Sabine's Notebook; In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues Book

Griffin—Foolish man. You cannot turn me into a phantom because you are frightened. You do not dismiss a muse at a whim. If you will not join me, then I will come to you. —Sabine

Sabine was supposed to be imaginary, a friend and lover that Griffin had created to soothe his loneliness. But she threatens to become embodied, to appear on his doorstep, in fact. So he runs.

Griffin & Sabine, the most creative and talked-about bestseller of 1991, left readers on the edge of a precipice. With Sabine's Notebook, they begin—along with Griffin—the fall. Once again, the story is told through strangely beautiful postcards and richly decorated letters that must actually be pulled from their envelopes to be read. But this volume is also a sketchbook and diary kept by the possibly unreal Sabine, who is living in Griffin's house in London while he wanders through Europe, North Africa, and Asia, backwards through layers of ancient civilizations—and of himself.

Filled with her delicately macabre drawings and notations, the notebook adds a darker element of visual intrigue to their complex and mysterious world. For the thousands who finished Griffin & Sabine and asked, "What happened next?," this second volume in the trilogy provides the answers—but raises new and even more haunting questions of its own.

Publishers Weekly

Devotees of Bantock's enigmatic bestseller, Griffin & Sabine , won't be disappointed by this equally intriguing and perplexing--and equally gorgeous--sequel. London artist Griffin Moss and islander Sabine Strohem, who have never met face-to-face or spoken via phone, exchange hand-illustrated, handwritten letters and postcards--ostensibly reproduced here, tucked into envelopes and removable for reading. As this installment opens, Griffin, frightened by his psychic connection to his otherworldly correspondent, flees England on a night sea journey from Italy to Japan and Australia. He leaves a letter for Sabine, urging her to stay in his abandoned studio. Winter turns to summer and Griffin's courage overcomes his trepidation; still, Sabine warns him to ``be . . . cautious; the eye of the storm is a deceptive place.'' Griffin's initial distress and progressively optimistic outlook shine through his paintings. Sabine's cryptic visual messages seem tinged with mysticism and, possibly, malevolence. Perhaps because it has been established in the previous book, the couple's supernatural bond is less of a focus here, and at times, his art and hers are a touch too similar. Nevertheless, Bantock's distinctive premise continues to puzzle and delight, the wonderful stationery has an authentic look and, not surprisingly, the finale leaves room for another chapter. Author tour. (Oct.)