Codex Seraphinianus: 40th Anniversary Edition

The art, the color, the special type of paper. All things I enjoyed but I had to return it because it arrived with bumped edges because it was mailed in a thinly padded envelope. The heavy size and cost, it should have been sent in a box or at minimum wrapped in a cardboard protector…even cheap books get this treatment. For $90 I wouldn’t accept the crushed corners. I called Amazon but no one cares.

This guy is incredible. His mind works in mysterious ways. Love it.

Our son absolutely loves this book. Shared with his buds and they all love it. And they’re all in their 30s.

Fabulous and interesting

Wayyyyy beyond expectations. Paper quality, illustrations, size. Everything! A great addition to my personal private collection of weird books. Thank you

(it's almost all) Pros: Beautiful book, has a slightly brighter, more colorful "Forbidden Planet" vibe that I really dig. It invokes the strange and mysterious and holds it all together with almost familiar elements that make it really interesting. Apparently it was written to invoke the feelings of a child who has not learned to read yet in adults who have long since forgotten that experience. The writing is indecipherable but familiar, welcoming, and seems to want to be understood. I enjoyed trying to interpret the pictures and the themes of what look like separate chapters. Not a lot of shadowy imagery (I usually go for the darker stuff), but more like an illustrated encyclopedia from a different world. The paper, the colors, the heft of the book...it's all very nice!If you are thinking about getting it, do so! It is almost half the retail price right now and if mine is any indicator, they finally quick gluing the slip cover piece to the front cover.Cons: It is an expensive book that is made to be enjoyed and shown off, and I was fortunate that mine arrived in great shape, but it was in a box big enough for it to get pretty banged up pretty easily if it had been handled just a little more roughly in delivery or been delayed in shipping and just banged around for longer. Others haven't been so lucky (see some other posts). This isn't to discourage you from buying it, if you are interested in it, it is probably for you. For the sellers/shippers/Amazon/whomever: The bags of air that were in the box with it might help a little, but for a pricier art book, bubble wrap in a box that fit more tightly would prevent some of the damage to the corners that some other customers have experienced. It doesn't need to be lead lined, just fit better.

I love everything about this book. Fun, vibrant, weird. Bigger than I was expecting. Very well made. The pages are like canvas. Bright colors. Not a single complaint. I almost wish I could buy it twice. Lol

Got this as a gift, and decided to also get myself one. It is super interesting and such great quality. It also looks amazing on my book shelf