Customer Reviews

The Museum at Purgatory

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

After much anticipation for another "Nick" book, I was rewarded with this wonderfully thought-provoking novel. The whole premise of purgatory and how one travels through it is inspired. Each character comes alive as Mr. Bantock unravels their histories one by one and allows us to view their lives and their cherished possessions. The best part of this author's books is always his art and "Museum" is no exception. The art reaches far beyond collage and moves on to assemblage in a most delicious way. Mr. Bantock's constructed shrines are wonderful. I recommend this book to all current "Nick" fans and encourage all those who love alternative art to read this new book.

Bantock has a wonderful style, and this book may be my favorite among the ones I've seen.

Like the Griffin and Sabine books, it has a definitely mystical side. As the name says, it's about purgatory, but not Dante's. This is a place where people have work to do, and our protagonist works as a museum keeper. That sets the scene for a series of peculiar vignettes, the kind that make just a little too much sense.

Also like G&S, there's a distinctly autobiographical sense about the story. The last section is explicitly a fictional autobiography. Somehow, though, the stories have a grounded feeling that doesn't let me believe they are pure fantasy.

As much as I like the G&S imagery, I like this better. Bantock has moved his improbable talent for assemblage and collage into 3D. He has created several series of fictional artifacts, are as complex and multifacted as his works on paper. These images, so many being photos, have a clarity that G&S sometimes lost.

This is a brief but very enjoyable book, and one worth re-reading. The pictures just get better with each reading, and the stories seem to stay fresh.

Of all of Bantock's books, this is the one that has the most accessible premise and text (though "The Venetian's Wife" is nearly just as much so and even more fun to watch unfold). His books are many things at once: a mystery, a coffee table art book, a love story, a "Where's Waldo?" for grown-ups, and this book captures most of these elements (no love story for once) with ease and is a great starting place for people who might find the concept of picking up what is essentially a grown-up's picture book less daunting.

The concept of a limbo-like place for the dead to decide/uncover their ultimate fate is engaging and the narrarator - "Non" - does a fine job of carrying us along the thread of the mystery of the place and even himself...moreso in this book than in most of the others.

It isn't bantock's best book, but it is the one you might want to recommend to someone who isn't familiar with his work and might be self-conscious about being seen with a book with pictures. The art in this book isn't quite up to par with the art in his other books, and there's a more stark presentation here (lending itself fine to the museum concept, but not as much eye candy as we're accustomed to in a Bantock book), but it's still a fine book.

In my humble opinion, this is the best book written by Nick Bantock since the `Griffin & Sabine' trilogy. The 3-dimensional artifacts he created for each room in `The Museum at Purgatory' are absolutely stunning. This is an ingenious tale of what happens to artists and collectors in life after death. But don't just take my word on it -- preview an excerpt, take a tour of the image gallery, and read the critics' comments by visiting the Museum's official website.

bantock's done very well here. his past books have been beautiful but left some wanting in terms of narrative.

here bantock divides the book into various rooms, each a collection of work by a different artists or collectors (my favorite is a collection of "historically forged" toy tops). the format- a terse but well written narrative of the person's life and work, and lots of stunning pictures. all are interwoven with a common narrative by the museum's curator, which wraps the book up quite poignantly. we're all already in purgatory.

he's also included a book of half a dozen stamps on the back inside cover- a nice little touch.

In the "Museum At Purgatory" Nick Bantock returns his art style to the meshing of items in a surreal manner that was so evident in the incredible Griffin and Sabine series but that was absent from the Forgetting Room and Venetians Wife. The story is more of an exploration of the ten rooms and their creators but has little other plot. However what little there is is exquisitely done. I especially enjoyed the carpet room. Not quite up to Griffin and Sabine but can anything ever regain that pure magic.

Yet another visual feast from Nick Bantock. This book is visual science fiction fantasy. We are introduced to a wonderous place, Purgatory, and given a tour of the artifacts those who passed through here couldn't take with them. Admittedly, this is not my favorite by the artist/author but nothing can replace the time I picked up my first Bantock book, Griffin & Sabine, and carefully pulled those letters from the envelopes.

This is my first Bantock book and I absolutely loved it. I only let myself read a chapter at a time so that I wouldn't get excited and read the whole thing in one sitting.

It's a beautiful book, completely original (if it's not please e-mail me with it's precursor) and just the kind of subject that I'm interested in. Too bad it didn't come with a CD of the website.

Well worth the money.

While "The Venetian's Wife" is still my favorite Bantock book, this one is right up there. The artwork is great. The collections are fascinating. The story is quite good, and the philosophical point of view is interresting.

Those who like this may also enjoy the Japanese movie "After Life". It looks as if one story influence the other.

"The Museum at Purgatory" is only a third of the tale. A vision of the afterlife and the museums curator are the rest of the story. And the story is accompanied by Nick Bantock's collages and photos of his quirky sculpture.

The afterlife is the milieu. In Bantock's vision of the here after, new arrivals largely sort themselves into the various utopian (heavens) and dystopian (hells) realms, and occasionally reincarnate. Purgatory is the triage area, an ever changing waypoint where one's life is assessed and a determination is made on where to go next. Purgatory itself is ever changing to reflect the passers by, their histories, and their inclinations, except for the Museum.

The Museum is for relics that accompanied their collectors and makers from the physical world, and for artifacts created in the afterlife. In both cases, the purpose is to help the individual resolve issues with their previous lives and come to a decision regarding their next step. The book addresses only a handful of collections within the museum, specifically those that had the most influence on the curator and his efforts to come to terms with his past life.

Non, the curator, is something of a mystery. Arriving in the afterlife with amnesia, an anomolous circumstance, he is directed to the museum to assume the responsibilities of curator. As curator, he starts to unravel the secrets that he wished to forget and learn of the offenses he must repent of. And the art and artifacts in the museum guide him to goal.

Bantock dreamed up a diverse range of collections. Some are collections of antique tobacco collecting cards, and others are series of works with a common theme, like the artifacts of divine conflict that shaped the life of one of the contributors to the museum. The artwork itself is hit or miss with me. Some is very engaging and touching, other examples are weak tea. The spinning tops, the "angels & demons" artifacts, and the "shrines and boxes" (a la Cornell) were very compelling, using a wide range of materials to create vivid imagery. Others, like the illustrations on the edges of the pages for the "Curator's Tale", were to busy and disjointed for my tastes, though they complimented the story being told well.

This book will world especially well for you if enjoy dream-like, non-linear, Dadaesque art, and, of course, if you're already a fan of Bantock.

E.M. Van Court