From Readable Art to Viewable Art in Several (Not So Easy) Steps!

Do you have any old encyclopedias that you never read lying around? We all know that it’s always a painful process to get rid of books – no matter how little we may tend to actually peruse them, so what if you could just simply turn them into visual works of art? Well you can! Check out this cool article which discusses book carvings done by artist Alexander Korzer Robinson. His work is pretty awesome and in my opinion puts to good use discarded books. Hopefully there will be an exhibition which both you and I can check out in person someday soon!

NEW POSTERS: Les Misérables, Great Expectations, Middlemarch

Here they are! Three new posters added to our growing collection of book posters.

Les Misérables (24×36″ – 61x91cm)

The Les Misérables poster is created using Books 1 to 5 – up to chapter 12 from the last book (The Descent).

Les Misérables, Victor Hugo’s classic tale of redemption and forgiveness,  takes place in the volatile and colorful historical setting of late 17th century France and spans a period of over four decades – leading us from the prisons of France to the bloody revolution on the streets of Paris and the dark, eerie world of her underground sewers. Hugo masterfully tells the story of Jean Valjean – a man seemingly beyond atonement and incapable of mercy – whose life is forever altered by a single act of grace and kindness.

Using Hugo’s very own words as a backdrop, our poster poignantly illustrates one of the most pivotal scenes from the novel – where Bishop Myriel passes on to Jean Valjean a set of candlesticks, and in this way enduringly changes his life. The scene in our poster depicts Jean Valjean having fallen to his knees in awe of this great kindness. The Bishop has also lowered himself to his knees as an indication of his own belief that all human beings – regardless of social standing or past transgressions – deserve to be treated as equals and with the same grace.

Les Misérables is a tale that continues to resonate with readers even today. The chronicle of one man’s journey from darkness and despair to light, love, and grace – and the touching moment which indicated the commencement of this new chapter of Jean Valjean’s life is movingly depicted in our poster.

View this poster in our store.

Great Expectations (24×36″ – 61x91cm)

The Great Expectations poster is created using the first 24 chapters from the book.

Set against the background of 19th century England, Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations tells the tale of the penniless and unfortunate Pip, and his life aspirations which are inspired by his love for the cruel yet exceedingly beautiful Estella who is from a higher sector of society. Throughout his life long struggle to assimilate into an aristocracy that he was not born into, Pip discovers that high society and the woman he loves are not as wonderful and glamorous as he originally believed them to be.

Our poster embodies the strained relationship between Pip and Estella and the place of their meeting. Pip is admiring and looking towards the source of his expectations while Estella is indifferent and comfortable with her own higher social standing. They stand before Miss Havisham’s rotting wedding feast – a feast symbolic of her warped and ruined approach to love and Estella’s inheritance of this very idea.

Great Expectations is a novel with a hopeless and disturbing love story and our poster brings to life the details of the impossibility of love due to the chasm between social classes.

View this poster in our store.

Middlemarch (24×36″ – 61x91cm)

The Middlemarch poster is created using Books 1 & 2 – up to chapter 18 from the last book.

Eliot’s Middlemarch is a beloved novel which tells the different tales of several protagonists as they navigate their way through the complexities of life, love, and marriage. Middlemarch serves as criticism of the idea that marriage is the source of ultimate happiness and presents the world with a realistic view of how different motives for marriage affect the outcome of a union. However – despite the chaos, social pressures, and struggles between mind and heart – there are those who emerge with the beautiful realization that in marriage it is possible to find someone who will stand firmly by one’s side against the world.

Our poster encapsulates the very idea that marriage is not always a happy affair. This is one of the prevailing themes of the novel Middlemarch and in our poster two lovers stand in the process of being united in marriage and yet are looking away from one another in seeming indifference. Like in the novel, their motives for marriage are more driven by social pressure than by love or willingness to commit; hence, they avert their eyes from one another.

Middlemarch is a book that can bring a pang to the heart of a reader who understands how convoluted questions of life, romance, and marriage can be. Our poster beautifully captures this intricate concept for our viewers.

View this poster in our store.

Paying Tribute to the Master of the Wild Things

Following up on my article from yesterday which bore the sad news of beloved children’s author Maurice Sendak’s death on Tuesday, I would like to present to you this fun link.  It features a video of a reading of Sendak’s famous book Where the Wild Things Are, but make sure you scroll all the way down, because there are some really great pictures of people paying tribute in various ways: some by dressing up as characters from the book and others through slightly more creative means. Some of the pictures made me grin while at the same time sending a nostalgic pang to my heart. Enjoy!

Farewell to the Mastermind of Where the Wild Things Are

The children’s book Where the Wild Things Are was a poignant and vital part of my childhood reading collection. Even to this day, I find the story to be grippingly beautiful and a wonderful reminder of the power of the imagination. It therefore grieves me to say that this book’s beloved author, Maurice Sendak, has passed away at the age of 83. The New York Times has featured this article detailing his work and the great impact he had, and continues to have, on children’s literature. R.I.P Mr. Sendak, I hope you are dancing somewhere where the Wild Things are!

Playing the Villain – Comic Book Style

Having just watched the highly entertaining film The Avengers last night, I am in a comic book state of mind. I know the debate is ongoing as to whether or not comic books can actually be considered as literature, but either way the villains and heroes portrayed in those pages are genuinely fun to follow. Check out this article by Matt D. Wilson who is also co-author of The Supervillain Handbook and expert on all things comic book related – he will give you a few interesting pointers on different villain superpowers and hopefully put a smile on your face! Enjoy

The Reading Railroad

As most avid readers know, sometimes all you need is the first chapter of a novel to get you hooked on wanting to read the rest. And what better way to encourage more reading by allowing people free access to the first chapter of a good book? According to this article, the government run railways in Spain are providing people with a look at the first chapters of various novels as a means to promote literacy. To me, this is a fantastic idea and serves a dual purpose: it gets people hooked on literature and also keeps them from getting bored during long train rides. Sounds like a win-win to me!

Postertext is now on Amazon

In order to reach more reading enthusiasts like ourselves, we’ve recently added our posters to Amazon.

Feel free to make a purchase there (don’t forget to write reviews!). If you already have an Amazon account, the checkout process will become faster for you – plus, you’ll be guaranteed great service from both Amazon and us!

Visit our store on Amazon.com

Donate to a good cause and receive a discount

Welcome to the first day of May everyone. Today, I’m very proud to announce our partnership with Recoup, a daily deals website with a philanthropic twist. You can read more about the organization here.

From today to May 8th, 2012, we are running a special promotion that will net you $50 dollars worth of posters for only $29. Although you aren’t required to make a donation to receive the discount, please consider the amount that you are saving and how a tiny portion of that amount can go towards a cause that furthers humanity.

We’ve chosen Project Gutenberg as the default cause but you can select any cause listed here: http://www.recoup.com/causes

We hope that you purchase a voucher from Recoup and make a small contribution to a cause you agree with!

Have a splendid day,
Peter Kao – Founder

Happy 60th Charlotte’s Web!

When I was a little girl the first book that ever made me cry was E.B. White’s children’s book Charlotte’s Web. I’m not sure which was more endearingly charming: a runt pig named Wilbur trying to find a way to save his own life or the unlikely friendship that develops between him and a particularly intelligent barn spider. Either way, tears were shed. This story has always seemed so timeless to me that I found myself quite shocked to read in this article that Charlotte’s Web has reached the ripe old age of sixty! Of course, age is just a number because this is one story I plan on sharing with my own kids someday.

Fairy Tales Galore!

Here at Postertext there is nothing we love more than a good fairy tale – a fact made evident by the release of our pretty awesome Grimms’ Fairy Tales poster. So imagine my delight when I happened upon this article in The Guardian regarding the discovery of not one, not two, but FIVE HUNDRED new fairytales in Germany. How cool is that? Apparently there’s everything from scary witches to princesses and turnips! I am definitely looking forward to the day when these stories will be available in English – I for one have always been a sucker for a good fairy tale.