He restored the cunning, fierce, or astute mask, used in the same manner as any other disguise, so that Janus's inner face would emerge as the reflection of the marked features, the reverse of the simulated expression: a cat, a jaguar, a turkey. That is why Grandville's work is 'hieroglyphic' and must be deciphered as an obelisk.
(Le Buffon de l'humanité, Robert de Montesquiou)
(Le Buffon de l'humanité, Robert de Montesquiou)
The crooking journey of Spiritual Meaning of the Massacres is nearing its end. Thus we announce its penultimate embodiment, the third chapbook of the series: Grandville.
In a book of posthumous prose, entitled meaningly El mundo de los sueños (The world of dreams), there is an intriguing essay by the great Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío (1867-1916) dedicated to the fantastic, dreamlike and disturbing universe of the French cartoonist and illustrator J. J. Grandville (1803-1847), whose simple title is Grandville. The result is not only the analysis of the work of a creative and daring illustrator, but the intricate cartography of a dream territory that, at the beginning of the 21st century, is still awaiting other pioneers. The brief prose-poetic treatise by Darío (translated directly from the Spanish source) is followed by three stories, unpublished creations: Ramon Lasalle’s “The Collection”, Alcebiades Diniz Miguel’s “In the Chapel of Bones” and Thomas Strømsholt’s “Reading in the Absence of the Text: Notes on the Spiritual Meaning of the Massacres”.
A volume with 6.1 x 9 in (155 x 230 mm), 35 pages with colorful illustrations, for US$ 30.00 (plus US$ 9.00 for the postage worldwide), in a very limited (will be only 32 copies), luxuriant edition, printed in the Buchmanufaktur, at Switzerland.
The Grandville pre-sales campaign begins today, January 17, 2018, and the chapbook will be shipped around 28th of February. More informations, see our Catalogue.
In a book of posthumous prose, entitled meaningly El mundo de los sueños (The world of dreams), there is an intriguing essay by the great Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío (1867-1916) dedicated to the fantastic, dreamlike and disturbing universe of the French cartoonist and illustrator J. J. Grandville (1803-1847), whose simple title is Grandville. The result is not only the analysis of the work of a creative and daring illustrator, but the intricate cartography of a dream territory that, at the beginning of the 21st century, is still awaiting other pioneers. The brief prose-poetic treatise by Darío (translated directly from the Spanish source) is followed by three stories, unpublished creations: Ramon Lasalle’s “The Collection”, Alcebiades Diniz Miguel’s “In the Chapel of Bones” and Thomas Strømsholt’s “Reading in the Absence of the Text: Notes on the Spiritual Meaning of the Massacres”.
A volume with 6.1 x 9 in (155 x 230 mm), 35 pages with colorful illustrations, for US$ 30.00 (plus US$ 9.00 for the postage worldwide), in a very limited (will be only 32 copies), luxuriant edition, printed in the Buchmanufaktur, at Switzerland.
The Grandville pre-sales campaign begins today, January 17, 2018, and the chapbook will be shipped around 28th of February. More informations, see our Catalogue.
The opinion of our readers
Golden Age of Clairvoyance
"Well I have received the books today and I had certain high expectations and I must say such high expectations were well exceeded. The selectivity of the authors as I may have mentioned before (both individually and in combination) and translations are impeccable. The book design is exquisite and enhances the holistic reading experience (by way of comparison, on first seeing the books I had the same sense of elation when I had received my first Sylph Edition Cahiers a few years ago)."
(Andrew Condous)
(Andrew Condous)
"The books look really nice - I'm especially liking the full-color images inside. Very good design."
(Damian Murphy)
(Damian Murphy)
"The chapbooks are beautiful. Well done! Equally engaging for the eye and mind."
(Rachel Kinbar)
(Rachel Kinbar)
"The initial print-run of all three is, of course, low, so any interested readers should make a quick decision; because I do hope Raphus continue on their path of intriguing little translations of the recovered uncanny and esoteric."
(Mark Andresen at Pan Review)
(Mark Andresen at Pan Review)
The great weird and fantastic connoisseur, Des Lewis, made an insightful review of Black Mirror, the second chapbook in the series, available in this link.
Spiritual Meaning of the Massacres
"Many thanks for sending me a copy of The Mendicant. It really looks rather good – a bit like one of the books you read about in short stories that start off ‘Beware if you read these words... too late!"
(Stephen Cashmore)
(Stephen Cashmore)
"It's a marvelous production, and it's great that you have resurrected the remarkable title piece. I also enjoyed the pamphlet (...). Long may Raphus Press reign!"
(Chris Mikul)
(Chris Mikul)
"I am absolutely delighted with them [The Mendicant of the Books and The Sacred Abysmal Perspective]! They are both true examples of true and original creative philosophical ingenuity, originality and also design. They are fantastickal chapbooks and it is an equal delight to have been able to contribute and to assist in other ways. Although I saw the proofed editions when you e-mailed them to me, now that they are in my hands, they veritably glow and crackle and weep with their malign embers.
I shall take myself off on a sacred journey this weekend, like the early priests going to Tibet, and will immerse myself in the deep folds and ravines these chapbooks open up."
(Jonathan Wood)
I shall take myself off on a sacred journey this weekend, like the early priests going to Tibet, and will immerse myself in the deep folds and ravines these chapbooks open up."
(Jonathan Wood)