Weekend Book Reviews: Sabine’s Notebook by Nick Bantock

Nick Bantock’s Sabine’s Notebook, the second volume in the Griffin and Sabine trilogy, weaves a visual and literary tapestry of surreal correspondence and psychological introspection. This epistolary novel presents not just a continuation of Griffin Moss and Sabine Strohem’s strange, metaphysical relationship, but also an expansion of the boundaries between reality and imagination. Bantock’s seamless integration of letters, postcards, and intricate illustrations invites the reader to become more than a passive observer—one is drawn into a shared voyeurism of two souls intertwined across an ambiguous spatial and temporal divide.

The novel retains the core elements that made its predecessor unique: Bantock’s lush illustrations and the tactile experience of turning through personal letters. Yet Sabine’s Notebook introduces a new layer of tension, with Sabine now able to locate Griffin’s precise whereabouts, pushing their ethereal connection closer to reality. What at first appeared to be an abstract, symbolic exchange of ideas becomes charged with urgency as both characters grapple with the possibility that their connection might not be purely metaphysical but grounded in the corporeal world. This blurring of boundaries heightens the sense of unease, positioning the reader between worlds, just as Griffin and Sabine seem suspended between their tangible and intangible realities.

A unique aspect of Bantock’s work is his ability to communicate complex psychological themes through a minimalist text. Much is left unsaid between Griffin and Sabine, which Bantock enhances through his illustrations. The artwork serves as a meta-commentary, with surreal and symbolic visuals adding depth to the already mysterious narrative. Griffin’s paintings and Sabine’s sketches aren’t just artifacts within the story—they are windows into the subconscious minds of both characters. This blending of visual art and prose transcends the conventional novel form, urging readers to engage with the text on a multi-sensory level.

From a literary perspective, Sabine’s Notebook can be viewed as an exploration of the Jungian concept of the “anima” and “animus.” Sabine often feels like an external manifestation of Griffin’s inner psyche, embodying the archetypal feminine counterpart he must either integrate or be consumed by. The text’s consistent play with duality—the seen and unseen, the known and unknown, the rational and the irrational—reinforces this reading. The characters’ evolving dynamic reflects a journey toward self-discovery that is as much internal as it is external. Each letter exchanged between them feels like a step deeper into the labyrinth of identity, drawing on mythological and psychological underpinnings in a way that echoes Carl Jung’s exploration of the unconscious mind.

At its heart, the novel confronts the tension between intimacy and distance, not just in the physical sense but also in the emotional and spiritual realms. Griffin’s apprehensions about meeting Sabine reveal a fear of losing the mystical quality of their bond, while Sabine’s relentless pursuit of physical closeness reflects the human desire for tangible connection. The novel is a meditation on how we navigate relationships between the self and the other, and whether the boundaries we perceive are self-imposed or inherent to existence.

In the grander scheme of literary history, Bantock’s work with Sabine’s Notebook can be seen as an avant-garde revival of the epistolary novel tradition. Where earlier examples like Pamela or Dracula used letters to reveal plot details and character development, Bantock elevates the form to something experiential. The act of physically opening envelopes and handling postcards brings a tactile intimacy to the reading experience that echoes the themes of the narrative itself.

In conclusion, Sabine’s Notebook is a book of questions rather than answers. It entices the reader into a mystery that is not meant to be fully solved but rather explored. Bantock’s fusion of art and narrative defies conventional literary boundaries, creating an experience that is as introspective as it is immersive. Through this profound interplay between the visual and textual, Bantock crafts a story that lingers long after the final letter is read, leaving us to ponder the nature of connection, identity, and the often porous boundary between the real and the imagined.