Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Letters

The Cottington Family’s Pressed Fairy Books

by Ari Berk, Brian Froud (Illustrator)

The Cottington Archive reluctantly announces that more information about the infamous Lady Cottington has a scrapbook compiled by the fairy smasher herself of her correspondence with luminaries such as Queen Victoria, Annie Oakley, Igor Stravinsky, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Andrew Lang, P.T. Barnum, and more. All about fairies, these hilarious letters contain everything from wisdom to suggestions to chastisement. Lady Cottington has made notes in the margins not to mention smashed fairies throughout (will she EVER STOP this nasty habit?!). And the fairies...ah the fairies...they too have done their part, sprinkling magic and mayhem throughout.

Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Letters , a facsimile reproduction of Lady Cottington's original volume, combines the nutty artistry of the first two Lady Cottington books with delightful novelty components. Containing "actual" letters, invoices for "spiritual services," a fairy Valentine, an invitation from Alice Liddell to tea, and more, this newest interactive addition to the Lady Cottington series is the most innovative to date.

Genres: Fantasy, Art, Fiction, Fairies, Humor, Fairy Tales, Picture Books

48 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Ari Berk is a writer, artist, and scholar of literature, folklore, and myth. Former student of and assistant to Pulitzer Prize winning writer N. Scott Momaday, Ari has written everything from academic works on ancient cultures to popular books about myths and legends for children and adults and, most recently, a trilogy of novels. He works in a library filled to the ceiling with thousands of arcane books and more than a few wondrous artifacts. When not writing, he moonlights as professor of mythology and folklore at Central Michigan University. He lives in Michigan with his wife and son. Visit him at www.ariberk.com.

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

This isn't at all what I expected ... but now I can't even say what I did expect. This is whimsical literary wit focused on possible connections between the fairy world and the afterlife. Well-known figures from the pages of history answer young Lady Cottington's questions about the subject. The 'contributors' are listed on the inside back cover. The more the reader knows about these people, the more they will enjoy this book.

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Brian Froud's books are filled with whimsical magic, and Lady Cottington's collection of letters (displayed alongside another selection of her trademark faeries) is not exception. The faeries, even in their squished forms, display lovely artistic techniques, as Froud is a master of the watercolour medium and the human (fey) form which brings each subject to life. Well, maybe not life, but you know what I mean. Ostensibly the book is not meant to be another collection of faeries, and is meant to be a book of letters collected for the writer's sister as she searches for a way to contact her ghost, btut in true Cottington fashion the faeries refuse to leaver her alone and must therefore be squashed! This plotline, as such, is not very successful in terms of providing a real narrative, but the letters themselves are still a great read. Lady Cottington corresponds with the who's who in Victorian (and occasionally earlier) folklore and fantasists, from William Shakespeare to J.M. Barrie, so it was great fun imaging the friendship amongst this fictional group. Each letter is carefully crafted in terms of content to showcase the unique personalities' voice and opinions on the subject of faeries, and Froud's innovative design work integrates the letters into the illustrated pages with style. I definitely wish that they had made this book longer or written a sequel, because we're barely given a taste of what could have been a far more developed narrative. But, like many historical archives, there are pieces of the story missing, so instead maybe we should use this as an opportunity to continue the story on our own!

[Corvin Sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, as the Pressed Fairy books always are. I only wish that it had more of a storyline to it like the others in the series do. I loved seeing letters from J.M. Barrie, Wendy Darling, Oscar Wilde, Alice Liddell, Carl Jung and William Shakespeare, though! I also appreciated the list of names at the back of the book that had all of the people who 'wrote' a letter and what they're best known for - it's a perfect resource to find more faery-related content that's out there. Overall, I'd only recommend this book to people who have read & enjoyed the previous pressed fairy books, otherwise I think it'd be a bit confusing and non-eventful if it was read as a stand alone.

[Arwen Mellor · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked pressed fairy journal, you will also like this one! More pressed fairies and a bit more depth to the saga!

[Rima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woow

[Nicole Magolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully odd. Beautifully illustrated as always.

[David Edmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

What started out as what I assume to be a bit of comic relief, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book, and its subsequent volumes, turned into something of its own fairy tale. Through each volume, we gain a little more insight into the world of Angelica Cottington, who masters the art of pressing fairies in her books, to preserve them and show the world the truth. I give each book 4 stars, but really, the second book is what brings the three volumes together as something more than whimsy.

The first book, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book, I'm quite sure was meant nothing more than a bit of humor. We follow the adventures of Lady Cottington as a small girl as she begins to notice the fairies around her and as she discovers the pressing technique to preserve them in her books. In Lady Cottington's Fairy Album we learn a little more of Lady Cottington's heritage, and this is where I think the series, while still deep in it's whimsical foundations, takes a turn for the more "serious." With Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Letters, we are presented with letters from the likes of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Rasputin, Houdini, Helen Keller and more, as Lady Cottington continues her journey of discovery.

The artwork throughout remains consistently humorous, with each fairy pressing more ridiculous than the last. A truly unique reading experience.

[Nati Ferrino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es muy entretenido leer esta tercera parte de la historia de Lady Cottington. Son correos que ella ha intercambiado con personajes históricos, y en el libro se encuentran las que supuestamente recibió por respuesta. Este libro no hace mucho a la historia, aunque da a entender que Angélica estaba realmente interesada en averiguar más sobre las hadas, más allá de sus vivencias personales. Sé que empieza con una carta de Helena Blabatsky, pero mi ejemplar (de segunda mano) ha venido con esa arrancada, ignoro la razón. Me encantaría que alguien me contara qué decía esa carta. Por lo demás, amo el arte de Brian Froud, y se nota en esta serie de libros que él se ha divertido realmente en hacerlos. Eso se disfruta. Por lo tanto, si aporta algo significativo a la historia completa o no, es lo menos importante. Si existieran diez tomos más, hubiera hecho hasta lo imposible por conseguirlos todos.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This scrapbook of fairy letters was compiled by the infamous "fairy smasher" herself Lady Cottington, she just refuses to stop collecting fairies and pressing them like flowers in her books! The illustrations are hilarious and bizarre at the same time and the "actual" letters are so much fun and contain things like invoices for "spiritual services," a fairy Valentine, an invitation to tea and more!

[Cherise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Cottington was one twisted individual! She presses fairires like most people press leaves - the results are humorous and a little sticky. The letters she has collected from the likes of Queen Victoria, W.B. Yeats, and William Shakespeare (and more!) are entertaining and vastly amusing.

This is a sarcastic and twisted little book on fairies and the spriritual realm. I loved every page of it!

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

there's some pretty rude fairies in them there hills...

[Maurean · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderfully enchanting little book! I *especially* liked the little disclaimer at the end, ensuring that no fairies were actually harmed in its making.

A delight!

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

filled with wonderful, inspiring and just plain fun artwork coupled with amusing letters. Brian Froud managed to capture my imagination again as I followed the antics of the faery realms.

[Ashley Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sort of a sick humor on fairies. The drawings depict squashed fairies in the pages of the book. Get over the gross factor and it is quite funny and cute.

[Jason Presser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny Stuff..a great read...and guaranteed to put a smile on anyones face..

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silly, but fun. I love Lady Cottington. :)

[Meikoningin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in English. Reviewed on FB.

[Megan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute and funny.

[Jasja · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, silly, book with fantastic pictures :-) . And the book looks really pretty in my bookcase.