The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy Boxed Set: Griffin & Sabine/Sabine's Notebook/The Golden Mean

The Griffin and Sabine trilogy in one of the most creative series of books I've read. The premise that two people encounter each other telephathically but have difficulty meeting face to face is an interesting one. It is made even more realistic and compelling by the format of the books. The story is told entirely through the correspondence between the protagonists which is displayed in real letters and postcards. It is an interesting experience to turn a page of the book, open Sabine's envelope, remove her letter to Griffin, and then read it. Finally, the most compelling aspect of the series is Bantoc's art work. His illustrations are extrordinary and very creative. The series is beautifully crafted from start to finish.
Some readers might be put off by an underlying sinister quality of the series, especially in the last book. Bantok also leaves us with many loose ends which some might find frustrating. Even if the plot or the concept of this series bothers you, it is worth checking out for the concept and creativity if nothing else. This series demonstrates that "multi-media" is not just a term that refers to computers and the Internet. Bantok's series rests on three different media: writing, physical components such as envelopes and letters, and art.

After reading the rave reviews I thought I was in for a unique treat with the G&S trilogy - NOT. To say the emotion written in the postcards and letters is simple is an understatement.
Here are what I see as the fatal flaws. Firstly the length of the experience is very brief. You can read all three books in a couple hours at the most. The books would be better priced ...for the amount of entertainment they provide, maybe a little more if your an art lover. The art is more of a treat than the story.
Secondly, the plot is very simple in all it's treatment of human emotion. We begin with G quickly and easily buying into the fact that someone he doesn't know can see and experience him painting. It would have been more intriguing if G held on to a little doubt a bit longer. He proceeds to fall in love with this visionary within just a few letters based on thin air. Then the rest of the books consists primarily of G as a manic depressive wondering around the world. Happy and gloomy in quick succession. This love is based on who knows what as little history is exchanged, niether knows what the other looks like and doesn't inquire. Niether reveals much about their interests, likes, values, goals or opinions. Though the contents are suppose to look like letters the font is familiar and it's obviously computer generated fonts, not looking at all like a written letter. Sabine's printing is always in brown and Griffin always writes in black. Don't these people every lose a pen? When I think of the depth these letters could have created I was more than dissapointed. Check these out at the library before you invest in purchasing them. If you want more depth than the that of a mosquito maternity ward you may want to think twice. Whats good about the book?...the art, the art and the art.

The first time I saw this trilogy I thought " How great that will look on my bookshelf." Instead it opened a new concept in reading for me and my husband. He read the role of Griffin and I read the role of Sabine. It was so exciting that we couldn't wait to see what was going to happen to us or should I say G&S. The story was as intriguing as the way we went about reading it. Every night we would sit by the fireplace and open the letters in the book and read out loud, what a romantic gift for Valentines day or for no reason at all. The book is beautiful and Bantock is one of the most unique writers I have ever collected. This trilogy will open a whole new experience in reading for you and there are alot of surprises throughout. I wonder if you will figure it out before you get to the end. I promise you will become a Bantock fan for life. I have all his books, cards, address books etc and I love all of them. Buy your loved one a copy of this trilogy and read it like we did. After all it will give you some quality time together while fantasizing that you are Griffin and Sabine.

This is the entire trilogy about a lonely artist who makes up a pen pal for himself and over time finds her becoming more and more real. The story is told through the finely drawn letters and postcards that pass between them. As to the except above, Bantock later wrote a 4th volume (The Pharos Gate) in the series that gives it a more definite ending. This boxed set is the trilogy, you'll have to get number 4 on your own.

Why go for the entire Griffin and Sabine trilogy when you haven't seen any of the books yet? Believe me, experience (this is more than reading) one and you WILL want the others. Go for the box.
Bancock, an illustrator who has produced pop-up books in the past has created a picture book for adults that's a guilty pleasure. The concept is built about a suspenseful series of correspondence between Griffin, a London postcard illustrator, a Sabine, a postage stamp artist residing in the South Pacific. There is mysticism, romance, a little Jung, a little Freud. The text is conveyed on the illustrated postcards and in letters that are tucked into actual envelopes. It is a tour d'force of ideas and illustration. A grouch might say it is glib or slick; that's the grouch's problem. This is for everyone who would like to be surprised and entertained in an off-beat way.

When I first heard good rants of the Griffin and Sabine Trilogy from my friend, I was inclined to read the series. And sure enough, I found Griffin and Sabine to be a vivid, gorgeous story in both context and design. The plot is simple and yet mysterious; a love story of two people living in the opposite ends of the world unfolded through letters and postcards...the unexpected twists in the book left me hanging and craving for more. Furthermore, the entire story allows you to open and read the letters other people (a taboo in real life), making the story even more surreal and exciting. An exotic love story wedded with whimsical artwork and an unusual format, Griffin and Sabine is a timeless winner that's sure to please the eccentric heart.

to read and to simply look at! These books are just beautiful. And not only are the beautiful, but they tell an excellent story-one filled with mystery, excitement, love, and more. Told through a series of letters (this is where the 'beautiful to look at' part comes in), Griffin and Sabine is amazingly original and wonderful to read.
Follow the lives of Griffin and Sabine as they discover each other in an interesting and very different way. Sabine, since a very young age, has been able to "see" what Griffin, an artist, paints. Finally discovering who she has been "seeing" for years, she begins a very intense correspondence with the lonely Griffin. What follows is one of the most powerful love stories I have ever read.
This books are a must read for anyone who appreciates beauty and romance.

I read this series 20 years ago when I was in Design School and fell in love with them.
I just introduced the trilogy to my design students.
I wasn't sure how they would react to them - fortunately, they loved them too.

The text is simply a correspondance through postcards and letters between 2 people that have never met and who may never meet.
Both of the protagonists are graphic designers and their whimsical and fantastic drawings, paintings, and designs appear in the margins of their letters and as postcard and stamp designs. Graphically they are really interesting and inspiring.

I heard Nick Bantock on the radio a few years ago. He explained how one day he went to the Post Office to pick up his mail, and he noticed a woman retrieving letters from her box, close to him. Her letters were exotic-looking, air-mail envelopes, artsy, beautiful stamps. He looked at his own mail, bills and grocery ads, and felt envious. He then decided to write this book.
This entire collection is a joy for the eyes. The layout is fascinating: the envelopes and postcards are an innovative idea, that i haven't seen anywhere else. The illustrations are wonderful. I don't know that the story plot is all that great. If you remove the colorful layout, the story is OK, but nothing to write home about (there is an audio version of this book. Those that have listened to it could say). However, this would be an excellent present for a teenager. I know i would have been all over this book (the entire trilogy) at fourteen. It is certainly well worth it for its beauty and originality.

I had a psychotic girlfriend who loved these books
and tried to get me to read them. "Aren't they beautiful?"
Whenever I read see these books, it reminds me of being stalked by a lunatic.
This book is fuel for all of the twisted, psychotic, neurotic,
witchcraft-dabbling women out there.