Nick Bantock

[bugsbunny]

have you guys heard about Nick Bantock? he did the Griffin and Sabine trilogy.

[Yoshi]

I liked the Griffin and Sabine trilogy just because of the interesting way the story was told—with postcards and letters and such. Story-wise, I didn't like it much, because it seemed to be a love story that suddenly turned philosophical.

His later books (The Venetian's Wife, etc.) have the same Bantock trademark of postcards and letters and such, but still suffer the same fate story wise. I guess you'll just be liking him for his innovation, but not his skill.

[Ira]

I liked the Griffin and Sabine trilogy (my best friend and I had loooong discussions as to whether Sabine actually existed or not), but I don't like his post-G&S works anymore. He's sticking to his old formula, and it's getting tiring.

[usp92]

I liked G&S too...But "The Forgetting Room" with its story of a grandson's going back to his roots to learn more about his grandfather appealed a lot to me too.

[JDELEON]

Following another thought... so did Sabine really exist?

Can you be truly in love just through letters?

[Ira]

I am more on the idea that Griffin has a delusional disorder, or maybe some other psychotic disorder, and that Sabine is actually his other persona (Much like the 3 Faces of Eve). Anyone wants to give their opposing view? :)

[JDELEON]

Has anyone read PARIS OUT OF HAND?

It is a collaborative work of Bantock, Hodgson (the Tattoed Map) and others. Looks really interesting and I would love a copy. =) But I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on it?

May Angels smile upon you,
Joe

[bugsbunny]

i think you have to continuously read the G&S trilogy to really find out if Sabine exists... my sister says Sabine doesnt exist..i dont know... but i dont think you can be in love through letters...

[mrs. witter]

i think griffin had a multiple personality disorder. the last line of the first book goes something like, ..."all these postcards and letters were found on the ceiling of griffin's apartment...", meaning even the stuff that sabine received were there as well...

i'd also love to get a copy of his collaboration with the guy who did the tatooed map...

i really enjoyed griffin & sabine, i didn't mind the philosophical aspect so much - i actually found it quite interesting.

[Calypso]

I appreciate his creativity and his visual arts skills. Two years ago, I bought a box of the complete postcards in Griffin & Sabine, as postcards.

Of course, someone stole it.

[dagny]

Nick Bantock's art is beautiful, but I can't really say the same about his writing (not surprising considering he was an artist before he decided to write).

Was Sabine real? I read an interview with Bantock once where he was asked that and he gave the most cop-out answer in the world : Yes and no. Yeesh.

The Griffin and Sabine Trilogy was okay, but I just read the three books during lazy wasted afternoons in Powerbooks and I don't think I'd shell out 500+ each for the books. I have the Forgetting Room because it was on sale for about $2.99 in some discount bookstore in the States and I didn't like it at all. Even the pretty drawings don't make up for the cost of the book.

[tr|n|ty]

i collect a lot of griffin and sabine stuff :p great artwork..

[~moon_sabine]

i'm a big nick bantock fan... obvious ba sa nick??? http://www.pinoyexchange.com/lol.gif http://www.pinoyexchange.com/lol.gif http://www.pinoyexchange.com/lol.gif the way he weaves his illustrations and his writing is really excellent... i've only read the griffin and sabine trilogy but that was like 2 years ago... i had to "fall in line" just to borrow those books from my art professor... i'd love to have a copy of all of nick bantocks' books... i got interested in them primarily because of bantock's art... but all in all, his books are really great... very creative... :D

[This message has been edited by ~moon_sabine (edited 08-28-2000).]

[miguel n]

I personally think that Nick Bantock is a better artist than he is a writer. What I liked about the Griffin and Sabine trilogy was the artwork, the way it was told (thru letters), and the twisted ending...which actually led to more questions.

My own version of the ending is that Sabine is a human praying mantis, she lures her man, devours him, and assumes some of his identity :) My other version is that...isang tao lang sila and may severe case ng multiple personalities disorder...or some mental thing.

[~moon_sabine]

Originally posted by miguel n:
My own version of the ending is that Sabine is a human praying mantis, she lures her man, devours him, and assumes some of his identity :) My other version is that...isang tao lang sila and may severe case ng multiple personalities disorder...or some mental thing.[/B]

miguel n: it seems like sabine alright! that actually crossed my mind too... :D

[Wicca]

I love his artwork... Griffin & Sabine was great :) Sabine probably lived in Griffin's subconcious. The thing that bothers me a bit was the end of the Golden Mean... they wrote to another guy, right? Could it be that the doctor was just trying to reconcile the two sides of his personality (that being Griffin & Sabine)?

[angelicDAW]

hmmm....now i'm enlightened. when i read griffin and sabine at powerbooks (hurriedly--as i had no place to sit), i just took it for granted that the two exist in different though parallel dimensions. it makes more sense that the character has multiple personality disorder...but here's my problem with that explanation: alternate personalities are supposed to come out when a person is deeply hurt and repressed. correct me if i'm wrong, but nowhere in the 3 volumes has intense pain been emphasized. griffin and sabine sold itself as a love story, thus i thought it was a love story complicated by multiple realities....twilight zone type.

[*happy*phantom*]

Originally posted by angelicDAW
it makes more sense that the character has multiple personality disorder...but here's my problem with that explanation: alternate personalities are supposed to come out when a person is deeply hurt and repressed. correct me if i'm wrong, but nowhere in the 3 volumes has intense pain been emphasized. griffin and sabine sold itself as a love story, thus i thought it was a love story complicated by multiple realities....twilight zone type.

Actually, multiple personalities do not necessarily come out solely because of an intense trauma. The alternate personality are formed or created as a reaction to trauma and repressed emotions but they may come out with or without precipitating factors.

[kal-sky]

I'm a newbie here. Got interested with the topic. I also read the trilogy. As I see it, I agree with you guys. It seems that Griffin has a multiple personality. Or it just seems that he is somehow afraid of himself. If you look at it closely, Sabine exists and at the same time does not exist. She only exists in Griffin's mind. I think Griffine "created" Sabine because he is lost and confused. She exists as an alter-ego of Griffin. Another side of Griffin that he is afraid to see. But, in the real world, Sabine does not exist, not physically anyway. I dunno, parang yun ang dating sa akin eh. Do I make sense here?

I love his book art though. The way he presented the story with those postcards, letters and stuff were great!

[JDELEON]

Right now, I am reading Paris Out of Hand.

Excellent pseudo tourist book. More fine artwork from Nick Bantock. Will share more if people are interested.

May Angels smile upon you,
Joe

[CaRaMBa]

*off topic*
JDLEON!!! Omigad how are you??? :)

[jean!e]

i got hold of the griffin and sabine trilogy through a friend, i don't have my own copy so i only read it once. from my one-time reading, i surmise that sabine is only a figment of griffin's imagination?or as some people say, he's delusional.
i like the way the story unfolded through the postcards and letters.it was fun in a way cause you feel like you're really reading into someone's private letters. however, the ending wa a bit frustrating and somewhat ambivalent.but the postcards were nice.

[cedie]

love his books!

[brasil_8]

i love bantock's artwork! and i loved the griffin and sabine trilogy! kaya lang medyo panget na yung The Golden Mean (the 3rd book) it was different from the earlier books...
was sabine real? i want to believe that she was, and that they did meet in Alexandria, but then again that's the optimist in me talking!
pwede rin, like a lot of the speculations here, that sabine was griffin's alter-ego...
but then again that's the beauty of bantock's work - open to everyone's opinion...

- to each his own