See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

3 used & new from $186.78

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
The World of the "Dark Crystal"
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get yours here.
 
  

The World of the "Dark Crystal" (Hardcover)

by Brian Froud (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


1 new from $186.81 2 used from $186.78
Also Available in: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover (Bargain Price) 8 used & new from $32.13
Hardcover (Collector's ed) $45.00 $29.70 16 used & new from $21.83
Paperback (1st) 34 used & new from $18.99

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Goblins of Labyrinth: 20th Anniversary Edition

The Goblins of Labyrinth: 20th Anniversary Edition

by Brian Froud
4.4 out of 5 stars (10)  $19.77
Brian Froud's World of Faerie (v. 1)

Brian Froud's World of Faerie (v. 1)

by Brian Froud
4.7 out of 5 stars (12)  $26.40
The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal

DVD ~ Jean-Pierre Amiel
4.4 out of 5 stars (315)  $8.99
Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition)

Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition)

by Brian Froud
4.8 out of 5 stars (80)  $16.47
Legends of the Dark Crystal Volume 1: The Garthim Wars (Legends of the Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars) (v. 1)

Legends of the Dark Crystal Volume 1: The Garthim Wars (Legends of the Dark Crystal: The Garthim Wars) (v. 1)

by Jim Henson
4.2 out of 5 stars (10)  $9.99
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This lavish, oversized picture book revisits the collaboration between Froud, prominent fairy artist, and Jim Hensen, Muppeteer, in the creation of their cult favorite The Dark Crystal. Reissued after 20 years, this portfolio of sketches and backdrop paintings retains a certain mystique, crammed to the margins with moss-covered runes and medieval diagrams, and peopled by the movie's menagerie of grotesque, shambling puppets. Unfortunately, the narrative fails to support the elaborate art direction, offering a dim echo of the Lord of the Rings with none of the complexity or scope. The long-nosed Gelflings and vulturish Skeksis-as well as the whole hodge-podge of occult symbols and carefully antiquated tools-come across as strangely arbitrary, constantly reaching for a profundity that never appears. But for the many fans of the movie and young children interested in fantasy-adventure, the book will satisfy greatly. Also included in the package is a preliminary 20-page sketchbook for the production, unseen until now.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Now 20 years old, Jim Henson's classic fantasy film The Dark Crystal - featuring the breathtaking concept design of renowned artist Brian Froud - is an incredible work of the imagination. This mystical adventure has such a cult following that when the film was recently re-released on video and DVD, it quickly sold a million copies. Just as remarkable is the cult status of The World of the Dark Crystal, Froud's book on the film. Originally published in 1982, this definitive and beautifully illustrated volume is being reissued in a collector's edition. This superb reproduction of the original volume includes an additional new essay by Froud, illustrated with previously unpublished paintings, drawings and sculptures from the film's archives. The new edition also features a facsimile of a 20-page booklet Froud and Henson created to present the film to backers - an overview of the story so rare that only a few copies are known to exist. This collector's edition of The World of the Dark Crystal, like the re-released film, is a must have for all Henson and Froud fans.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 132 pages
  • Publisher: Pavilion Books (September 26, 2003)
  • ISBN-10: 1862056242
  • ISBN-13: 978-1862056244
  • Product Dimensions: 13.5 x 11.1 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,962,102 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The World of the "Dark Crystal"
66% buy the item featured on this page:
The World of the "Dark Crystal" 4.8 out of 5 stars (29)
The Dark Crystal
10% buy
The Dark Crystal 4.4 out of 5 stars (315)
$8.99
The Goblins of Labyrinth: 20th Anniversary Edition
9% buy
The Goblins of Labyrinth: 20th Anniversary Edition 4.4 out of 5 stars (10)
$19.77
Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition)
9% buy
Faeries (25th Anniversary Edition) 4.8 out of 5 stars (80)
$16.47

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below.

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search
No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

29 Reviews
5 star:
 (24)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (29 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential for anyone who loves The Dark Crystal, April 16, 2005
By The No Evil Killer "Know No Evil" (Everywhere, Anywhere, Nowhere) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Anyone who's seen this movie will be familiar with the breathtaking level of detail and effort that went into the production design. One could watch the film a hundred times over and still pick up on small things and be totally puzzled over the meaning of it all. When you think about it, The Dark Crystal is a small miracle. Not only is it a very grim kids film, hardly any of the mythology is explained and there's loads of subtext and hidden meanings. How many can say that about Finding Nemo?

Brian Froud has always been fascinated with faeries and goblins and such so when he was hired by Jim Henson to work on this movie it must have been a dream come true. The first section of this book covers Froud's experiences working on the movie. It's an interesting read but the remaining part of the book requires the reader to have a vivid recollection of events in the film and patience to add it all up. Not an easy read or your typical 'making of' book at all.

Two thirds of the book is told from the point of view of Aughra, the one and only of her race, the prophet born of rock and stone. She explains to us the history of her world, the great divide of the Urskeks and the creation of uUru and Skeksis.

The depth of Brian Froud's imagination is astonishing. The triangular and circular imagery of the film is spelled out so vividly that several reads of each page are needed in order to fully understand it all. The quality of the presentation is of the highest standard. The book is a huge hardback with beautiful pictures in color, black and white and daguerreotype. Some pages are translucent trace paper laid over spirals to give us a better idea of what they mean. A reproduction of Jim Henson's original presentation to potential backers of the film is included in the back page inserted in a pouch.

Investment in this book is well worth the money for fans of the film and those interested in faery mythology and even art students.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars World of the Dark Crystal Reprint, May 1, 2003
By Katie (MA, USA) - See all my reviews
The Dark Crystal... one of the most beautiful films created by two of the most talented artists our culture has ever seen- Jim Henson and Brian Froud. I collect Froud's books, and receieved the orginal edition of The World of the Dark Crystal last year for my Winter Solstice gift. If you are a Froud or Dark Crystal collector, but you aren't quite obsessed enough to search for months for this book, and then pay [dollar amount] for it (coughcoughME)--- this book is your salvation! Not only is the artwork brighter, and the paper of better quality, but the new cover is stunning, it features a lovely new forward and the fascinating promo book in the back. However--- If you already own the orginal copy of this book, and are looking forward to the 15 new artworks that the new version promises, I must warn you: THERE IS NO NEW MATERIAL IN THIS BOOK ASIDE FROM THE PROMO BOOK. I don't know how this happened, especially since it says right in the jacket that there ARE 15 new artworks. There is work that wasn't in the book before in the forward, but the only image no one's ever seen is the photo of Jen and Kira. While the new book is certainly exquisite, I was disappointed at this. I don't regret having purchased the book, however- for I'm very adement in my Froud collecting and seek to own every bit of Froud merchandise that comes my way. :) :) :) I hope this was helpful to all of you! Blessed Be!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful!, April 29, 2003
By C. A Baker (Santa Rosa CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
I never saw this book the first time it was released, so when I saw this I ordered it imeadiatly.
What a georgeous book! Lovely illustrations throughout tell the story of this delightful Hensen masterpiece. From a friend of mine who had the original she says this book has many improvements and additional material not in the original release including a lovely sketch book attached to the back cover of more of Brian Froud's conceptual art for this film. Also in this edition but not in the original are some shots from the film but they are not behind the scenes shots with people or pupeteers but just nice artful shots of the Dark Crystal characters and scenery that only enhances the beauty of this book.
If you are a fan of this film this book is worth the price and even if you still own the original this book improves on the original and is worth buying.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars my review
this book with all its beautiful drawings is breathtakiong to look at, even after 20 years. have thoroughly enjoyed stepping back in time to a world credted by jim henson's... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Natalie Davis

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
If you are a Henson fan, or just of the Dark Crystal, this is a must have. Fantastic pictures, nice story in a big book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. Kusters

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the great movie
I loved the movie, and when I saw that the book has been reprinted I ordered it when I got the 25th anniversary DVD.

Here's the good... Read more
Published 7 months ago by MGCJerry

5.0 out of 5 stars Froud's Majestic Vision
Combining the talents of Jim Henson's storytelling with Brian Froud's exquisite art, The Dark Crystal is an amazing film. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Count Orlok '22

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic supplement to an already fantastic movie
This book does a great job of enhancing the experience of watching The Dark Crystal. Objects that are only seen for an instant or merely in the background are explained in detail... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Isaac Dlugacz

5.0 out of 5 stars Talent and imagination beyond borders
Brian Froud, the creator of the Dark Crystal, is a Genius.

This book is a small Bible.

Well written, and with images so refined it makes you wonder if it... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Marc Poirier

5.0 out of 5 stars A gorgeous book
This book is an amazing tome for anyone who grew up in adoration of The Dark Crystal. Brian Froud's illustrations and concepts are gorgeous and so incredibly creative. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Julie Merilatt

5.0 out of 5 stars There's more than meets the eye in The Dark Crystal, and you'll find it here
A must have for any Dark Crystal fan. It contains detailed pictures, decriptios of the various races, and a breif overveiw of how the world works. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Daniel Kennedy

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked this book better than the movie!
I didn't grow up with "The Dark Crystal" like most others who bought this book. I watched it for the first time in 2007. Read more
Published 19 months ago by J. Colon

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely awesome
This reedition was long awaited and now I see it's simply delightful. Detailed presentation, awesome drawing and descriptions, it speaks for itself it's been compiled and... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Allez!

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


   


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)



Look for Similar Items by Category


Summer Sales

Omaha Steaks Hamburgers
Shop the summer food sale and save up to 50% on salsas and spreads, steaks and burgers, seafood, oils and vinegars, and desserts, only at Amazon Gourmet.

See all sale items

 

Best Books of 2008

Best of 2008
Find our top 100 editors' picks as well as customers' favorites in dozens of categories in our Best Books of 2008 Store.
 

Buy Three Books, Get a Fourth Free

4-for-3 Books
Order any four eligible books under $10 and get the lowest-price book free in our 4-for-3 Books Store. See more details.
 

Smooth Operator

Shop for planers
With a planer every workpiece in your project can be a perfect match.

Shop for planers

 

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.



Where's My Stuff?

Shipping & Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.

Continue shopping: Top Sellers
Paranoia
Paranoia by Joseph Finder
Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Glenn Beck's Common Sense
Darkfever
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

Conditions of Use | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates