Customer Reviews

Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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. So a four star kind of a let down rather than an outright rejection.

The artwork in "Alexandria" is just as strange and beautiful as in the first four books in the series - maybe more so. I'm reminded of Griffin's dark travelogue in "Sabine's Notebook."

I love the original Griffin & Sabine trilogy but was initially disappointed with "The Gryphon," the fourth book in the series. Bantock's new time-and-space-crossed lovers, Matthew and Isabella, weren't as compelling to me as Griffin and Sabine. They seemed awkward and even a little trite. After reading "Alexandria" I appreciate "The Gryphon" a lot more: Matthew and Isabella deepen as characters as the plot moves forward.

I'd recommend this book to diehard Griffin & Sabine fans or anyone interested in graphic novels. Fans of Egyptology might be pleased...hard to say, since there could be gross inaccuracies in the book. I know nothing about ancient Egypt. I sure liked the book, though.

I rushed out to buy "Alexandria" as I have done with all of Bantock's books since I was first gifted with "Griffin and Sabine" many years ago.

I love his work....his books are such a visual treat that even if I do not know what is going on, I enjoy them. I love handling them and looking for hidden clues in the drawings.

That said, I feel that I don't know Isabella and Matthew as well as I knew Griffin and Sabine. G and S were much less mysterious and I was able to make more sense of what was going on. I also felt that Bantock wrote each of his original trilogy without resorting to cliffhangers, a device which I find a bit off-putting, and which he used in "The Gryphon" and again in "Alexandria".

However, none of these complaints will stop me from buying anything Nick Bantock writes!

I am a librarian, so as soon as the I found that this book had been ordered, I put it on hold. As always, the long wait for Mr. Bantock's latest book is worthwhile.

This book picks up where The Gryphon left off, with Isabella at university and Matthew in Egypt. Alexandria is visually stunning (which won't surprise Mr. Bantock's devotees) and it's fun to see the artistic choices of our four characters. There are some surprises in this volume, both for the reader and the characters.

One aspect that I found particularly interesting was learning the background behind how Isabella relates to love, and to loving Matthew. We find out more about their relationship by finding out about her past.

Much remains the same... Frolatti menaces and meddles, Griffin and Sabine offer wisdom (do they know how everything will end?), and (of course) the book ends with a cliffhanger, making it essential that we get the third book as quickly as possible!

I like the novelty and skill in Bantock's work - I like it a lot. It's just that I don't see a lot of his novelty in this second trilogy. In the first series, a man is driven to some unseen fate by correspondence from a mysterious, other-wordly being. In this series, a couple is driven to some unseen fate by correspondence from a mysterious, other-wordly couple.

The format is very evocative. It's a voyeuristic look at the letters and postcards between the dramatis personae. We actually open the envelopes and read their mail. It gives a sense of naughtiness - "Is it OK for me to do this?" It's the same format as in the first series, though. The freshness is off it, it can't be a new experience again.

I would have been a lot happier if this series gave new information. Where is Paolo, or the Sicmon Islands? Who or what is Frolatti, and what is Frolatti's involvement? How does Sabine do - well, I'm not sure what she does.

I like Bantock's layered art (even when it's over-worked) and his fascination with stamps and postmarks. I really do want to see the story of Griffin and Sabine move forward. The tale seems to have stalled, though. Perhaps his success with the original G&S has left Bantock nervous about changing his formula.

This book has the same visual flair as the previous books- it's the narative that seems slack. To be fair, these books are more about feeling and emotion than plot, but nothing seems to happen in this one- I didn't feel it had much focus. It might be time to wrap the plot up in a book or two.

I say 4 stars only because all things pale just a tad when placed next to the original trilogy. If I could have said 4.9 stars, I would have. As usual, Mr. Bantock is is brilliant self with Alexandria, furthering our love and curiosity when it comes to Griffin & Sabine and dragging us into the mystery of yet another pair of star-crossed souls with Isabella and Matthew. I highly recommend that you read the Griffin & Sabine trilogy first, but definitely continue through this series as well. So far, with The Gryphon and Alexandria, it's fantastic.

These books are themselves, works of art. Not for the obvious reason of a tale well told, but for the delivery of that story as well.By way of personal corresponence, the reader is immediately drawn into the story of Griffin and Sabine, and later, Matthew and Isabella. Each postcard, stamp and letter add a graphic element that ties to the story at one point or another. Reading other's mail is unmistakably fun, but one cannot help but feel protective of these two couples; are they crazy or is someone really trying to bring them harm?

My teenaged daughter introduced them to her fellow bookloving friends at sleepaway camp and they were passed around the cabin,9 girls in all, with nothing harmed or torn when they came back home with her! That's a miracle, but they knew they weren't just reading a book,too. I recommend the entire series whole-heartedly!

I ordered the Trilogy of Griffin & Sabind books from one source, and 3 other individual Griffin & Sabine books from 3 other sources. Four (4) sources in all. The other 3 sources sent used books, but in good condition, with jackets for each book, and no marks. This Alexandria book was received with markings on the front cover, and NO JACKET at all. Very disappointed with the quality of the product, especially compared with the other items received. I plan on returning the book to the source.

This is the second book in the second Griffin and Sabine trilogy. It takes up where the first left off as we find Griffin corresponding with Isabella and Sabine corresponding with Matthew. In this book, the intrigue and suspense increase with the introduction of a villain in particular and a sinister group in general that are menacing Isabella and are after Griffin and Sabine. Matthew is working at a dig in Eygpt, where an unusual statue has been revealed. The two sets of partners work together to put Frolatti and the other group off their trail as the book comes to a climax and a cliffhanger. The art continues to be gorgeous and there is a heavy dose of mythology in the storyline. While I like Isabella and Matthew, their connection and passion does not seem as strong or intriguing as that of Griffin and Sabine. I am glad that I had the third book and did not have to wait for the conclusion of the series.