|
Post by helenahandbasket on Feb 1, 2016 8:57:34 GMT -5
My husband got this for me for Christmas and I hadn't opened it yet, he was starting to feel bad about me not opening it because he thought it was such a great gift for me. So, I started in this weekend. There were a couple things I wasn't prepared for:
Firstly, I was sucked in right after the introduction, it's sort of all my fondest memories from spending too much time in the library, whether for entertainment or research: walking the stacks (back in the days when you still could), picking books out at random and leafing thru, reading other people's margin notes, finding things left in books -- and all of it on steroids. Or maybe it's the eavesdropping. Bottom line is that I can't wait to turn the page to see what's next in both the 'real book' and the margin notes. I'm having a hard time trying to figure out how to read it. If I try to read the story and ignore the notes, well, I just can't ignore the notes because they're pretty juicy. And it's not quite possible to read the notes without the story. But keeping track of both at the same time means I have to read each chapter twice because I can't get everything in one read-thru. Of course, reading each chapter twice isn't much of a hardship at all!
Secondly, the production values are first-rate. Truly. First. Rate. The book runs about $25 on Amazon Prime, I wasn't expecting the quantity or quality of found objects in the book. The attention to detail is just astonishing. Oddly enough, the book itself really does have the 'old library book' feel to it -- the endpapers and pages are slightly stained and yellowed, it has all the appropriate stamps, and, believe it or not, the pages actually *feel* like old paper and smell like old paper (tho the latter might be me smelling my imagination, ykwim?). Maybe it's just the kind of stock they would have used 80 years ago vs. the kind of stock we use now, who knows. I do have to say that you could easily send this book to someone (without the chipboard sleeve that shows it's S. by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst) and it would be an excellent mysterious package!
Check out the 'read the first few pages' on Amazon. You'll either get sucked in or you won't...
|
|
|
Post by thejackalope on Feb 9, 2016 14:01:07 GMT -5
Just curious would this book be age appropriate for a bright and literary-minded 11-year-old? Is there sexual context/strong language or other issues? Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by helenahandbasket on Feb 9, 2016 17:28:48 GMT -5
I'm at Chapter 2 of 10, but it doesn't seem like there's much in the way of sexual content nor is there much of a trace of rough language. A grad student is trying to untangle a mystery surrounding an author, his books, and his translator; a bored undergrad gets sucked in accidentally when she finds the book with the guy's margin notes in it and returns it to him. The book that is being written in and that they leave the found objects in, "Ship of Theseus," is on the brutal side and some of the imagery is downright alarming. Actually, the book trailer would give you a good sense of where Ship of Theseus might go, since the trailer has captured the feel of S. and uses one of the more disquieting images (involving needle and thread) from Chapter 1 of "Ship of Theseus." You can also read the "Translator's (very long) Introduction" and the first several rounds of margin notes between the students, see the first found object, and read the first few pages of "Ship of Theseus" on Amazon via 'look inside' www.amazon.com/S-J-Abrams/dp/0316201642/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455054999&sr=8-1&keywords=s. Creepy imagery aside, I think the biggest difficulty anyone might have, myself included, is regarding how to read S. That has the potential to be frustrating to a kid, even one who's smart and literate for his age, since it's not anywhere close to linear. The margin note conversation shorthands some real-life stuff that might not be familiar to a kid, like the vagaries of a professor stealing a grad student's work or the pressure someone feels when they're about to graduate from college and she is feeling pressured to meet other people's expectations for her. (these aren't spoilers, I think both of these get hit in the intro or very shortly thereafter). Maybe you guys could find some strategy to attack S. in tandem? I've never seen The Weeping Book, but I have the general impression that S. is creepy and disturbing in the same way as Weeping Book and it might not be for people at the more delicate end of the sensibility scale. Maybe someone who has both Weeping Book and S. could chime in. Or someone who has read more of S. can chime in. I really think S. is a captivating experience but, like I said, the Ship of Theseus has had a lot of harsh imagery.
|
|
|
Post by thejackalope on Feb 10, 2016 0:55:59 GMT -5
Thanks. I'm curious enough that perhaps I'll give it a read first... and then share it with the kid if it seems like it's a match. Thanks again.
|
|
|
Post by the0alchemist on Feb 14, 2016 1:10:52 GMT -5
There is a book called Dracula's Heir which is a mystery that also contains little paper props and the solution to mystery is sealed in an envelope in the back, I can't seem to find my copy so I can't check it's content but depending on how you feel about your kid reading Dracula that might be the way to go.
|
|
|
Post by thejackalope on Feb 15, 2016 2:01:43 GMT -5
Will take a look at that, thank you!
|
|
Austruck
Assistant
Always remember you're unique ... just like everyone else.
Posts: 56
|
Post by Austruck on Feb 23, 2016 17:14:46 GMT -5
A friend of mine bought "S" and I bought it on her recommendation. Got drawn in immediately and LOVED the detail work of the "library book" and all the things tucked into various pages. Everything is so meticulously done that you can forget it's all fabricated. The margin notes especially are marvelous -- different handwriting and inks for the two people writing in the margins, etc.
The only vexing thing was that I had to sit with a surface next to me so I could keep track of the things tucked into the pages, look at them, and keep them there as I read the pages where they appeared. And you have to be careful that you don't hold the book too loosely or all the artifacts will come tumbling out. (My friend wrote back to me at one point and asked me to list all the objects and what page they were tucked into because her husband had DROPPED the book and everything fell out!)
I was surprised at how inexpensive the book is, considering the production costs for creating and assembling everything properly. Great fun!
I read both stories simultaneously -- the Ship of Theseus book and the two sets of margin notes as I turned each page. It made for slow going but I wasn't sure I wanted to read any one element without having the others in my head at the same time for immediate reference.
|
|
|
Post by helenahandbasket on Feb 23, 2016 21:02:57 GMT -5
I was walking down stairs with the book over the weekend and dropped it, there was paper everywhere. I was very unhappy, but I did manage to find a listing of which found object was supposed to go where: List with pics at sfiles22.blogspot.com/2013/01/list-of-inserts.html1 (vi) Konfidential - photocopied page from Straka archive 2 (10) Pollard State University - memo pad sheet 3 (20) The Burning Word - photocopied page 4 (32) The Daily Pronghorn - campus newspaper 5 (54) Telegramm - two page telegram 6 (69) Lampa - color photocopy of newspaper clip 7 (86) "D" - blue fine letter paper 8 (100) "Eric-" - handwritten letter on gray paper 9 (112) Brazil 4 Panel - postcard 10 (130) Photograph of "S" - photograph 11 (178) Native Birds of Brazil - postcard 12 (190) Palm Tree Building - wavy-edged postcard 13 (192) Brazil Beach - postcard 14 (200) Pictorial Brazil - postcard 15 (203) Handwritten Notes - 3 pages of legal pad paper 16 (242) Female Photograph - small black & white photograph 17 (256) Gastrimargus divaceus - card with enclosed obituary newspaper clip 18 (306) Hand drawn map - napkin 19 (360) Jean-Bernard Desjardins - card 20 (376) Pollard State University letter head - two page hand written note 21 (416) "To my new friends" - handwritten note 22 (back cover) Decoder wheel Also, I've been noticing the margin notes aren't quite chronological either, it looks like there are several layers of notes between Eric and Jen. What do you think? And I completely agree with you, it's hard to believe it was $25 and it's incredibly easy to get sucked in!
|
|
|
Post by W.R. Lawrence on Feb 23, 2016 21:25:56 GMT -5
I was walking down stairs with the book over the weekend and dropped it, there was paper everywhere. I was very unhappy, but I did manage to find a listing of which found object was supposed to go where: List with pics at sfiles22.blogspot.com/2013/01/list-of-inserts.html1 (vi) Konfidential - photocopied page from Straka archive 2 (10) Pollard State University - memo pad sheet 3 (20) The Burning Word - photocopied page 4 (32) The Daily Pronghorn - campus newspaper 5 (54) Telegramm - two page telegram 6 (69) Lampa - color photocopy of newspaper clip 7 (86) "D" - blue fine letter paper 8 (100) "Eric-" - handwritten letter on gray paper 9 (112) Brazil 4 Panel - postcard 10 (130) Photograph of "S" - photograph 11 (178) Native Birds of Brazil - postcard 12 (190) Palm Tree Building - wavy-edged postcard 13 (192) Brazil Beach - postcard 14 (200) Pictorial Brazil - postcard 15 (203) Handwritten Notes - 3 pages of legal pad paper 16 (242) Female Photograph - small black & white photograph 17 (256) Gastrimargus divaceus - card with enclosed obituary newspaper clip 18 (306) Hand drawn map - napkin 19 (360) Jean-Bernard Desjardins - card 20 (376) Pollard State University letter head - two page hand written note 21 (416) "To my new friends" - handwritten note 22 (back cover) Decoder wheel Also, I've been noticing the margin notes aren't quite chronological either, it looks like there are several layers of notes between Eric and Jen. What do you think? And I completely agree with you, it's hard to believe it was $25 and it's incredibly easy to get sucked in! I have been reading this book over the last week. The notes are definitely not in chronological order. Take note of the different ink colors/patterns. That will help you figure out the progression.
|
|
Austruck
Assistant
Always remember you're unique ... just like everyone else.
Posts: 56
|
Post by Austruck on Feb 23, 2016 22:19:58 GMT -5
Yes, there are at least two "sets" of those margin notes -- and yup, you can tell which are which from the ink colors. So, I'd read the Theseus story, then the first "set" of margin notes, then the second set if there was a second set on any give two-page spread.
I'm now reading a book called PERSONAL EFFECTS, which also has photos and paperwork in it, but I got mine used on Amazon and everything came tucked into a little flap in the back cover of the book. Unsure if that's how it came when it was new, though I suspect so. It's also been a lot of fun to read.
|
|
|
Post by W.R. Lawrence on Feb 27, 2016 17:32:42 GMT -5
Go for it!
|
|
Austruck
Assistant
Always remember you're unique ... just like everyone else.
Posts: 56
|
Post by Austruck on Feb 27, 2016 21:10:12 GMT -5
Mod Hat On: I don't mind the discussion of Personal Effects, etc., but we were trying to keep topics a little more organized. Are there opinions/objections to me whooshing the Personal Effects posts to a new thread so the S. thread can remain the S. thread? Oops! I started answering the question someone asked before seeing there was a second page here. Apologies -- though in my reply below here I do compare it to "S" so there *is* still some connection. But I think Personal Effects is worthy of its own thread. It's a definite recommendation-book for C&C lovers, as far as I'm concerned.
|
|
|
Post by Kimberly De Warren on Mar 3, 2016 15:38:40 GMT -5
Some interesting broadcasts relating to the book at radiostraka.com/ they can also be downloaded from iTunes at goo.gl/G5PoeL. There is also the Radio Straka Twitter account at twitter.com/radiostraka. There is so much more than the book and its contents available. Radio Straka is just the tip of the iceberg.
|
|
|
Post by BrianneSedai on Mar 3, 2016 15:51:16 GMT -5
I started reading last week. I'm in Ch. 3. I love it! I think the production of the book is perfect. The pages, postcards, etc tucked into the book are great. I was also sucked into the story right away. I read each chapter of the book all the way through before going back and then reading the convo within the margins of that chapter. It seems the blue/black ink was the first convo and the other colors are later conversations.
|
|
|
Post by W.R. Lawrence on Mar 9, 2016 13:36:55 GMT -5
|
|