This gets five stars because of the original conception and beauty of the visual execution--even though if this were text only I doubt it would impress. A friend of mine mentioned the book and when I confessed I had never heard of it raved about it.
It's a funny little book. Less than fifty pages, it's the correspondence between two artists, Sabine from the South Seas and Griffin of London. This is the text of the first letter, from Sabine to Griffin:
It's good to get in touch with you at last.
Could I have one of your fish postcards?
I think you were right--the wine glass has more impact than the cup.
Just one thing--Griffin had never met her before.
There are 19 pieces of correspondence, all short, and as a story this isn't all that strong. The romantic aspect, for one, is beyond rushed. But the experience of the book is another matter. The postcards, even the stamps of the South Sea Island, the decoration on the envelopes, are lovely, several are surreal and Dali-esque. And the letters aren't simply text on a page. Instead, an envelope is glued to the page. You open the flap and slip out the one-page letter and read. There's something about the experience of holding the letter in your hand and reading it that can't be captured by its contents.
So, for prose and story, maybe I'd give it a two. But for the experience of this...what? Pop-up book for adults? I'm going to give it five stars. I was enchanted, even if I doubt I'll ever get the other books in the series.
