Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful!!
Review: A beautiful book with a magical story....makes me want to paint!
Rating: 
Summary: Confusing
Review: A beautifully designed book...not as much so as the Griffin and Sabine trilogy, but beautiful nonetheless. But this book has too many things that, to me, don't really have anything to do with the story. The concertina pages of questions for example. Even after he discovered the answers to them....what do they have to do with anything? I can't see where they fit into the storyline, except to add a bit of mystery to it. There is also the page with the instructions for the Forgetting Room. None of which were used or mentioned in the story. I know the book is meant to be surrealistic and mysterious, and it is most definately that, but it did leave me a bit confused and wondering about things. Like what was the point of the beautiful scar faced woman, Ceres. She adds nothing of worth really to the story. And why is the letter "A" the pass letter? Pass letter for what? Well, maybe this is what Bantock planned to do from the beginning, and that is to confuse the heck out of his readers. Well he succeeded with me. But I will read other books of his as it does give my brain a workout.
Rating:
Summary: The Forgetting Room
Review: An artist's talent is frequently said to skip a generation. In Rafael's case that prooved to be the case.This portrait of an artist's (Rafael) grandson's (Armon) awakening to himself is pure magic to those who read magic. I envy your first reading.
Rating: 
Summary: A better tale of Bantock himself than a mere work of fiction
Review: I love Nick Bantock's work, and have for a few years now. I consider his works an inspiration for my own and I enjoyed this book as a means to discover how Bantock as an artist creates his pieces. As a story however, I felt it lacked the passion it set out to portray and seemed hurredly written. All Bantock collectors will buy this book, and most will treasure it, not for the forgetful story, but for the artwork and an insight into the artist himself. If you are looking for a great story however, I'm sad to say you should look elsewhere. Don't worry, I'll still be first in line to buy the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: Blood is thicker than water
Review: I love the disclaimer about García Lorca's quotes, in which Nick Bantock blames any inaccuracies on his characters' faulty memories! This story takes place in Ronda, a beautiful city in Malaga, Spain. The descriptions of the city are great, and the famous bridge ("El Tajo del Coño") is central to the story. I wish that the original painting that Armon makes of it had not been so obscured by the other elements of the collage. There were a few more things that bothered me. Paolo and Francesca are Italian names, not Spanish. "Casa", not "cassa", is Spanish for "house". The appearance of Ceres is rather superfluous, and i do not know that she provides much to the story, other than to reiterate that Rafael was a special kind of man, and we already knew that. The ghostly images and hallucinations that Armon experiences in the final chapters are also a bit over the top. Armon goes into a meditative mode once he arrives in Ronda. Reading between the lines, it is suggested that he was ripe for the epiphany he experiences towards the end. However, the transformation he suffers, the happiness and thirst for life that envelop him so rapidly, are far-fetched. You cannot shed your skin like if you were a snake at molting time. The very essence of you remains always with you, and Armon's melancholy is Armon himself. The best part of the book, to me, is the analysis that Armon makes of his family relationships. The introspection that he experiences in the solitude of the studio is described in an exquisite way. I wonder how much autobiographical stuff is in Armon. This novel is to me much more satisfying that the Griffin and Sabine Trilogy, despite discrepancies, artifice and Italian vocabulary. Armon's conversations with himself make this book worth it. One of the editorial reviews calls it a 'fairy tale', and that's right on the money.
Rating:
Summary: A great story & beautiful artwork harmoniously together.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Whenever I felt the need to get away, I would pick up The Forgetting Room and get whisked away into Bantock's creative, surreal, and fascinating world. I enjoyed the little clues given here and there and trying to piece them together. A definite addition to any Bantock library!
Rating:
Summary: Darkly beautiful
Review: Like the Griffin and Sabine trilogy by the same author, "The Forgetting Room" is a pleasure to the senses. Nick Bantock fills the pages with lavish art, often in inventive forms such as collage, letters, and fold-out inserts. On top of the fascinating, appealing artwork, though, Bantock includes an interesting story line. As in the Griffin and Sabine stories, the plot line of "The Forgetting Room" has a haunting dark side. Bantock explores the nature of the artist and the intensity of the relationships that artists tend to form. Bantock also sets up a kind of game for the narrator, and the reader, to play. The game itself is ultimately more compelling than the answer. Armon, the main character, eventually discovers that he must confront the personal demons, or duende, of his own past and the past of his grandfather, before he can fully recognize his own identity as an artist. Unravelling the mystery behind the past is an intriguing process, made enjoyable by the beauty of Bantock's artwork.
Rating:
Summary: Darkly beautiful
Review: Like the Griffin and Sabine trilogy by the same author, "The Forgetting Room" is a pleasure to the senses. Nick Bantock fills the pages with lavish art, often in inventive forms such as collage, letters, and fold-out inserts. On top of the fascinating, appealing artwork, though, Bantock includes an interesting story line. As in the Griffin and Sabine stories, the plot line of "The Forgetting Room" has a haunting dark side. Bantock explores the nature of the artist and the intensity of the relationships that artists tend to form. Bantock also sets up a kind of game for the narrator, and the reader, to play. The game itself is ultimately more compelling than the answer. Armon, the main character, eventually discovers that he must confront the personal demons, or duende, of his own past and the past of his grandfather, before he can fully recognize his own identity as an artist. Unravelling the mystery behind the past is an intriguing process, made enjoyable by the beauty of Bantock's artwork.
Rating:
Summary: Expecting more
Review: Not only does the author get you hooked in helping him solve a mystery, but he takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery that resonated with this reader. The art work,text and format of the book are all of a piece to make you realize the possibilities in life and what we have sometimes forgotten. I cannot wait to read more of this wonderful, insightful, mystical author!
Rating: 
Summary: Blech.
Review: Thank goodness this was a library copy, or I'd have felt most cheated. The writing was clumsy, and strained at many instances. One can feel that Bantock is trying to be witty at times, but his 'set-ups' are so obvious it's paintful.
The pacing was off. There's a big lag in the middle.
The few pieces of 'art' seemed to have been thrown in because the whole story was so boring and self-indulgent.
Rich in symbolism? I find the whole exercise ponderous, and utterly contrived. Borrow, don't buy this.
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