Book Without a Name

by Kit Williams

The author hid the title of this allegory in a sealed box to be opened a year and a day from publication, though clues to the title are hidden in the pages of the book.

Genres: Art, Picture Books, Puzzles, Fiction, Childrens, Fantasy, Mystery

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 24, 1984

Reviews

[Louise Bagshawe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved this book - better than Masquerade. the pictures are exquisite and the writing is also beautiful. Williams understands the spirit of place, the spirit of the Green Man that creeps under all England. It covers his work in marquetry, in gold, and in paint. for my money he is the most talented artist alive today.

[Marshall Lovering · Rating 4 out of 5]

There weren't multiple little riddles like in Williams' other puzzle book, but the pictures & overall story are just as gorgeous & strange.

[Laura Morrigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't the greatest fan of the story. It was rather scattered and the whole allegory clue thing reminded me of the Cadbury Creme Egg Mystery book (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...), which was a lot better, in my opinion. However, the illustrations were superb. They seemed to be mostly cut out of delicately carved wood, cut into frames and pictures, with painted pictures, semi-precious stones and sometimes metal pieces as well.

[Chanel Chapters · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange honey dreams.

[Tiffany May Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

“For it may be said that although the ways of men are many and varied; to the bees they are of little consequence”.

I’m not really sure what I just read but it felt important.

The artwork is exquisite and the story bizarre but beautiful.

[Melissa Greenhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book and the illustrations - very inspiring to me as an artist.

[Gabriel Benitez · Rating 5 out of 5]

_______________________________________

por Kit Williams

"El libro sin título" sigue siendo un misterio para mi hoy en día. Lo compré hace muchos años en un Soriana y recuerdo que lo promocionaban como un libro con un título secreto que tu deberías descubrir leyéndolo y observando sus hermosas ilustraciones. Si no podías resolverlo, igual te daban el título en el interior de un sobre.
Pero a mí no me dieron el sobre.
Y aunque lo leía y lo leía no podía estar seguro de su título. La misma historia me parecía una especie de intermedio entre el mundo del despertar y del sueño. De alguna forma intuia que ese relato quería decir más de lo que parece y que su secreto era más profundo que sólo el título escondido.
En cierta forma, leer ese libro me traía y me trae la misma sensación que mis días de verano en la colonia minera de Sn. Francisco del Oro, una sensación crepuscular de quien apenas está medio dormido y medio despierto. Vaya, como si existiera un mundo que oculta otro mundo. Como si la realidad fueran símbolos de algo que está detrás.
Ahora que lo he vuelto a leer y que pude averiguar su título en Internet, veo que no estaba yo tan mal encaminado, pero su historia de abejas y la llegada del verano aún se me sigue escapando.
Creo que cuando me muera, voy a darme finalmente cuenta...

En mi cuento hallarás sabiduría
Y mis dibujos te darán placer.
Leerás la historia de la Reina sombría
Y el caballero en busca del deber.
El título, no obstante, es un secreto,
(Oculto y evidente lo avizoro.)
Si logras encontrarlo, te prometo :
Será tuyo mañana mi tesoro.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea is that the book is untitled, but the title is hidden in some way in the book. It will perhaps not surprise anyone that I just didn't get it. I'm way too literal, I guess. (Spoiler alert: the title is The Bee on the Comb. Thank you, Google!) But the illustrations are beautiful and surreal, and the text includes lots of unusual, wonderful words Iike quicksilver, gamekeeper, carnelian, chrysalis, coppice, counterpane, flagon, and tortoiseshell. It was also fun searching for the tiny hidden animal in each picture, but I'm not even very good at that.

[Nora Cayetano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuando era más pequeña e iba a visitar a mis abuelitos maternos me gustaba rebuscar en uno de sus libreros, siempre con la esperanza de volver a dar con este libro.
Ni mis primas ni yo comprendíamos si las ilustraciones estaban tratando de contar una historia o no, pero nos embebíamos en sus detalles y pronto nos encontrabámos relatando nuestros propios cuentos. Tras años de no haber podido dar con esta obra, me agrada ya saber su nombre y su autor. No sé qué ocurrió con el ejemplar que había en casa de los abuelos, pero espero pronto poder tener mi propia copia. Creo que fue en su peculiar lectura donde se comenzó a denotar lo mucho que me gustaba inventar y contar historias.
A ver si luego releo sus páginas y descubro los secretos que de niña no pude comprender.

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and strange.... but nightmare fodder for the very young (bees coming out of mouths; heads of dwarves plucked off; lion eats the London Symphony Orchestra; Spring is killed and flowers sprout out of her prone body)... best save it for an age where metaphors make sense and nightmares are self-soothed.

Will be looking into other books by this author, certainly.

[Michelle Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure what I just read, but the art was interesting.

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Luis Castro]

I know the secret of the book.

[James Schlichter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations.

[Meg ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful short story and illustrations

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a rather unusual idea, an untitled book with a prize awarded by the author for someone who, having read the book, in his opinion after a year and a day from publication can produce an appropriate title 'without using the written word'. I would have been completely unable to have done this but I did envisage a title as I read the book and, although it does not match 'The bee on the Comb', which I can only presume was the author's chosen title, I did get one of the words correct!

The story is of Ambrose, the beekeeper with the characters of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, in human form, flitting in and out as the seasons changed in a rather surreal tale. There is Summer's lion, who causes havoc by his actions, Autumn delivering a long speech, Winter giving a speech that begins 'Death is my servant rattling at your door' while Spring busied herself among the wild flowers that were preparing to blossom.

Ambrose has a cat named Trafalgar, who makes fleeting appearances and the bees take centre stage in their hive and as the book ends Ambrose thinks he hears a murmur from within the hive that declares 'Summer izz as Summer duzz'.

The illustrations are very good and they lift the rather odd tale by one star.

[Alice]

Talk about not giving a book a chance...I couldn't even give it a chance. Why did I even pick it up, well I was organizing our libraries WIL and this was there. I thought the title was "Kit Williams" I looked around trying to find a title, but then I read the back. I thought the premise of having reader guess the book title was clever, so I wanted to give it a try. I was 3 sentences later I was SO bored, I couldn't muster the strength to read it. The pictures are a tad creepy but the cover is awesome. I like the wood detail but if I am not hooked by the first page, then...I am bored and I am just dropping this in the ....blah blah section!

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations that could all be framed to adorn the walls. The story was written in a beautiful old fashioned quality, which doesn't appeal to most children. Reads like a long poem that your high school English teacher would make you dissect to find its true meaning. If you find pleasure in doing that, this is the book for you.

[Sharon Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up a couple of years ago at a second-hand charity shop as I was drawn to the illustrations. I knew nothing about the book or the puzzle aspect to it at the time. I love the artwork.

[AE Michels · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not as good a story as Masquerade, but the illustrations are equally gorgeous and the riddle is presumably easier--though still far beyond my wits.

The true title is available online with a bit of searching if one doesn't want to solve the riddle...or can't...

[Marissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marty Feldman eyes aside, Kit Williams is a brilliant and creative illustrator/woodcarver/author. I have the earlier, untitled version of this book and really dig the details of the illustrations.

[Michael Earp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good, despite being rather wordy for what appears to be a picture book.

[Sonja Trbojevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful book!

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kit Williams is one of my favorite artists. Beautiful artwork and intriguing story. Always love a treasure hunt.