Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book
6 journalers for this copy...
Amazon description: This handsome and unusual book is the diary kept by Lady Cottington. Instead of pressing flowers in it, she pressed fairies (with a resulting look remarkably similar to watercolors). Handwritten and handsomely bound, this book is as surprising as it is pleasing. The publisher (at the request of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Fairies) notes that no fairies were injured or killed in the manufacturing process...
My thoughts: This is one of my favorite books. It is a girl's diary of pressed fairies. The first entry is in 1895 and the last one is dated 1912. Each hand-written entry has a pressed fairy on the opposite page, one that has been smacked between the covers of the book. The diary entries chronicle the girl's life and her interaction with all the fairies. It's a cute book that I'm really, really fond of. I've had it for years and think it's time to share it -- maybe in a ring?
Bookring
Ceili -- Syracuse, New York
CheriePie -- Boston, Mass
icanfly -- Grand Blanc, MI
Maprem -- Seattle, WA
silverstarry -- Berkeley, CA
--COMPLETED--
My thoughts: This is one of my favorite books. It is a girl's diary of pressed fairies. The first entry is in 1895 and the last one is dated 1912. Each hand-written entry has a pressed fairy on the opposite page, one that has been smacked between the covers of the book. The diary entries chronicle the girl's life and her interaction with all the fairies. It's a cute book that I'm really, really fond of. I've had it for years and think it's time to share it -- maybe in a ring?
Bookring
Ceili -- Syracuse, New York
CheriePie -- Boston, Mass
icanfly -- Grand Blanc, MI
Maprem -- Seattle, WA
silverstarry -- Berkeley, CA
--COMPLETED--
Received from Firegirl in a bookring. Glanced through it yesterday and it looks lovely. Will be sitting down soon to read it all the way through. Thanks Firegirl!
Update on April 18, 2005:
I loved this book. It was fascinating, funny, quirky and beautifully done. My mother and my husband both took the opportunity to read it while it was here. Thanks for doing this bookring, Firegirl!
On it's way to CheriePie today.
Update on April 18, 2005:
I loved this book. It was fascinating, funny, quirky and beautifully done. My mother and my husband both took the opportunity to read it while it was here. Thanks for doing this bookring, Firegirl!
On it's way to CheriePie today.
Received this in the mail today. I only had a chance to flip through it quickly so far and look at some of the pictures, but I'm looking forward to sitting down with it and reading the passages. It looks quite interesting. Thanks for sharing!
This book was so neat! Thank you for sharing.
The pictures were beautiful. I have another of Froud's Fairy books and the artwork in this one didn't let me down. I feel there was a lesson to be learned from the story though, and after reading one of the reviews at Amazon, I'm not sure whether I got the lesson right or not. Someone there mentioned a more sinister plot in which the faerys wanted revenge. However I didn't get that from the story. Granted they pulled their usual trickery later on as Angelica got older, such is their way, but I instead saw their actions as a way to get her to enjoy life more. I don't want to go into more detail than that to give the story away but suffice to say, the underlying story can probably be taken in more ways than one. Your own outlook will probably color whatever lesson there may be to learn. :)
I'll be having some friends over this weekend that will also appreciate looking through this book. How perfect, Beltane (May Day) and all, and we're even doing the Maypole on Saturday (or Sunday if it rains out on Sat). And then this will be heading out to icanfly (another appropriate name to be receiving a fairy book, no?) sometime next week after I get her address.
Thanks again to Firegirl for sharing this beautiful book.
The pictures were beautiful. I have another of Froud's Fairy books and the artwork in this one didn't let me down. I feel there was a lesson to be learned from the story though, and after reading one of the reviews at Amazon, I'm not sure whether I got the lesson right or not. Someone there mentioned a more sinister plot in which the faerys wanted revenge. However I didn't get that from the story. Granted they pulled their usual trickery later on as Angelica got older, such is their way, but I instead saw their actions as a way to get her to enjoy life more. I don't want to go into more detail than that to give the story away but suffice to say, the underlying story can probably be taken in more ways than one. Your own outlook will probably color whatever lesson there may be to learn. :)
I'll be having some friends over this weekend that will also appreciate looking through this book. How perfect, Beltane (May Day) and all, and we're even doing the Maypole on Saturday (or Sunday if it rains out on Sat). And then this will be heading out to icanfly (another appropriate name to be receiving a fairy book, no?) sometime next week after I get her address.
Thanks again to Firegirl for sharing this beautiful book.
Posted to icanfly in Michigan on Thursday, May 5, 2005 via Media Mail.
Received in a bookring--looks like fun. I'll start with it this weekend--Thanks!
An interesting read--what a curious occupation! Fairies aren't as pretty as I'd thought. Sent off to maprem in Washington moments ago. Thanks so much for sharing!
Arrived today in the mail. My six-year-olds have already looked through and giggled at all the pictures and we've read bits of it aloud.
5/24 update: So, the little ones thought the pictures were kind of funny but I think they were a bit offended by the nudity. The 13-yr-old sat down and would not let go of the book until she finished it. (She was upset with Angelica for squishing the fairies; I don't think she read the disclaimer from the RSPCF.) I finally got to read it after they all went to bed. Those are some baaaaaad fairies! I'll PM the next person for an address and send it along soon.
5/24 update: So, the little ones thought the pictures were kind of funny but I think they were a bit offended by the nudity. The 13-yr-old sat down and would not let go of the book until she finished it. (She was upset with Angelica for squishing the fairies; I don't think she read the disclaimer from the RSPCF.) I finally got to read it after they all went to bed. Those are some baaaaaad fairies! I'll PM the next person for an address and send it along soon.
Just received this in the mail today - can't wait to read it!
What a cool book! I loved that the airies weren't all Tinkerbell-ish but the pictures were still very lovely, even when the squashed fairy was making a "just got squashed" face. Like maprem's daughter, I was a little concerned that Lady Cottington was killing fairies left and right, but oh those naughty fairies! One of my favorite fairies was the one who steals underwear - the picture of her barely covering her bum was hilarious.
Thanks so much to Firegirl for sharing this book with us!
Mailed back to Firegirl today:
DC# 0304 1070 0002 4158 9295
Thanks so much to Firegirl for sharing this book with us!
Mailed back to Firegirl today:
DC# 0304 1070 0002 4158 9295
The squished faries have arrived safely back home. Thanks to everyone for participating and taking such good care of one of my favorite books!