Many of the pictures, with their echoes of fairy tales and children’s stories, might be described as “charming”, or even “cute”, but then on the next page the reader is confronted with an image that totally jars – a headless torso, a tree sprouting from the top of a boy’s head, a strange monster, or an unearthly fruit. ... It’s a dissonance that fascinates, and it can be found in the accompanying poetry, too. ...From my review of Shahril Nizam's magical collection of illustrations and poetry If Only, in Starmag today.
... The book’s slightly other worldly quality is further emphasised by the quaint formality of Shahril’s word choice (for example, enraptured, partake, comely, reverie, perchance, methinks), items that have long slipped from the general English lexicon. And the poems themselves, often written in rhyming quatrains, are often reminiscent of Victorian verse. (Think Edward Lear or Lewis Carroll.)
The book has two different covers, so you can choose the one you like best!
6 comments:
Congratulations to Shahril. I can't wait to get my blood soaked hands on the book! :)
i think you will appreciate the darkness that lies beneath ...
can't find that book anywhere.. maybe I searched at a wrong place.
where did you look sara? it is on sale. keep trying!
Thank you Tunku Halim and thank you Sharon for reviewing the book. I really appreciate it. :)
hope it was ok, shahril ... was a bit at sea talking about art and really lacked the vocab ... but it has made me v. curious to learn more about illustration. i'm going to be moderating the writers' circle thingy at mph in a couple of week's time so i guess that's my chance to find out more!!
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