Book dreams of clouds. She wakes up, looks at her hands, and branches grow from her head like thoughts.

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Book of 19 Nocturnes is a fully illustrated, 500-page, inter-genre fantasy. The phantasmagorical tale follows the wandering mind and feet of a woman made of wood, named Book, who befriends monsters as she navigates a lonely, labyrinthine realm. Book’s story unfolds with a surrealistic, dream-logic, set in the forests and mountains of a world where the sun never rises. Defying easy categorization, this story blends elements of graphic novels, dream diaries, field journals, prose poetry and illustrated fairytales. It is akin to an illuminated manuscript or a grimoire—a magical book. Night-owl / artist / author Jim Holyoak wrote and drew the book over 19+ years, often during his perambulations in the wilds of Scandinavia, British Columbia, and the Himalayas. It is meant to be read over the course of 19 nights.

* Best viewed in colour on an iPad or larger.

* Audiobook also available.

Published by www.flaskpublishing.com

Artist website: www.monstersforreal.com

“A tentative, uncertain, and vaguely autobiographical odyssey, Book of 19 Nocturnes tells a story of wandering, a search for belonging, that ultimately results in the discovery of one’s own very intimate otherness. At the intersection of Lewis Caroll, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Guillermo del Toro, this travel narrative draws heterogenous, aeonic memories of Earth’s deep time into a monstrous, supernatural and dreamlike universe. As in a post-humanist dream, trees show off their capacity for reason, sensitive matter mingles with the living, species fuse into complex hybrids that defy classification. In the form of a tale, Holyoak reveals a twilight world where ‘reality,’ merging with dreams and diverging from appearances, becomes a fleeting concept, intelligible only through a differed or displaced gaze. In this sense, Book of 19 Nocturnes echoes a long line of philosophical interrogations of the real, whether the latter be cosmic, quantum, or metaphysical.” – Gentiane Bélanger, Art historian and director/curator of Foreman Art Gallery at Bishop’s University

“What a journey. Epic in scale and ambition. It conjures an evocative and emotional spell. It’s also a grand love letter to the misfits, the monsters, the outcasts. It reminds us that the world is wondrous because of the diversity of the living things that inhabit it, and that this diversity is largely defined by the outliers, the weirdos, and the one-offs at its edges. Book’s story reads as a journey of self-realization about the fact that being different is, in many ways, a more vibrant form of existence than for those who have never had to search for where they belong. A powerful, elegiac work." – Henry Lien, author of ‘Peasprout Chen: Future Legend of Skate and Sword’

“What sets Holyoak’s work apart from many other contemporary artists’ books is the meticulous craftsmanship with which it’s created: hundreds of pages, entirely handmade, drawn, and written with dedication and exceptional attention to detail. This approach brings Book of 19 Nocturnes close to the works of William Blake. It’s easy to get lost in this dreamlike world of chthonic entities. Naturally, it tells a story of searching for one’s place in the world. Among the universal literary themes described by Jorge Luis Borges, the theme of the search most closely aligns with the essence of artistic process—the wonderings and explorations through which artists often find their hidden, suppressed, or long-lost identities. In Holyoak’s case, this identity is astonishingly romantic, infused with a love for the supernatural and inhuman life. As he tells the story of Book, the heroine in search of herself, the artist’s love and affection for each character becomes evident, shining through the dark, gothic imagery. This love is in the details—in the way he accepts and carefully portrays even the most peculiar lifeforms. After all, this is a dark fairy tale, and only empathetic people tell such stories, which require rich imagination and openness to the unknown to be told without falling into violence and misanthropy.” – Egor Buimister, artist and writer, BLOOME Magazine

For fans of authors like: Haruki Murakami, Ursula K. Le Guin, John Gardner, Tove Jansson, Jorge Luis Borges, Tim Burton, Ted Hughes, Lewis Caroll, and Ovid.

For fans of visual artists like: William Blake, Maurice Sendak, Lynda Barry, Li Keran, Hayao Miyazaki, Tim Burton, Ralph Steadman, Theodor Kittelsen, and Arthur Rackham.