Bibliophilia: 100 Literary Postcards

I was looking to personalize my home decor and decided to get these postcards (along with a frame also bought on Amazon) to display near my reading nook. As other reviewers have commented, the designs and quotes are a bit 'dark', so maybe don't send these out for Christmas :-D I loved the illustrations, but I am not the biggest fan of the quotes (not the most famous ones). These will make for a good gift for fans of philosophy - Nietzsche, Kant, Hume.

"Do I dare disturb the universe? ~ T.S. Eliot. "There is no denying the wild horse in us" ~ Virginia Woolf. "Occasionally, words must serve to obscure the facts." ~ Niccolo Machiavelli. Here are 50 postcards in duplicate, totaling a hundred, featuring quotes from recognized authors and black-and-white drawings meant to accentuate the mood. As a Postcrosser, I love having these cards since they speak directly to Postcrossing recipients who ask for literary quotes and book recommendations. It is a lovely nicety that the quotes are attributed on the address side of the card (for example, that Va. Woolf quotation comes from JACOB'S ROOM, 1922).The cards are sturdy and of standard size (postage is currently thirty-five cents within the USA; $1.20 anywhere else). The price is reasonable enough. A couple of remarks: these cards are in black-and-white ONLY. No color trim, not even the bronze edging that distinguishes the box that holds them. As for that monochrome artwork, some of the cards are brilliant in finding visual correlatives to the quote and author. For example, T.S. Eliot's existential plea is symbolized by a teapot; Machiavelli's typical cynicism portrays an outline of two men arm-in-arm--but look carefully beneath the "sash" that holds the words-veiling-facts quotation and you'll see that one is holding a pistol to the other. Sometimes, though, the graphics are sometimes so understated that I was reminded of Shirley Jackson's crack about her husband's students at Bennington College: "Their clothes were subdued, sometimes so much as to be invisible." But if you can stand the misfires, the cards that don't really work, there is much to recommend here.(Updated September 5, 2018)

...But sort of a hit or miss for everybody else. I personally love these cards, I love classic literature and I have a fairly crooked sense of humor, so I enjoy the cards even when they have quotes like "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free" or "What other dungeon is so dark as one's own heart" - and there are plenty more in the same vein. There are a few lighter ones, such as "Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience" or "All truths wait in all things", but a lot of the quotes chosen are ambiguous, or just witty, or a particular sentence used to represent an author's work overall "Do I dare disturb the universe?" is the one chosen for the T.S. Eliot card, and it is probably the most famous line of his most famous poem. The designs vary, some are very complicated to the point of looking messy, some are just a few strategic lines, while some are very neat.I bought these for postcrossing, but they probably are probably better put to use as wall art, or a gift for literary friends. The biggest dilemma I have with them is trying to find cards that have both nice art, and a quote that isn't too dark - when buying cards for postcrossing it is best to get some that different types of people will like, and these are pretty niche. Nice cards, but meant for a very specific customer.

I am an avid letter writer. These were perfect. My friends loved receiving these notes in the mail. The quality of the art work is nice. The card stock is solid. The selected quotes are poignant. Please note I said poignant. Don't buy these unless you're down for thought provoking, meaningful quotes. I could even see using these in an art project, like framing them or something. Anyways, yes, I love them.

I absolutely love these. It's a good mix of authors I have heard of before and new ones that I hope to now explore. I also did not understand originally that there are only 50 unique postcards and you just get doubles of them, but I like that a lot better than having 100 unique cards. This way, if I love one that I end up using, I have a backup. But I don't think that I'll ever be able to bring myself to use them; the art is just so beautiful I currently plan to just keep it on my bookshelf!

Okay, I REALLY like the simplicity of the cards. In their own way, I find them elegantly done and in incredible good taste. The card stock is of high quality, there are 2 sets of 50, which has been a common occurrence with 100 card box sets as of late, and the quotes chosen are all fairly well known and would be easily recognizable to most readers. My ONLY complaint is that I wish there were literature quotes of the later 20th century. While I am fond of the classics, it would have been nice to have a wider variety of literary influences. Also, a few done in more vibrant colors would have been a nice touch. BUT, postcard preferences are subjective - still a great purchase and will use them all!

These cards are great quality and the graphics chosen to go with the literary quotes are beautifully rendered. I purchased these cards to send to my wife with little notes. Since she's an English teacher, I figured she'd love them, and she does. The only reason I didn't give the cards five stars is that many of the quotes are a bit on the dark side, for lack of a better description. I suppose that is to be expected when you're quoting great literature - it won't all be uplifting and optimistic - but be aware when you order that not all the quotes will bring a smile to the face of the recipient, even if the quality of the cards and graphics will. Also plenty of writing space on the back, along with lines on the right panel for addressing the cards and a detailed attribution for the quote (author and book).

An amazing collection, beautiful illustrations, good quality

Schöne Auswahl mit sehr schöner Aufmachung. Sieht hochwertig aus und eignet sich super als Geschenk.

The artwork on these is lovely, as is the quality of the paper. Some of the quotes are stunningly beautiful, especially combined with the artwork, and are fine for most uses and recipients. The cover photo is an excellent example. However there are also some quotes that would require a very particular relationship between sender and recipient. If you’re looking for great postcards to send, this is an excellent start, just don’t be surprised if you decide that some aren’t right for you. Even having said that, I am glad to have bought this collection, and the recipients have enjoyed receiving them.

So worth it! The quotes (each one has duplicates - so 50 are unique), the artwork and the card stock are lovely. I would recommend this purchase to send to friends and family who are book lovers.

Die Dinger sind nicht sonderlich nach meinem Geschmack. Hab ich leider zu spät bemerkt. Sie sind größtenteils...braun und beige. Und die Zitate reichlich depressiv. Keine Ahnung, wen ich damit "beglücke". Eigentlich wollte ich sie fürs Postcrossing bestellen, aber naja., ich habe irgendwie ein schlechtes Gewissen, die zu verschicken. :D