The Gryphon: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin and Sabine Is Rediscovered by Nick Bantock

From the Publisher

Griffin & Sabine, Sabine's Notebook, and The Golden Mean have sold over 3 million copies worldwide, and spent over 100 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list. At long last, Nick Bantock brings us a new volume in the Griffin and Sabine story. The Gryphon is a tale rich in the artistry, mystery, and surprise that make the original saga so beloved. Although readers will be drawn into the book without ever having read the trilogy, The Gryphon begins to answer the question that fans have been waiting eight years to answer: 'What happened to Griffin and Sabine?' As their remarkable fates are gradually revealed, we are introduced to Matthew and Isabella, long-distance lovers who find themselves entwined not only in each other's lives, but also in a perilous and alluring intrigue. The drama literally unfolds from postcard to richly decorated postcard and as provocative letters are pulled from real envelopes. The Gryphon features stunning new imagery, offering glimpses of mythic dreamscapes and surreal creatures as only Nick Bantock could have imagined. For those meeting Griffin and Sabine for the first time, here's an introduction that will have them yearning to explore the earlier volumes. And for those who have already entered the enchanting world of Griffin and Sabine, The Gryphon is a delightful rediscovery of a truly extraordinary correspondence.

Library Journal

Bantock re-creates the intrigue of "Griffin & Sabine," his hugely popular first trilogy, in the first of his next trilogy, "The Gryphon." Here we are introduced to two new characters, Matthew and Isabelle, whose love and correspondence mirror that of Griffin and Sabine. Through a series of postcards and letters, the four characters communicate across oceans and realms to describe a world of beauty, fantasy, love, and mystery. Bantock's drawings, collages, and paintings are captivating and original, depicting the places and events that the characters write about and re-creating the haunting visions that plague Isabelle. The letters and notes, many of which are removable, will give readers the sense that they are experiencing the story with the characters, although the small and separate pieces could get lost or stolen. Recommended as a gift rather than a circulating item. Rachel Collins, "Library Journal" Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents
• Read a Sample Chapter

Table of Contents

Read a Sample Chapter

Chapter One

Sabine Strohem
39 La Paz pl.
San Rosa
Paolo 9T6

Sabine Strohem

You have me at a disadvantage I'm
afraid. I presume that we've been
introduced and my sieve-like memory
has let me down again.

    As for your reference to the
Atubi boy—the idea of employing
penicillin on a 3000-year-old royal
mummy doesn't quite fall within the
practical range of a doctor of
archeology. However, I appreciate
your somewhat sardonic sense of
humor.

    How did you get hold of my
address in Nairobi?

Matthew Sedon

Matthew Sedon
77 Sharea Otta
Alexandria
Egypt

Hello Matthew

How did Kenya work out? Where the masks as interesting
as the museum was suggesting?

Today was pure Indian Summer and the boulevards
were awash with truanting Parisians extending their
breakfasts into their lunches and their lunches
into their dinners. Back home in Montreal they'd
all get fired, but here ... no one gives a host.
I've been trying to make the most of the sunshine
before classes start again and I put my moleskin on
and burrow back into the library's depths.
This last year's going to be tough. I can already
feel the muscles in my brain tightening in
anticipation.

I miss you very much.
Love Isabella

ISABELLA de REIMS
343 RUE MASPERO
PARIS 75006
FRANCE

Isabella

I can't begin to say how much more
alive I am on days when I receive a
card or a letter from you.

    Don't fret about the coming
year. You know the intensity of your
commitment—and so do your professors.
Who else in your class is already
halfway through their thesis?

    The masks were a disappointment.
They were early Nubian, but the
hieroglyphs on the concave had been
cut at a later date. The trip wasn't
wasted though—I made a few good
contacts.

    Flying back over Sudan I began
considering storming the cockpit and
demanding that the pilot take me to
Paris to see you. However I thought
better of it—I presume even the French
take a dim view of love-starved
hijackers.

Loads of love
Matthew

Matthew Sedon
77 Sharea Otta
Alexandria
Egypt

Matthew — Forgive my enigmatic introduction.
It's an old habit. Please allow me to begin a fresh,
with a short summary of our first encounter.

Late one night, my mother (who was midwife to
the Sicmon Islands) was called upon to preside over a birth,
and as neither assistant was to be found, I was enlisted as
temporary nurse. The baby, who made a fine
screaming and kicking entry into the world,
was you. In fact, my previous postcard shows
the young Master Sedon taking his first bath,
at the tender age of six days.

You've grown well Matty.

Now that we've been reintroduced, I was
wondering if I might prevail upon our old
aquaintanceship and ask you to pick up a
small package for us?

Many thanks
Sabine