Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Not perfect, but imaginative and striking, 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.

The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.

Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.

good, but not worthy from this author, 02 Feb 2004
A good book, really a very good book, but still a little disappointing from this author. Another fairly grimy down-to-earth account of Americans' inhumanity to Americans, but the book is more like Accordian Crimes in the respect that it lacks a totally punchy central plot and is more a set of interesting cameos. Not my taste, but certainly worth reading. Quite interesting bits about fossils! However I'm still looking out for another book as good as The Shipping News!

A glorious read., 18 Sep 1999
"Postcards" is a darker work than Proulx's better known "The Shipping News" but all the hallmarks are there. The descriptions of nature are breathtaking, the dialogue acute, the control consummate. The author unerringly chooses the right phrase, or positions the right word just so. This is the work of a master water-colourist in prose. Without giving too much away, it is the story of two lost lives. The first occurs on page one but it is the chronicle of the second that forms the rest of the book, poor damaged Loyal sending back his postcards - loyal by nature as well as by name. While brother Dub gets rich and fat in real estate, Loyal battles against everything the elements can throw at him - rockfall, fire, snow - then picks himself up, tries again. The passing of the years and the changing of the times are beautifully and poignantly laid out, and I have to say that so unbearable did I find it at times that I could only manage to read some parts of the novel in short bursts. I haven't been so moved by a book in years as I have been by the story of Loyal Blood. Six stars out of five.

AWFUL, 03 Sep 1999
If i could give it zero stars i would it was uninteresting from the start I could not keep up with the extreme numbers of new characters introduced every chapter till it reached the end one word to describe this book. AWFUL

Beautifully written, but so depressing, 29 Jul 1999
Proulx is an amazing writer, and I was deeply drawn to her characters. Having grown up in a small town in New Hampshire, the Blood's saga was a little too familiar-accidents, lost love, cold family relationships, and the loss of the simplicity of a past age(which was actually never all that simple). While I appreciated her talent, this story was just so bleak, that I had to put it down for days before I was compelled to pick it up again.

Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Not perfect, but imaginative and striking, 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.

The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.

Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.

good, but not worthy from this author, 02 Feb 2004
A good book, really a very good book, but still a little disappointing from this author. Another fairly grimy down-to-earth account of Americans' inhumanity to Americans, but the book is more like Accordian Crimes in the respect that it lacks a totally punchy central plot and is more a set of interesting cameos. Not my taste, but certainly worth reading. Quite interesting bits about fossils! However I'm still looking out for another book as good as The Shipping News!

A glorious read., 18 Sep 1999
"Postcards" is a darker work than Proulx's better known "The Shipping News" but all the hallmarks are there. The descriptions of nature are breathtaking, the dialogue acute, the control consummate. The author unerringly chooses the right phrase, or positions the right word just so. This is the work of a master water-colourist in prose. Without giving too much away, it is the story of two lost lives. The first occurs on page one but it is the chronicle of the second that forms the rest of the book, poor damaged Loyal sending back his postcards - loyal by nature as well as by name. While brother Dub gets rich and fat in real estate, Loyal battles against everything the elements can throw at him - rockfall, fire, snow - then picks himself up, tries again. The passing of the years and the changing of the times are beautifully and poignantly laid out, and I have to say that so unbearable did I find it at times that I could only manage to read some parts of the novel in short bursts. I haven't been so moved by a book in years as I have been by the story of Loyal Blood. Six stars out of five.

AWFUL, 03 Sep 1999
If i could give it zero stars i would it was uninteresting from the start I could not keep up with the extreme numbers of new characters introduced every chapter till it reached the end one word to describe this book. AWFUL

Beautifully written, but so depressing, 29 Jul 1999
Proulx is an amazing writer, and I was deeply drawn to her characters. Having grown up in a small town in New Hampshire, the Blood's saga was a little too familiar-accidents, lost love, cold family relationships, and the loss of the simplicity of a past age(which was actually never all that simple). While I appreciated her talent, this story was just so bleak, that I had to put it down for days before I was compelled to pick it up again.

Away with the fairies- what a lovely treat!, 15 Nov 2007
This wonderful collection is a must-have in every household- it has saved many a birthday, when I've forgotten to buy a card.
The imagery is so familiar, yet they bring joy to all that comes across them.
Also make a perfect gift for all flower-inclined children- and adults of all ages.
Beware that the cards are quite hard to remove from the booklet, heavy handling and they may rip.
Strongly recommended anyway!!!!

A stunning collection of Flower Fairy postcards., 23 Apr 2001
This postcard book gives any fan of beautiful delicate paintings a real treat. The good quality prints cover a selection from every one of Mary Cecily Barker`s eight Flower Fairies books. From Apple Blossom to Christmas Tree there is a Fairy to suit everyone, with an occasional tree elf thrown in for good measure. If you want an inexpensive way to get prints that look great mounted and framed for a wall display in a child`s room and have all the charm that this artists work epitomises I cannot recommend this little postcard book enough. It makes a good companion to the larger format, more comprehensive collection in the Complete Book of Flower Fairies, which also includes all the poems the pictures go with and some details about the artist herself. Well worth the money!

French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and his devoted team have spent five years putting together this voluminous gallery, selecting 195 images from 100,000 photographs taken from helicopters in the skies over 75 countries. It is a staggering achievement and precisely shows how vaguely we know our world. Statistics play a secondary, but vital, role; the text that accompanies the shots (a paragraph each, with a short essay adorning every chapter), highlights the degree to which we have abused our Eden, providing a sobering adjunct to what can at times be mistaken for a planetary holiday brochure. Of primary concern, however, are the pictures. Almost every plate is double page, reproduced in sumptuous vibrant colour, with helpful fold-out notes for each shot. The standard is a visual treat but, damn it, books should be luxurious sometimes. Huge African cotton bales become cauliflowers, logs floating down the Amazon are nothing more than matchsticks, the extraordinary contours of Turkey's Cappadocia are more like lunarscapes and South African sea-lions gathered to mate eerily echo an earlier crowd of curious humans in Côte D'Ivoire. In contrast, a solitary human figure frequently gives perspective to a shot, though occasionally superfluously, for the obliquity of perception can add resonant depth, reducing mighty river courses to glistening snail trails. Much on show is conventional, exceptional landscape photography, but Arthus-Bertrand also trains his lens on our fingerprints smudging the idyll, such as the depressingly overcrowded shanty towns, favelas of Rio de Janeiro or the sprawling communal rubbish heap of Mexico City. However, the hovering eye, like a benevolent celestial deity, cannot help but impose a fragile beauty even on these blights, reclaiming the scarring chaos from its despoilers and harnessing the sense of mortal finitism necessary for a solution of ecological sustained development to be convincingly reached. Arthus-Bertrand's desire to take his art "beyond the anecdotal", to give his subject the space in which to impose its own beauty, allows a gleefully conspiratorial voyeurism, at once empowering and humbling, that at its best captures something quasi-religious in its intense calm. As Louis Armstrong once growled, what a wonderful world. --David Vincent

This text refers to the first edition.French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and his devoted team have spent five years putting together this voluminous gallery, selecting 195 images from 100,000 photographs taken from helicopters in the skies over 75 countries. It is a staggering achievement and precisely shows how vaguely we know our world. Statistics play a secondary, but vital, role; the text that accompanies the shots (a paragraph each, with a short essay adorning every chapter), highlights the degree to which we have abused our Eden, providing a sobering adjunct to what can at times be mistaken for a planetary holiday brochure. Of primary concern, however, are the pictures. Almost every plate is double page, reproduced in sumptuous vibrant colour, with helpful fold-out notes for each shot. The standard is a visual treat but, damn it, books should be luxurious sometimes. Huge African cotton bales become cauliflowers, logs floating down the Amazon are nothing more than matchsticks, the extraordinary contours of Turkey's Cappadocia are more like lunar scapes and South African sea-lions gathered to mate eerily echo an earlier crowd of curious humans in Côte D'Ivoire. In contrast, a solitary human figure frequently gives perspective to a shot, though occasionally superfluously, for the obliquity of perception can add resonant depth, reducing mighty river courses to glistening snail trails. Much on show is conventional, exceptional landscape photography, but Arthus-Bertrand also trains his lens on our fingerprints smudging the idyll, such as the depressingly overcrowded shanty towns favelas of Rio de Janeiro or the sprawling communal rubbish heap of Mexico City. However, the hovering eye, like a benevolent celestial deity, cannot help but impose a fragile beauty even on these blights, reclaiming the scarring chaos from its despoilers and harnessing the sense of mortal finitism necessary for a solution of ecological sustained development to be convincingly reached. Arthus-Bertrand's desire to take his art "beyond the anecdotal", to give his subject the space in which to impose its own beauty, allows a gleefully conspiratorial voyeurism, at once empowering and humbling, that at its best captures something quasi-religious in its intense calm. As Louis Armstrong once growled, what a wonderful world. --David Vincent

Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Not perfect, but imaginative and striking, 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.

The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.

Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.

good, but not worthy from this author, 02 Feb 2004
A good book, really a very good book, but still a little disappointing from this author. Another fairly grimy down-to-earth account of Americans' inhumanity to Americans, but the book is more like Accordian Crimes in the respect that it lacks a totally punchy central plot and is more a set of interesting cameos. Not my taste, but certainly worth reading. Quite interesting bits about fossils! However I'm still looking out for another book as good as The Shipping News!

A glorious read., 18 Sep 1999
"Postcards" is a darker work than Proulx's better known "The Shipping News" but all the hallmarks are there. The descriptions of nature are breathtaking, the dialogue acute, the control consummate. The author unerringly chooses the right phrase, or positions the right word just so. This is the work of a master water-colourist in prose. Without giving too much away, it is the story of two lost lives. The first occurs on page one but it is the chronicle of the second that forms the rest of the book, poor damaged Loyal sending back his postcards - loyal by nature as well as by name. While brother Dub gets rich and fat in real estate, Loyal battles against everything the elements can throw at him - rockfall, fire, snow - then picks himself up, tries again. The passing of the years and the changing of the times are beautifully and poignantly laid out, and I have to say that so unbearable did I find it at times that I could only manage to read some parts of the novel in short bursts. I haven't been so moved by a book in years as I have been by the story of Loyal Blood. Six stars out of five.

AWFUL, 03 Sep 1999
If i could give it zero stars i would it was uninteresting from the start I could not keep up with the extreme numbers of new characters introduced every chapter till it reached the end one word to describe this book. AWFUL

Beautifully written, but so depressing, 29 Jul 1999
Proulx is an amazing writer, and I was deeply drawn to her characters. Having grown up in a small town in New Hampshire, the Blood's saga was a little too familiar-accidents, lost love, cold family relationships, and the loss of the simplicity of a past age(which was actually never all that simple). While I appreciated her talent, this story was just so bleak, that I had to put it down for days before I was compelled to pick it up again.

Away with the fairies- what a lovely treat!, 15 Nov 2007
This wonderful collection is a must-have in every household- it has saved many a birthday, when I've forgotten to buy a card.
The imagery is so familiar, yet they bring joy to all that comes across them.
Also make a perfect gift for all flower-inclined children- and adults of all ages.
Beware that the cards are quite hard to remove from the booklet, heavy handling and they may rip.
Strongly recommended anyway!!!!

A stunning collection of Flower Fairy postcards., 23 Apr 2001
This postcard book gives any fan of beautiful delicate paintings a real treat. The good quality prints cover a selection from every one of Mary Cecily Barker`s eight Flower Fairies books. From Apple Blossom to Christmas Tree there is a Fairy to suit everyone, with an occasional tree elf thrown in for good measure. If you want an inexpensive way to get prints that look great mounted and framed for a wall display in a child`s room and have all the charm that this artists work epitomises I cannot recommend this little postcard book enough. It makes a good companion to the larger format, more comprehensive collection in the Complete Book of Flower Fairies, which also includes all the poems the pictures go with and some details about the artist herself. Well worth the money!

A wonderful book - but you never see a whole photo, 21 Oct 2005
This is a really amazing book, and the photos are stunning. It would, though, have been better if the book was printed in landscape format with one photo on each page. In this book many of the photos are totally ruined by the fold, which effectively splits the images into two separate entities. This is especially annoying when you consider that the center of the image - the part obscured by the fold - often containes the focus point (a tree or a man). Buy this book if you must, but if you can: buy another version!

Great, great images, poor, poor layout., 25 Dec 2004
I don't feel I can add much to the overall comments that have been raised, the images are indeed first rate, however I'd like to emhasise that the arrangement in this book seriously detracts from it, a travesty given the wonderful images it contains.

The use of double page spreads almost exclusively is visually awkward in a book you cannot actually lay flat, and the focal point of many images lies directly in the fold. There are many images that are 'written off' purely through poor layout in the book, and for a book of this price (and images of this merit) I expect better. There is some justification in that the images are well ordered and plenty of good background detail given, but this is a book that presents the images, and adequate presentation of these images must be paramount, ahead of all other concerns. I concede that the images will be secondary to many, but I feel this is marketed as a book of photos, and hence these must take precedence.

I only write this as it is such a waste, the images themselves are extraordinary, I feel a sense of frustration that common sense couldn't prevail and images could not have been kept to one page or arranged in a less damaging manner. The more I look through the book the angrier I get, as so many images are impaired in this way. The fact that the images are so good is really the cause of my anger - I keep thinking of 'what could have been', and how simple it could have been to achieve it.

If the French version does indeed use single page images (as suggested in an earlier review), I would urge everyone who is interested to seek out a copy of that instead, the images deserve far better presentation than has been implemented here.

I cannot state strongly enough, the images are very good. Unfortunately I must include the caveat that questionable production has severely dented their impact.

truly amazing!, 01 Dec 2004
I'm an art student and have always loved the way nature produces true masterpieces and we don't even notice it! This book shows us that we will never beat it's beauty. The photographs are fantastic, inspirational and gives you a sense of awe and wonderment. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves photography, landscapes and just beauty in their surroundings :)

The Earth from the Air, 12 Oct 2004
A fabulous book with masses of inspired and inspirational photograhy, and all supported by great explanations/facts about our planet. Its an enormous tome and great value for money.

An outdoor exhibition of the photos is currently touring the UK. It's been in Birmingham all summer, understand its in Bristol and London for the Autumn. This exhibition is well worth seeing - 'cos when you have you will HAVE to buy the book.

Seeing the earth from the air, 02 Feb 2003
This book holds so many diverse photographs - some geographic, others funny, others abstract and some reflecting the incredible features of nature, using images from all round the world. The photographs are informative and artisitc at the same time and the quality of precision and colour are fantastic. From dye wells in Morocco, camels with their shadows in the desert, flamingoes in their masses to field shapes and rows upon rows of tulips, this book offers unending scope for looking so closely at detail and texture. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in photography, geography or just wishing to enjoy a great mixture of images from different cultures. It really is stunning...

Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Not perfect, but imaginative and striking, 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.

The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.

Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.

good, but not worthy from this author, 02 Feb 2004
A good book, really a very good book, but still a little disappointing from this author. Another fairly grimy down-to-earth account of Americans' inhumanity to Americans, but the book is more like Accordian Crimes in the respect that it lacks a totally punchy central plot and is more a set of interesting cameos. Not my taste, but certainly worth reading. Quite interesting bits about fossils! However I'm still looking out for another book as good as The Shipping News!

A glorious read., 18 Sep 1999
"Postcards" is a darker work than Proulx's better known "The Shipping News" but all the hallmarks are there. The descriptions of nature are breathtaking, the dialogue acute, the control consummate. The author unerringly chooses the right phrase, or positions the right word just so. This is the work of a master water-colourist in prose. Without giving too much away, it is the story of two lost lives. The first occurs on page one but it is the chronicle of the second that forms the rest of the book, poor damaged Loyal sending back his postcards - loyal by nature as well as by name. While brother Dub gets rich and fat in real estate, Loyal battles against everything the elements can throw at him - rockfall, fire, snow - then picks himself up, tries again. The passing of the years and the changing of the times are beautifully and poignantly laid out, and I have to say that so unbearable did I find it at times that I could only manage to read some parts of the novel in short bursts. I haven't been so moved by a book in years as I have been by the story of Loyal Blood. Six stars out of five.

AWFUL, 03 Sep 1999
If i could give it zero stars i would it was uninteresting from the start I could not keep up with the extreme numbers of new characters introduced every chapter till it reached the end one word to describe this book. AWFUL

Beautifully written, but so depressing, 29 Jul 1999
Proulx is an amazing writer, and I was deeply drawn to her characters. Having grown up in a small town in New Hampshire, the Blood's saga was a little too familiar-accidents, lost love, cold family relationships, and the loss of the simplicity of a past age(which was actually never all that simple). While I appreciated her talent, this story was just so bleak, that I had to put it down for days before I was compelled to pick it up again.

Away with the fairies- what a lovely treat!, 15 Nov 2007
This wonderful collection is a must-have in every household- it has saved many a birthday, when I've forgotten to buy a card.
The imagery is so familiar, yet they bring joy to all that comes across them.
Also make a perfect gift for all flower-inclined children- and adults of all ages.
Beware that the cards are quite hard to remove from the booklet, heavy handling and they may rip.
Strongly recommended anyway!!!!

A stunning collection of Flower Fairy postcards., 23 Apr 2001
This postcard book gives any fan of beautiful delicate paintings a real treat. The good quality prints cover a selection from every one of Mary Cecily Barker`s eight Flower Fairies books. From Apple Blossom to Christmas Tree there is a Fairy to suit everyone, with an occasional tree elf thrown in for good measure. If you want an inexpensive way to get prints that look great mounted and framed for a wall display in a child`s room and have all the charm that this artists work epitomises I cannot recommend this little postcard book enough. It makes a good companion to the larger format, more comprehensive collection in the Complete Book of Flower Fairies, which also includes all the poems the pictures go with and some details about the artist herself. Well worth the money!

A wonderful book - but you never see a whole photo, 21 Oct 2005
This is a really amazing book, and the photos are stunning. It would, though, have been better if the book was printed in landscape format with one photo on each page. In this book many of the photos are totally ruined by the fold, which effectively splits the images into two separate entities. This is especially annoying when you consider that the center of the image - the part obscured by the fold - often containes the focus point (a tree or a man). Buy this book if you must, but if you can: buy another version!

Great, great images, poor, poor layout., 25 Dec 2004
I don't feel I can add much to the overall comments that have been raised, the images are indeed first rate, however I'd like to emhasise that the arrangement in this book seriously detracts from it, a travesty given the wonderful images it contains.

The use of double page spreads almost exclusively is visually awkward in a book you cannot actually lay flat, and the focal point of many images lies directly in the fold. There are many images that are 'written off' purely through poor layout in the book, and for a book of this price (and images of this merit) I expect better. There is some justification in that the images are well ordered and plenty of good background detail given, but this is a book that presents the images, and adequate presentation of these images must be paramount, ahead of all other concerns. I concede that the images will be secondary to many, but I feel this is marketed as a book of photos, and hence these must take precedence.

I only write this as it is such a waste, the images themselves are extraordinary, I feel a sense of frustration that common sense couldn't prevail and images could not have been kept to one page or arranged in a less damaging manner. The more I look through the book the angrier I get, as so many images are impaired in this way. The fact that the images are so good is really the cause of my anger - I keep thinking of 'what could have been', and how simple it could have been to achieve it.

If the French version does indeed use single page images (as suggested in an earlier review), I would urge everyone who is interested to seek out a copy of that instead, the images deserve far better presentation than has been implemented here.

I cannot state strongly enough, the images are very good. Unfortunately I must include the caveat that questionable production has severely dented their impact.

truly amazing!, 01 Dec 2004
I'm an art student and have always loved the way nature produces true masterpieces and we don't even notice it! This book shows us that we will never beat it's beauty. The photographs are fantastic, inspirational and gives you a sense of awe and wonderment. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves photography, landscapes and just beauty in their surroundings :)

The Earth from the Air, 12 Oct 2004
A fabulous book with masses of inspired and inspirational photograhy, and all supported by great explanations/facts about our planet. Its an enormous tome and great value for money.

An outdoor exhibition of the photos is currently touring the UK. It's been in Birmingham all summer, understand its in Bristol and London for the Autumn. This exhibition is well worth seeing - 'cos when you have you will HAVE to buy the book.

Seeing the earth from the air, 02 Feb 2003
This book holds so many diverse photographs - some geographic, others funny, others abstract and some reflecting the incredible features of nature, using images from all round the world. The photographs are informative and artisitc at the same time and the quality of precision and colour are fantastic. From dye wells in Morocco, camels with their shadows in the desert, flamingoes in their masses to field shapes and rows upon rows of tulips, this book offers unending scope for looking so closely at detail and texture. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in photography, geography or just wishing to enjoy a great mixture of images from different cultures. It really is stunning...

Nara is a brilliant artist!, 30 Aug 2005
Firstly this is not really a book it is a colection of 30 postcards but anyone who is either a fan of Nara's delicious style of painting, or just wants some groovy postcards to send (just under 20p each) will really like this pocket show case.
So do as i've done and get your self a copy and stick them up on you walls and brilliant thing is if you don't like any of them you can use them as a post card!

Many of us share a daydream. In idle moments, we delight ourselves with the thought of leaving Britain's grey climate behind and making a go of it in some sultry foreign locale. And if we're really ambitious with our daydreams, we think about transforming some exotic ruin into a splendid place to live. Rosemary Bailey and her husband, however, did more than just daydream. The beguiling Life in a Postcard tells how the couple were travelling in the French Pyrenees in 1988 when they were smitten with a crumbling medieval monastery which they later bought. Surrounded by peach orchards and snow-capped peaks, the area was rich with traces of the long-vanished monks: the sunken crypt, the stone arches of the cloister, the frescoes in the 13th-century chapel. Whenever they could, the couple visited Corbiac over the next few years, until they finally summoned the courage to relocate from urban London to rural France with their young son. With only the earnings from their freelance writing careers to support them, they performed the Herculean task of restoring the monastery to its former glory.

Reading this utterly unputdownable account, it's easy to share the dream that drove the couple. But this isn't just aspirational wish-fulfilment; Bailey is mercilessly frank about the considerable strain put on their relationship, as well as the various horrors of living in a leaky, run-down property. But despite all that, the enjoyment of Life in a Postcard comes from our sharing this vivid evocation of the beauty of French Catalonia (with its famous cooking), and the tempting possibilities that (with the kind of determination that Bailey and her husband possessed) we too could be living a life like theirs. And if we can't, this book is a highly diverting substitute. --Barry Forshaw

Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Not perfect, but imaginative and striking, 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.

The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.

Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.

good, but not worthy from this author, 02 Feb 2004
A good book, really a very good book, but still a little disappointing from this author. Another fairly grimy down-to-earth account of Americans' inhumanity to Americans, but the book is more like Accordian Crimes in the respect that it lacks a totally punchy central plot and is more a set of interesting cameos. Not my taste, but certainly worth reading. Quite interesting bits about fossils! However I'm still looking out for another book as good as The Shipping News!

A glorious read., 18 Sep 1999
"Postcards" is a darker work than Proulx's better known "The Shipping News" but all the hallmarks are there. The descriptions of nature are breathtaking, the dialogue acute, the control consummate. The author unerringly chooses the right phrase, or positions the right word just so. This is the work of a master water-colourist in prose. Without giving too much away, it is the story of two lost lives. The first occurs on page one but it is the chronicle of the second that forms the rest of the book, poor damaged Loyal sending back his postcards - loyal by nature as well as by name. While brother Dub gets rich and fat in real estate, Loyal battles against everything the elements can throw at him - rockfall, fire, snow - then picks himself up, tries again. The passing of the years and the changing of the times are beautifully and poignantly laid out, and I have to say that so unbearable did I find it at times that I could only manage to read some parts of the novel in short bursts. I haven't been so moved by a book in years as I have been by the story of Loyal Blood. Six stars out of five.

AWFUL, 03 Sep 1999
If i could give it zero stars i would it was uninteresting from the start I could not keep up with the extreme numbers of new characters introduced every chapter till it reached the end one word to describe this book. AWFUL

Beautifully written, but so depressing, 29 Jul 1999
Proulx is an amazing writer, and I was deeply drawn to her characters. Having grown up in a small town in New Hampshire, the Blood's saga was a little too familiar-accidents, lost love, cold family relationships, and the loss of the simplicity of a past age(which was actually never all that simple). While I appreciated her talent, this story was just so bleak, that I had to put it down for days before I was compelled to pick it up again.

Away with the fairies- what a lovely treat!, 15 Nov 2007
This wonderful collection is a must-have in every household- it has saved many a birthday, when I've forgotten to buy a card.
The imagery is so familiar, yet they bring joy to all that comes across them.
Also make a perfect gift for all flower-inclined children- and adults of all ages.
Beware that the cards are quite hard to remove from the booklet, heavy handling and they may rip.
Strongly recommended anyway!!!!

A stunning collection of Flower Fairy postcards., 23 Apr 2001
This postcard book gives any fan of beautiful delicate paintings a real treat. The good quality prints cover a selection from every one of Mary Cecily Barker`s eight Flower Fairies books. From Apple Blossom to Christmas Tree there is a Fairy to suit everyone, with an occasional tree elf thrown in for good measure. If you want an inexpensive way to get prints that look great mounted and framed for a wall display in a child`s room and have all the charm that this artists work epitomises I cannot recommend this little postcard book enough. It makes a good companion to the larger format, more comprehensive collection in the Complete Book of Flower Fairies, which also includes all the poems the pictures go with and some details about the artist herself. Well worth the money!

A wonderful book - but you never see a whole photo, 21 Oct 2005
This is a really amazing book, and the photos are stunning. It would, though, have been better if the book was printed in landscape format with one photo on each page. In this book many of the photos are totally ruined by the fold, which effectively splits the images into two separate entities. This is especially annoying when you consider that the center of the image - the part obscured by the fold - often containes the focus point (a tree or a man). Buy this book if you must, but if you can: buy another version!

Great, great images, poor, poor layout., 25 Dec 2004
I don't feel I can add much to the overall comments that have been raised, the images are indeed first rate, however I'd like to emhasise that the arrangement in this book seriously detracts from it, a travesty given the wonderful images it contains.

The use of double page spreads almost exclusively is visually awkward in a book you cannot actually lay flat, and the focal point of many images lies directly in the fold. There are many images that are 'written off' purely through poor layout in the book, and for a book of this price (and images of this merit) I expect better. There is some justification in that the images are well ordered and plenty of good background detail given, but this is a book that presents the images, and adequate presentation of these images must be paramount, ahead of all other concerns. I concede that the images will be secondary to many, but I feel this is marketed as a book of photos, and hence these must take precedence.

I only write this as it is such a waste, the images themselves are extraordinary, I feel a sense of frustration that common sense couldn't prevail and images could not have been kept to one page or arranged in a less damaging manner. The more I look through the book the angrier I get, as so many images are impaired in this way. The fact that the images are so good is really the cause of my anger - I keep thinking of 'what could have been', and how simple it could have been to achieve it.

If the French version does indeed use single page images (as suggested in an earlier review), I would urge everyone who is interested to seek out a copy of that instead, the images deserve far better presentation than has been implemented here.

I cannot state strongly enough, the images are very good. Unfortunately I must include the caveat that questionable production has severely dented their impact.

truly amazing!, 01 Dec 2004
I'm an art student and have always loved the way nature produces true masterpieces and we don't even notice it! This book shows us that we will never beat it's beauty. The photographs are fantastic, inspirational and gives you a sense of awe and wonderment. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves photography, landscapes and just beauty in their surroundings :)

The Earth from the Air, 12 Oct 2004
A fabulous book with masses of inspired and inspirational photograhy, and all supported by great explanations/facts about our planet. Its an enormous tome and great value for money.

An outdoor exhibition of the photos is currently touring the UK. It's been in Birmingham all summer, understand its in Bristol and London for the Autumn. This exhibition is well worth seeing - 'cos when you have you will HAVE to buy the book.

Seeing the earth from the air, 02 Feb 2003
This book holds so many diverse photographs - some geographic, others funny, others abstract and some reflecting the incredible features of nature, using images from all round the world. The photographs are informative and artisitc at the same time and the quality of precision and colour are fantastic. From dye wells in Morocco, camels with their shadows in the desert, flamingoes in their masses to field shapes and rows upon rows of tulips, this book offers unending scope for looking so closely at detail and texture. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in photography, geography or just wishing to enjoy a great mixture of images from different cultures. It really is stunning...

Nara is a brilliant artist!, 30 Aug 2005
Firstly this is not really a book it is a colection of 30 postcards but anyone who is either a fan of Nara's delicious style of painting, or just wants some groovy postcards to send (just under 20p each) will really like this pocket show case.
So do as i've done and get your self a copy and stick them up on you walls and brilliant thing is if you don't like any of them you can use them as a post card!

Padded, 26 Apr 2008
If this was a sunday times best seller then the competion must have been dire. Writing style is amateurish, a reminder of all those school essays entitled "What I did on My Holiday". It was repeatitive in places and over padded with excesssive use of "How the Monks Lived", from my point of view that was covered in junior school history lessons and it provided inadequate account of village life.

I felt it never really got going, 06 Sep 2006
I love the genre of people taking on the challenge of moving to a new place and setting up, dealing with the local culture and people. I really was looking forward to getting into this, but I felt it never really caught my attention. It's a nice, light read - but usually all I want to do is to be able to go over and have a drink with these authors and chat in more detail about their experiences. This time, I felt I didn't have anything more to ask the author. It's a fine book from her perspective - she can look back in years to come and remember these times fondly, but I don't think it will be a classic of the genre for other people.

A wonderful book, 28 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed this - the author paints an alluring picture of her extraordinary life in a tiny village in the Pyrenees, and the real sense of community there. Rosemary Bailey writes very well indeed and there's a nice balance of inner dialogue and honesty with the strong sense of place. Really makes you want to go there...

Yet another....!, 28 Apr 2003
I bought this book with high hopes, having read some of the reviews, but was disappointed. The author writes well about some of the scenery and culture of the region, but if I had wanted a history lesson I would have bought a history book! The passages where the thoughts/feelings of monks were imagined were just embarrassing padding. I would have welcomed far more detail about the building, the region, timescales, costings, and future plans. I'm a sucker for any book about France/Spain/Italy, but this was a real disappointment, hence my first ever review for Amazon! I think Peter Mayle's crown is safe.

INSIGHTFUL & INCISIVE - A STUNNING READ, 26 Nov 2002
I would give it 10 stars if I could. I bought it with some cynicism. I enjoy the genre but was not interested in yet another book about French delicacies, lavender, scenery and climate. Rosemary has struck a brilliant balance in Life in a Postcard. There is something for everyone. It is a frank account of the challenges in setting up a home away from home in a country that is riddled with hurdles and difficulties that few of us will come across on casual visits.
Rosemary writes beautifully about her beloved monastery, about the trials and tribulations of bringing up a child largely on her own and doing her best to ensure that he is well integrated and happy in his new environment. For all their qualities the “Driving over Lemons” of this world lack the depth of historical knowledge, insightfulness and incisiveness that you will find in “Life in a Postcard”. I cannot recommend it enough.

Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Not perfect, but imaginative and striking, 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it does not stand up next to Proulx's much more famous "The Shipping News", yet I feel moved to come to its defence. This is Proulx's first novel, and, for those who do now know the storyline, it begins with the collapse of a family unit on a small farm and goes on to chart the progress (in inverted commas) of the members of that family across the geography and time of the United States in the 20th century.

The fiercest accusation levelled at this book is that it lacks a plot, and I would be inclined to agree, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Indeed, I often find that otherwise good books are spoiled by their plots, and many of my favourites have no plot at all. This is an episodic, thematic approach to writing, but one could argue that this is perhaps closer to how we experience the world than a meticulously planned thriller which leads you by the nose to its ravishing conclusion.

Proulx does take a gloomy view of the world in this book, but again that is to be applauded, but that places it in a very fine tradition of American writing (think of how relentlessly depressing "The Grapes of Wrath" is, and that book is twice as long as this). It is not perfect, and it needs to be read quickly for it not to become slightly tiresome, but it is a fine, and adventurous piece of fiction.

good, but not worthy from this author, 02 Feb 2004
A good book, really a very good book, but still a little disappointing from this author. Another fairly grimy down-to-earth account of Americans' inhumanity to Americans, but the book is more like Accordian Crimes in the respect that it lacks a totally punchy central plot and is more a set of interesting cameos. Not my taste, but certainly worth reading. Quite interesting bits about fossils! However I'm still looking out for another book as good as The Shipping News!

A glorious read., 18 Sep 1999
"Postcards" is a darker work than Proulx's better known "The Shipping News" but all the hallmarks are there. The descriptions of nature are breathtaking, the dialogue acute, the control consummate. The author unerringly chooses the right phrase, or positions the right word just so. This is the work of a master water-colourist in prose. Without giving too much away, it is the story of two lost lives. The first occurs on page one but it is the chronicle of the second that forms the rest of the book, poor damaged Loyal sending back his postcards - loyal by nature as well as by name. While brother Dub gets rich and fat in real estate, Loyal battles against everything the elements can throw at him - rockfall, fire, snow - then picks himself up, tries again. The passing of the years and the changing of the times are beautifully and poignantly laid out, and I have to say that so unbearable did I find it at times that I could only manage to read some parts of the novel in short bursts. I haven't been so moved by a book in years as I have been by the story of Loyal Blood. Six stars out of five.

AWFUL, 03 Sep 1999
If i could give it zero stars i would it was uninteresting from the start I could not keep up with the extreme numbers of new characters introduced every chapter till it reached the end one word to describe this book. AWFUL

Beautifully written, but so depressing, 29 Jul 1999
Proulx is an amazing writer, and I was deeply drawn to her characters. Having grown up in a small town in New Hampshire, the Blood's saga was a little too familiar-accidents, lost love, cold family relationships, and the loss of the simplicity of a past age(which was actually never all that simple). While I appreciated her talent, this story was just so bleak, that I had to put it down for days before I was compelled to pick it up again.

Away with the fairies- what a lovely treat!, 15 Nov 2007
This wonderful collection is a must-have in every household- it has saved many a birthday, when I've forgotten to buy a card.
The imagery is so familiar, yet they bring joy to all that comes across them.
Also make a perfect gift for all flower-inclined children- and adults of all ages.
Beware that the cards are quite hard to remove from the booklet, heavy handling and they may rip.
Strongly recommended anyway!!!!

A stunning collection of Flower Fairy postcards., 23 Apr 2001
This postcard book gives any fan of beautiful delicate paintings a real treat. The good quality prints cover a selection from every one of Mary Cecily Barker`s eight Flower Fairies books. From Apple Blossom to Christmas Tree there is a Fairy to suit everyone, with an occasional tree elf thrown in for good measure. If you want an inexpensive way to get prints that look great mounted and framed for a wall display in a child`s room and have all the charm that this artists work epitomises I cannot recommend this little postcard book enough. It makes a good companion to the larger format, more comprehensive collection in the Complete Book of Flower Fairies, which also includes all the poems the pictures go with and some details about the artist herself. Well worth the money!

A wonderful book - but you never see a whole photo, 21 Oct 2005
This is a really amazing book, and the photos are stunning. It would, though, have been better if the book was printed in landscape format with one photo on each page. In this book many of the photos are totally ruined by the fold, which effectively splits the images into two separate entities. This is especially annoying when you consider that the center of the image - the part obscured by the fold - often containes the focus point (a tree or a man). Buy this book if you must, but if you can: buy another version!

Great, great images, poor, poor layout., 25 Dec 2004
I don't feel I can add much to the overall comments that have been raised, the images are indeed first rate, however I'd like to emhasise that the arrangement in this book seriously detracts from it, a travesty given the wonderful images it contains.

The use of double page spreads almost exclusively is visually awkward in a book you cannot actually lay flat, and the focal point of many images lies directly in the fold. There are many images that are 'written off' purely through poor layout in the book, and for a book of this price (and images of this merit) I expect better. There is some justification in that the images are well ordered and plenty of good background detail given, but this is a book that presents the images, and adequate presentation of these images must be paramount, ahead of all other concerns. I concede that the images will be secondary to many, but I feel this is marketed as a book of photos, and hence these must take precedence.

I only write this as it is such a waste, the images themselves are extraordinary, I feel a sense of frustration that common sense couldn't prevail and images could not have been kept to one page or arranged in a less damaging manner. The more I look through the book the angrier I get, as so many images are impaired in this way. The fact that the images are so good is really the cause of my anger - I keep thinking of 'what could have been', and how simple it could have been to achieve it.

If the French version does indeed use single page images (as suggested in an earlier review), I would urge everyone who is interested to seek out a copy of that instead, the images deserve far better presentation than has been implemented here.

I cannot state strongly enough, the images are very good. Unfortunately I must include the caveat that questionable production has severely dented their impact.

truly amazing!, 01 Dec 2004
I'm an art student and have always loved the way nature produces true masterpieces and we don't even notice it! This book shows us that we will never beat it's beauty. The photographs are fantastic, inspirational and gives you a sense of awe and wonderment. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves photography, landscapes and just beauty in their surroundings :)

The Earth from the Air, 12 Oct 2004
A fabulous book with masses of inspired and inspirational photograhy, and all supported by great explanations/facts about our planet. Its an enormous tome and great value for money.

An outdoor exhibition of the photos is currently touring the UK. It's been in Birmingham all summer, understand its in Bristol and London for the Autumn. This exhibition is well worth seeing - 'cos when you have you will HAVE to buy the book.

Seeing the earth from the air, 02 Feb 2003
This book holds so many diverse photographs - some geographic, others funny, others abstract and some reflecting the incredible features of nature, using images from all round the world. The photographs are informative and artisitc at the same time and the quality of precision and colour are fantastic. From dye wells in Morocco, camels with their shadows in the desert, flamingoes in their masses to field shapes and rows upon rows of tulips, this book offers unending scope for looking so closely at detail and texture. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in photography, geography or just wishing to enjoy a great mixture of images from different cultures. It really is stunning...

Nara is a brilliant artist!, 30 Aug 2005
Firstly this is not really a book it is a colection of 30 postcards but anyone who is either a fan of Nara's delicious style of painting, or just wants some groovy postcards to send (just under 20p each) will really like this pocket show case.
So do as i've done and get your self a copy and stick them up on you walls and brilliant thing is if you don't like any of them you can use them as a post card!

Padded, 26 Apr 2008
If this was a sunday times best seller then the competion must have been dire. Writing style is amateurish, a reminder of all those school essays entitled "What I did on My Holiday". It was repeatitive in places and over padded with excesssive use of "How the Monks Lived", from my point of view that was covered in junior school history lessons and it provided inadequate account of village life.

I felt it never really got going, 06 Sep 2006
I love the genre of people taking on the challenge of moving to a new place and setting up, dealing with the local culture and people. I really was looking forward to getting into this, but I felt it never really caught my attention. It's a nice, light read - but usually all I want to do is to be able to go over and have a drink with these authors and chat in more detail about their experiences. This time, I felt I didn't have anything more to ask the author. It's a fine book from her perspective - she can look back in years to come and remember these times fondly, but I don't think it will be a classic of the genre for other people.

A wonderful book, 28 Jan 2004
I really enjoyed this - the author paints an alluring picture of her extraordinary life in a tiny village in the Pyrenees, and the real sense of community there. Rosemary Bailey writes very well indeed and there's a nice balance of inner dialogue and honesty with the strong sense of place. Really makes you want to go there...

Yet another....!, 28 Apr 2003
I bought this book with high hopes, having read some of the reviews, but was disappointed. The author writes well about some of the scenery and culture of the region, but if I had wanted a history lesson I would have bought a history book! The passages where the thoughts/feelings of monks were imagined were just embarrassing padding. I would have welcomed far more detail about the building, the region, timescales, costings, and future plans. I'm a sucker for any book about France/Spain/Italy, but this was a real disappointment, hence my first ever review for Amazon! I think Peter Mayle's crown is safe.

INSIGHTFUL & INCISIVE - A STUNNING READ, 26 Nov 2002
I would give it 10 stars if I could. I bought it with some cynicism. I enjoy the genre but was not interested in yet another book about French delicacies, lavender, scenery and climate. Rosemary has struck a brilliant balance in Life in a Postcard. There is something for everyone. It is a frank account of the challenges in setting up a home away from home in a country that is riddled with hurdles and difficulties that few of us will come across on casual visits.
Rosemary writes beautifully about her beloved monastery, about the trials and tribulations of bringing up a child largely on her own and doing her best to ensure that he is well integrated and happy in his new environment. For all their qualities the “Driving over Lemons” of this world lack the depth of historical knowledge, insightfulness and incisiveness that you will find in “Life in a Postcard”. I cannot recommend it enough.

Magic moments in time., 14 Nov 2007
I absolutely adore this book.
It is a charming collection of photobooth images showing both young and old, capturing magical moments in time.
Once you start flicking through the book you cannot draw yourself away, and as the previous review said, you cannot help but think of the beautiful film Amelie.
Would recommend this to any romantics out there.


'affordable portraits anonymously and automatically', 10 May 2004
A beautiful collection of photobooth snap-shots. It would be near impossible to view and review this book having seen the film amelie and not mention it in some way or another. Having coveted the collection of disgarded passport photographs since seeing the film amelie, this book is almost the next best thing.
Page after page, of this personal and inexhaustable art form. You close the curtain and 3 minutes later you have to make the choice of whether or not the product is suitable to share with the world. Well, now the choice is made for you.

Two craftily interwoven stories, separated by 50 years in time, make upthis emotionally and intellectually challenging novel. Set in Holland, one story tells of the passionate love between a young Dutch woman and Jacob Todd, a wounded English soldier: "I filled the glass and gave it to the soldier who had not yet spoken, who now said, 'Thanks, miss, you're an angel of mercy.' He had eyes that made me melt."

The other story finds the English soldier's grandson visiting Amsterdam for the commemoration of The Battle of Arnhem. Before he knows it, he's way out of his emotional depth: "His arrival yesterday had been embarrassing. His visit to the Anne Frank house had been upsetting. His confusion of boy for girl unnerved him. The mugging had left him duff." The learning curve is steep and readers can't help becoming thoroughly engrossed in the powerful emotions as well as being confronted with questions which simply don't have easy answers. This is a riveting, thought-provoking and thoroughly worthwhile read. (12 years and over). --Tamsin Palmer

Boring Postcards, 13 Aug 2006
The funniest book I have read all year. It made being laid up in a ski resort with a ruptured ligament tolerable

Far from Boring, 15 Sep 2005
The title of this book is very misleading, because the postcards are far from boring. They provide a fascinating insight into the architecture, cars and clothing of the 1950s and 1960s, with motorways, shopping centres, suburbia, factories, holiday camps, chalets, caravans and much else. I suspect that quite of a bit of what was then regarded as the best of modern architecture has since been demolished, so there are indispensable historical records here too. Nor are the postcards boring on the technical side: the picture of Budleigh Salterton, with its foreground and background, diagonal lines and a wealth of detail, is a brilliantly composed photograph. The picture of the nuclear reactor at Dounreay is like a piece of modern abstract art, with its blocks, cylinders and sphere. Many of the others are also excellent photographs, which is not surprising, as they must have been taken by professionals. This book is stuffed with art and history, and there is not one boring postcard in the whole collection.

Sublime, comic, historic, a must have!, 24 Jan 2005
This is a very unusual book, but gripping, holding many many photographs of old postcards from a very dull era of the UK, yet they are fascinating to look at today. How architects and builders got away with some hideous buildings only a few decades ago is incredible. What a long way we have come, looking at the exciting postcards for motorways, service stations, power stations and holiday camps amoung others.

This book is very hard to categorise, but once you've seen it, you'll want it!

Boring postcards, brilliant book!, 19 Jul 2004
When I first picked this book up in a high street bookshop, I was gripped by it immediately! Even having lived through the 1970s, the decade often called the one taste forgot, I couldn't believe the range of subjects photographed. In the '60s when motorways were new and thus considered exciting, perhaps one could understand the desire to picture the M1, and various parts of service stations. But who on earth wanted to buy photographs showing traffic on the A40, or indeed to celebrate Carlton Court Shopping Centre, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol (which I've known for 30 years, and it doesn't look any better now than it did then!). Would people be so proud now of Preston Bus Station as they were then? And would anyone really be keen to buy pictures of Butlins' Reception and Dining Halls, or Travelodge bedrooms.

In creating this book, Martin Parr has reminded readers of a now bygone era, when the now hideous was considered magnificent. I could hardly contain myself. If you're 30+ or into architecture, this book is a must-have. As it is if you're a keen photographer, or just want an easy read to make you laugh.

Not perfect, but imaginative and striking, 28 Oct 2007
Some people really do not like this book. Some have given it one star in a review, and others have complained that it doe