Portals: Gates, Stiles, Windows, Bridges & Other Crossings

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$14.00


This book was both better and worse than expected. The theme is crossings of all kinds – portals being any place where one moves from one space to another. This includes windows and doorways, but also unusual spaces such as walls and fences, and the gates or stiles or bridges that traverse them. The book discusses each of these types of portals, but this discussion is the most disappointing element of the book. The entries are dry and encyclopedic, each page being merely an expository description of the type of “portal” discussed. Some entries seem like they are just about to make some interesting connections and analysis but then fall short. Reading this book is pretty boring; there is nothing new or insightful about any of the entries. However, the book is gorgeously illustrated, with black and white reproductions of illustrations found from old reference books, or woodcuts by the talented artist Miles Thistlethwaite. Looking through the illustrations is itself a magical transportation, carrying your mind to different worlds and spaces and times. The beauty of the illustrations more than makes up for the prosaic writing. This book is particularly well suited for gifting to anyone who loves to explore.


Reviewed By:

Author Philippa Lewis
Star Count 4/5
Format Hard
Page Count 64 pages
Publisher Bloomsbury USA
Publish Date 2018-Jan-02
ISBN 9781635570847
Amazon Buy this Book
Issue March 2018
Category Reference
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