Category Archives: Books

A Long Goodbye

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

There have been numerous editions of the classic Raymond Chandler noir detective novel The Long Goodbye since its initial publication in 1953. But to my knowledge there hasn’t been a fully illustrated version until now. The upcoming publication was created for Chinese … Continue reading →

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August

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Serpentine Saturday

Posted on July 31, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

The wavy patterns on the edges, covers, and endpapers on this tooled and blind-stamped, half-bound book are from Carew’s Survey of Cornwall . This edition was printed in London by Thomas Bensley for J. Faulder and Rees and Curtis in 1811, although Carew’s … Continue reading →

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Subtle Differences

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

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THE STRANGE HISTORY OF A MYSTERIOUS BEING

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I recently fell down a rabbithole after seeing a reference to 19th century American “Hollow Earth” proponents who toured the country giving lectures on the purported existence of a society living within the earth’s center. Some of these so-called explorers … Continue reading →

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War of the Worlds

Posted on July 28, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

I have been intrigued by the H.G. Wells iconic science fiction novel  War of the Worlds since I first read the book as a 10 year-old. The terrifying tale was first serialized in nine issues of Pearson’s Magazine (1897/98) with … Continue reading →

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If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

TIL that Mary Shelley actually wrote her groundbreaking novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus while she was living in Bath, England. I also discovered that the new Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein, opened in Bath last week. The multimedia museum … Continue reading →

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trembling with the same cicada sound

Posted on July 25, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Here in the Northeastern U.S. we are experiencing the emergence of a brood of 17-year cicadas. Sitting in my garden listening to the noisy insects, I was reminded of this very short piece by the late American poet W.S. Merwin: … Continue reading →

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For a cat every day is caturday

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

 

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where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people

Posted on July 23, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

While recently helping a friend plan a trip to Berlin, I encouraged him to visit the brilliant memorial at Bebelplatz in the Mitte District. On May 10, 1933, in the Bebelplatz in central Berlin, members of the Nazi Student Union … Continue reading →

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