Book Commentary
June 14, 2001
By Michael
What with all this SF and Fantasy coming through the store (Scott and I madly processing and pricing and, well, ogling too, we do read some of this stuff) I had almost lost track of what had been going on before.
Ever read any Peter Ackroyd? A few years ago I stumbled across an old worn copy of "the House of Doctor Dee" and just ate it up. I'm a sucker for anything to do with early modern Europe, and this book deals with the problems of temporality as well. As an added attraction, so to speak. Well, we have in a copy of Ackroyd's "Life of Thomas More". Our esteemed author is also a literary biographer of note (the Dickens comes to mind). No, I haven't read that yet. I haven't read most of Ackroyd. I did read "English Music" and enjoyed it immensely. The More bio. I was supposed to be telling you about the More bio. It is a handsome package, Holbein reproduction on the dustjacket, book in nice square shape. Looks very interesting and, being Ackroyd, maybe a bit controversial.
Another item of interest to me (I might mention I am only detailing items of personal interest for whatever reasons) is this work from Paris, 1817, leather covered boards, front hinge a little broken, written by a fellow called Bouilly. Now that name's familiar but I can't place it, and I have been dreadfully lazy on this one. The title is "Conseil a ma fille" and there are some fine interior illustrations.
Ronald Searle is an old favorite of mine, and his Big Fat Cat Book came in the other week, to my great delight. Almost like seeing an old friend. You can see the line of development to Steadman , though Searle is, I think, maybe more disciplined and certainly friendlier.
And for the Abrams book fanatic, "the Unknown Modigliani" by Noel Alexandre. Maybe the best art book in for the last month. I'm still waiting for an Abrams complete Canaletto to waltz in the front door. But then I couldn't bring myself to sell it.
Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd. Chatto and Windus, 1998. $24.
Conseil a ma fille by J.N. Bouilly. Chez Rosa. 1817. $40.
Ronald Searle's Big Fat Cat Book. Macmillan, 1982. $20.
The Unknown Modigliani by Noel Alexandre. Abrams, 1993. $125.