The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Rediscovered [Hardcover] Review

I was first introduced to Nick Bantock's work when I was fifteen.I was given a copy of Griffen and Sabine by a Japanese foriegn exchange teacher.It was brilliant and I read it as soon as I opened it.My sister and I were fans and collected the next two books over the next couple of years. Since then, I have bought a number of copies for friends and was delighted when I learned that Bantock was continuing the story with The Gryphon.The Gryphon picks up exactly where the third book leaves off explaining who the mysterious M is and the connection of Griffen and Sabine to the person in the final post card.Bantock effortlessly slips back into the characters of Griffen and Sabine and introduces us to two new, equally as intriguing, characters.The artwork, as always, is stunning.This book is a treat to read.If you've read the trilogy leading up to this, you must also read The Gryphon.If you haven't you should pick up all four books and devour them slowly!

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Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds (v. 2) (Hardcover) Review

After reading The Gryphon last year, I was instantly frustrated that I was going to have to wait a year for the next installment.About two days into the agony, I realized that the true bummer was that this new story line seemed to be preplanned to leave off in order to pre-sell the next book.After reading Alexandria, I feel that my conclusion has more basis.Alexandria IS an amazingly beautiful book, and some of the letters are absolutely inspired, but it lacks the storytelling power of the original trilogy.Instead of the letters slowly revealing a relationship, they are starting to resemble gimmicky plot devices.The revelations seemed more trite and some of the more interesting occurances are glossed over in a single postcard. Part of the wonder of the first three books is that each could stand nearly alone.The end of each book did not instantly suggest a followup.Alexandria, like The Gryphon before it, kind of stops that narrative because there are no more pages in the binding. Grrr.
If you are considering this book as your introduction to Nick Bantock, please go elsewhere (Either start with Griffin and Sabine, or maybe even The Forgetting Room).Alexandria is kind of an odd duck for me.I thoroughly enjoyed reading and savoring each of the letters, but felt let down and even kind of patronized by the way the story line was delivered.The "flow" is just very different from the first half of the Griffin and Sabine saga.Not completely bad per se, just very different.Soa four star kind of a let down rather than an outright rejection.

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The Morning Star: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Is Illuminated [Bargain Price] [Hardcover] Review

Frankly, I'm disappointed. The original Griffin and Sabine series had a wonderful spark of originality. This series is just too derivative.
I wanted to like this new trilogy. I like Bantock's art. There is so much in each picture that I can barely pull myself away for the text. I like the new plot elements that Bantock introduced. The cat with a name, Isabella's roar - these could have been rich new elements in the G&S mythology. They never went anywhere though, and left us re-reading the G&S story in somewhat different words.
If you're new to Bantock, the first G&S trilogy is your best bet. It's fresh, mysterious, and exciting. I just wish that this series could have deepened the mystery or sustained the excitement.

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