Rating: 
Summary: the French postcards...
Review: A reader noted below that two of the postcards are in French -- the same thing occurred in my copy, but I checked in another copy at the bookstore and discovered they were in English there. You may want to get it exchanged...
Rating:
Summary: Griffin/Sabine fans will not be disappointed
Review: After reading The Gryphon last year, I was instantly frustrated that I was going to have to wait a year for the next installment. About two days into the agony, I realized that the true bummer was that this new story line seemed to be preplanned to leave off in order to pre-sell the next book. After reading Alexandria, I feel that my conclusion has more basis. Alexandria IS an amazingly beautiful book, and some of the letters are absolutely inspired, but it lacks the storytelling power of the original trilogy. Instead of the letters slowly revealing a relationship, they are starting to resemble gimmicky plot devices. The revelations seemed more trite and some of the more interesting occurances are glossed over in a single postcard. Part of the wonder of the first three books is that each could stand nearly alone. The end of each book did not instantly suggest a followup. Alexandria, like The Gryphon before it, kind of stops that narrative because there are no more pages in the binding. Grrr. If you are considering this book as your introduction to Nick Bantock, please go elsewhere (Either start with Griffin and Sabine, or maybe even The Forgetting Room). Alexandria is kind of an odd duck for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and savoring each of the letters, but felt let down and even kind of patronized by the way the story line was delivered. The "flow" is just very different from the first half of the Griffin and Sabine saga. Not completely bad per se, just very different. So a four star kind of a let down rather than an outright rejection.
Rating:
Summary: kind of a let down
Review: After reading The Gryphon last year, I was instantly frustrated that I was going to have to wait a year for the next installment. About two days into the agony, I realized that the true bummer was that this new story line seemed to be preplanned to leave off in order to pre-sell the next book. After reading Alexandria, I feel that my conclusion has more basis. Alexandria IS an amazingly beautiful book, and some of the letters are absolutely inspired, but it lacks the storytelling power of the original trilogy. Instead of the letters slowly revealing a relationship, they are starting to resemble gimmicky plot devices. The revelations seemed more trite and some of the more interesting occurances are glossed over in a single postcard. Part of the wonder of the first three books is that each could stand nearly alone. The end of each book did not instantly suggest a followup. Alexandria, like The Gryphon before it, kind of stops that narrative because there are no more pages in the binding. Grrr. If you are considering this book as your introduction to Nick Bantock, please go elsewhere (Either start with Griffin and Sabine, or maybe even The Forgetting Room). Alexandria is kind of an odd duck for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and savoring each of the letters, but felt let down and even kind of patronized by the way the story line was delivered. The "flow" is just very different from the first half of the Griffin and Sabine saga. Not completely bad per se, just very different. So a four star kind of a let down rather than an outright rejection.
Rating: 
Summary: Fans of Griffin and Sabine will be delighted
Review: I am a librarian, so as soon as the I found that this book had been ordered, I put it on hold. As always, the long wait for Mr. Bantock's latest book is worthwhile. This book picks up where The Gryphon left off, with Isabella at university and Matthew in Egypt. Alexandria is visually stunning (which won't surprise Mr. Bantock's devotees) and it's fun to see the artistic choices of our four characters. There are some surprises in this volume, both for the reader and the characters. One aspect that I found particularly interesting was learning the background behind how Isabella relates to love, and to loving Matthew. We find out more about their relationship by finding out about her past. Much remains the same... Frolatti menaces and meddles, Griffin and Sabine offer wisdom (do they know how everything will end?), and (of course) the book ends with a cliffhanger, making it essential that we get the third book as quickly as possible!
Rating: 
Summary: Hoping for more
Review: I like the novelty and skill in Bantock's work - I like it a lot. It's just that I don't see a lot of his novelty in this second trilogy. In the first series, a man is driven to some unseen fate by correspondence from a mysterious, other-wordly being. In this series, a couple is driven to some unseen fate by correspondence from a mysterious, other-wordly couple. The format is very evocative. It's a voyeuristic look at the letters and postcards between the dramatis personae. We actually open the envelopes and read their mail. It gives a sense of naughtiness - "Is it OK for me to do this?" It's the same format as in the first series, though. The freshness is off it, it can't be a new experience again. I would have been a lot happier if this series gave new information. Where is Paolo, or the Sicmon Islands? Who or what is Frolatti, and what is Frolatti's involvement? How does Sabine do - well, I'm not sure what she does. I like Bantock's layered art (even when it's over-worked) and his fascination with stamps and postmarks. I really do want to see the story of Griffin and Sabine move forward. The tale seems to have stalled, though. Perhaps his success with the original G&S has left Bantock nervous about changing his formula.
Rating:
Summary: A bit less compelling than Griffin and Sabine
Review: I rushed out to buy "Alexandria" as I have done with all of Bantock's books since I was first gifted with "Griffin and Sabine" many years ago. I love his work....his books are such a visual treat that even if I do not know what is going on, I enjoy them. I love handling them and looking for hidden clues in the drawings. That said, I feel that I don't know Isabella and Matthew as well as I knew Griffin and Sabine. G and S were much less mysterious and I was able to make more sense of what was going on. I also felt that Bantock wrote each of his original trilogy without resorting to cliffhangers, a device which I find a bit off-putting, and which he used in "The Gryphon" and again in "Alexandria". However, none of these complaints will stop me from buying anything Nick Bantock writes!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I say 4 stars only because all things pale just a tad when placed next to the original trilogy. If I could have said 4.9 stars, I would have. As usual, Mr. Bantock is is brilliant self with Alexandria, furthering our love and curiosity when it comes to Griffin & Sabine and dragging us into the mystery of yet another pair of star-crossed souls with Isabella and Matthew. I highly recommend that you read the Griffin & Sabine trilogy first, but definitely continue through this series as well. So far, with The Gryphon and Alexandria, it's fantastic.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I say 4 stars only because all things pale just a tad when placed next to the original trilogy. If I could have said 4.9 stars, I would have. As usual, Mr. Bantock is is brilliant self with Alexandria, furthering our love and curiosity when it comes to Griffin & Sabine and dragging us into the mystery of yet another pair of star-crossed souls with Isabella and Matthew. I highly recommend that you read the Griffin & Sabine trilogy first, but definitely continue through this series as well. So far, with The Gryphon and Alexandria, it's fantastic.
Rating:
Summary: Alexandria...
Review: The artwork in "Alexandria" is just as strange and beautiful as in the first four books in the series - maybe more so. I'm reminded of Griffin's dark travelogue in "Sabine's Notebook." I love the original Griffin & Sabine trilogy but was initially disappointed with "The Gryphon," the fourth book in the series. Bantock's new time-and-space-crossed lovers, Matthew and Isabella, weren't as compelling to me as Griffin and Sabine. They seemed awkward and even a little trite. After reading "Alexandria" I appreciate "The Gryphon" a lot more: Matthew and Isabella deepen as characters as the plot moves forward. I'd recommend this book to diehard Griffin & Sabine fans or anyone interested in graphic novels. Fans of Egyptology might be pleased...hard to say, since there could be gross inaccuracies in the book. I know nothing about ancient Egypt. I sure liked the book, though.
Rating:
Summary: Alexandria...
Review: The artwork in "Alexandria" is just as strange and beautiful as in the first four books in the series - maybe more so. I'm reminded of Griffin's dark travelogue in "Sabine's Notebook." I love the original Griffin & Sabine trilogy but was initially disappointed with "The Gryphon," the fourth book in the series. Bantock's new time-and-space-crossed lovers, Matthew and Isabella, weren't as compelling to me as Griffin and Sabine. They seemed awkward and even a little trite. After reading "Alexandria" I appreciate "The Gryphon" a lot more: Matthew and Isabella deepen as characters as the plot moves forward. I'd recommend this book to diehard Griffin & Sabine fans or anyone interested in graphic novels. Fans of Egyptology might be pleased...hard to say, since there could be gross inaccuracies in the book. I know nothing about ancient Egypt. I sure liked the book, though.
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