The Museum at Purgatory

Nick Bantock

Byzantium Books/HarperCollins
(c) 1999


Nick Bantock is a style all unto himself, one of those creators of books that go beyond books. If Joseph Cornell had been a writer, he possibly would have been Nick Bantock. And if you don't know either of these two names, then now you have two creators to investigate and thus enrich your lives.

The Museum at Purgatory is just that, with the chapters broken up into the specific "rooms" dedicated to the collections of souls that have been in Purgatory for varying lengths of time. The curator, a non-omniscient narrator, guides the reader through the rooms, and with the text and photographs of the collections brings to us stories of the lives of the souls. Some of them are archetypes, some are amalgamations, some bring new twists on old knowledge, breath new life into familiar stories.

It's a fascinating read, and I strongly recommend that if you have never read Nick Bantock then you might start with this one before you read his wonderful Griffin and Sabine series. It's sad, I know,because one truly should read each work on its own merit (that's what I keep espousing, but can't truly put into practise) but since Bantock is so distinctive, one can't help but compare his works together. That said, Griffin and Sabine truly is the apex of his creative ability, such a beautifully told and presented love story that spans the entire world through letters and clues, that everything else he does pales in comparison. But, that said, even a Bantock that can't stand up to Griffin and Sabine is still a wonderful read in its own "write."