The Museum at Purgatory

Bantock has a wonderful style, and this book may be my favorite among the ones I've seen. Like the Griffin and Sabine books, it has a definitely mystical side. As the name says, it's about purgatory, but not Dante's. This is a place where people have work to do, and our protagonist works as a museum keeper. That sets the scene for a series of peculiar vignettes, the kind that make just a little too much sense. Also like G & S, there's a distinctly autobiographical sense about the story. The last section is explicitly a fictional autobiography. Somehow, though, the stories have a grounded feeling that doesn't let me believe they are pure fantasy.As much as I like the G & S imagery, I like this better. Bantock has moved his improbable talent for assemblage and collage into 3D. He has created several series of fictional artifacts, are as complex and multifacted as his works on paper. These images, so many being photos, have a clarity that G & S sometimes lost.This is a brief but very enjoyable book, and one worth re-reading. The pictures just get better with each reading, and the stories seem to stay fresh.

While "The Venetian's Wife" is still my favorite Bantock book, this one is right up there. The artwork is great. The collections are fascinating. The story is quite good, and the philosophical point of view is interresting.Those who like this may also enjoy the Japanese movie "After Life". It looks as if one story influence the other.

This is my first Bantock book and I absolutely loved it. I only let myself read a chapter at a time so that I wouldn't get excited and read the whole thing in one sitting.It's a beautiful book, completely original (if it's not please e-mail me with it's precursor) and just the kind of subject that I'm interested in. Too bad it didn't come with a CD of the website.Well worth the money.

In my humble opinion, this is the best book written by Nick Bantock since the `Griffin & Sabine' trilogy. The 3-dimensional artifacts he created for each room in `The Museum at Purgatory' are absolutely stunning. This is an ingenious tale of what happens to artists and collectors in life after death. But don't just take my word on it -- preview an excerpt, take a tour of the image gallery, and read the critics' comments by visiting the Museum's official website.

After much anticipation for another "Nick" book, I was rewarded with this wonderfully thought-provoking novel. The whole premise of purgatory and how one travels through it is inspired. Each character comes alive as Mr. Bantock unravels their histories one by one and allows us to view their lives and their cherished possessions. The best part of this author's books is always his art and "Museum" is no exception. The art reaches far beyond collage and moves on to assemblage in a most delicious way. Mr. Bantock's constructed shrines are wonderful. I recommend this book to all current "Nick" fans and encourage all those who love alternative art to read this new book.