highly recommend you search it out if you can! Fantastic read especially if you're into British folklore!
April 10, 2011
What a strange and haunting book.
I'm super curious now to see the other books this husband and wife team have created.
This is of course, fiction. But the photography lends an eerie sense of reality to the story. If you enjoy stories about the fae ... this is one not to miss.
Loved this line from page 24 ... "When the lid opened, the sweet smell of age, like an old library, was the first thing I noticed."
PS Don't stick with my review. Go back to the book's page and look for Elizabeth Bird's review. Much better description. You'll be convinced to go look for this book immediately!
I'm super curious now to see the other books this husband and wife team have created.
This is of course, fiction. But the photography lends an eerie sense of reality to the story. If you enjoy stories about the fae ... this is one not to miss.
Loved this line from page 24 ... "When the lid opened, the sweet smell of age, like an old library, was the first thing I noticed."
PS Don't stick with my review. Go back to the book's page and look for Elizabeth Bird's review. Much better description. You'll be convinced to go look for this book immediately!
March 23, 2009
Wicked cool! I guess you'd call this fictional photography. The Fool & the Vanisher uses photos, illustrations, and a small amount of text to tell a story. It's a historical paranormal mystery. The highlight are the amazing images. Yes, I know they're doctored, but they're still super cool.
If you're not into spending the cash on this book and don't check out books from the library, just pick it up at your local bookstore and find a quiet spot for a minute. Reading this book takes 30 minutes, tops. Enjoy.
If you're not into spending the cash on this book and don't check out books from the library, just pick it up at your local bookstore and find a quiet spot for a minute. Reading this book takes 30 minutes, tops. Enjoy.
October 10, 2014
An interesting and atmospheric book. The hauntingly beautiful photography creates a sense of magic and mystery, setting the mood perfectly. The layout, use of typography and colour design is aesthetically pleasing and easy on the eye. The whole book has a very mystical tone and the story has lingered in my mind ever since. I've lived by and been going to the South Downs ever since I was little. It has always felt like a magical place to explore and venture through, and that's probably why I love this book so much!
June 6, 2015
I read through this whole book thinking it was called The Mystery of the Fool and the Wanderer. Hmmmm...I must have had some faery spell cast o'er me the entire time this book was in my reading possession. Perhaps some pixies wandered into my ear and whispered confusing thoughts. Yes, that must be it.
The book was eerie; it felt like I'd read it several years ago, and several years ago before that. Some of the text was a bit tedious, but it kept going, so I kept reading. The photographs and 'artifacts' were wonderfully done. Overall, I liked the book very well.
The book was eerie; it felt like I'd read it several years ago, and several years ago before that. Some of the text was a bit tedious, but it kept going, so I kept reading. The photographs and 'artifacts' were wonderfully done. Overall, I liked the book very well.
April 6, 2009
I love books that leave you wondering how much was true and how much was created by the author. In this case, photographs aid in telling the story of the mysterious trunk discovered by David Ellwand. The trunk holds the secrets of another photographer who long ago discovered the hidden world of a very real "faerie hill" in England. Eerie and compelling, this would be a great read for any lover of the mysterious or for those who still believe in a not-so-magical Faerieland...
July 11, 2011
I just picked this up off the display near the teens section in the library and was intrigued by the photographs. I set it aside for my weekend reading and gobbled it up in one go over afternoon tea. I really liked the premise, and the photography is superb. It probably deserves a second or third reading. Initially I was disappointed that it was so short, but on reflection that allows the reader to use their imagination. Nicely done.
September 30, 2024
Adored this book! Magical so if there's not at least a little space in your heart for magic--skip this book.
The photographs are amazing so evocative, mysterious and beautiful, what dreams are made of.
The story is fun. An adventure of finding and old box with old journal notes and recordings by a long-gone fella among the other tantalizing relics.
Read it for the fun of it. Prepare to be enchanted.
The photographs are amazing so evocative, mysterious and beautiful, what dreams are made of.
The story is fun. An adventure of finding and old box with old journal notes and recordings by a long-gone fella among the other tantalizing relics.
Read it for the fun of it. Prepare to be enchanted.
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