Reviews
[Shapton's] book tells the story of a hopeful young New York couple and their four-year relationship almost completely through their things, many of which end up unceremoniously, and improbably, under the gavel: books, pajamas, bedside lamps, a stuffed squirrel, an astrakhan coat, the winning half of a wishbone and lots of notes, inscriptions and e-mail messages that start out giddy and become slowly more complicated, angry and sorrowful. If there were a real failed-relationship auction house named Strachan & Quinn, where the sale is supposed to take place on Valentine's Day, the event might actually draw a modest crowd, if only because the fictional Hal Morris, a globe-trotting photographer in his early 40s, and Lenore Doolan, who is presented as a late-20s cake columnist for The Times's Dining section, are generally more meticulous than conspicuous in their consumption., Important Artifacts . . . from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris may look like an everyday auction catalog. But the auction itself is a literary conceit: What this book-type object really does is show us the trajectory of a failed four-year relationship -- by showing us the physical detritus that two (fictional) lovers leaver in their wake. Conceived and executed by the art director of the New York Times Op-Ed page, Leanne Shapton, the story concerns Lenore Doolan (a food writer for the Times) and Hal Morris (a photographer). Doolan appears to have been a clever and adoring girlfriend, who showered the often-absent Morris with confetti-packed envelopes (LOT 1126) and lavender pajamas (LOT 1061). Morris, who had commitment issues and a drinking problem, expressed himself via mixtapes (LOTS 1276 and 1044). What finally drove them apart? Each of the 331 lots provides another piece of the puzzle. Yes, breaking up is hard to do, but reading about it has never been so pleasurable., Whenever I come across something of Leanne Shapton's--an illustration in The New York Times, or the wooden books she makes--I feel like I have found a hidden treasure. What a great idea--to create a fake auction catalog. It's so original, and the items are perfect and brilliantly displayed. Shapton thought of every detail. I truly am jealous., "Taken together, the item descriptions provide a running, cumulative portrait of one couple's glorious rise and deflating fall. . . For people who have ever thought that the little gestures, tokens and inside jokes of their relationships were unique to them, Ms. Shapton's book comes as a poignant, jarring reminder of the sameness of the steps that so many couples retrace. . . Despite the mist of melancholy that floats amid this photographic record, there is also humor, caprice, knowingness and the implicit suggestion that changing feelings and fading possessions can't rob a true romance of the value it had at its height. As Lenore and Hal's remembrances show, a love affair is worth more than its trappings could fetch at a jumble sale." -Liesl Schillinger, The New York Times " Important Artifacts . . . from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris may look like an everyday auction catalog. But the auction itself is a literary conceit: What this book-type object really does is show us the trajectory of a failed four-year relationship - by showing us the physical detritus that two (fictional) lovers leaver in their wake. "Conceived and executed by the art director of the New York Times Op-Ed page, Leanne Shapton, the story concerns Lenore Doolan (a food writer for the Times ) and Hal Morris (a photographer). Doolan appears to have been a clever and adoring girlfriend, who showered the often-absent Morris with confetti-packed envelopes (LOT 1126) and lavender pajamas (LOT 1061). Morris, who had commitment issues and a drinking problem, expressed himself via mixtapes (LOTS 1276 and 1044). What finally drove them apart? Each of the 331 lots provides another piece of the puzzle. Yes, breaking up is hard to do, but reading about it has never been so pleasurable." - Very Short List "[Shapton''s] book tells the story of a hopeful young New York couple and their four-year relationship almost completely through their things, many of which end up unceremoniously, and improbably, under the gavel: books, pajamas, bedside lamps, a stuffed squirrel, an astrakhan coat, the winning half of a wishbone and lots of notes, inscriptions and e-mail messages that start out giddy and become slowly more complicated, angry and sorrowful. "If there were a real failed-relationship auction house named Strachan & Quinn, where the sale is supposed to take place on Valentine's Day, the event might actually draw a modest crowd, if only because the fictional Hal Morris, a globe-trotting photographer in his early 40s, and Lenore Doolan, who is presented as a late-20s cake columnist for The Times's Dining section, are generally more meticulous than conspicuous in their consumption." - Randy Kennedy, The New York Times "The task is daunting: How to render the dissolution of a relationship in a new way? Leanne Shapton succeeds against all odds with this wildly romantic and erudite book." -Dave Eggers, What is the What "Leanne Shapton's splendid book is completely sensational and over-the-top great. I am nuts about it. This is the stuff of life, literally. Oh, love. Oh, despair. Oh, stolen salt shakers."-Maira Kalman, The Principles of Uncertainty "Whenever I come across something of Leanne Shapton's-an illustration in The New York Times, or the wooden books she makes-I feel like I have found a hidden treasure. What a great idea-to create a fake auction catalog. It's so original, and the items are perfect and brilliantly displayed. Shapton thought of every detail. I truly am jealous."-Amy Sedaris, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, Taken together, the item descriptions provide a running, cumulative portrait of one couple's glorious rise and deflating fall. . . For people who have ever thought that the little gestures, tokens and inside jokes of their relationships were unique to them, Ms. Shapton's book comes as a poignant, jarring reminder of the sameness of the steps that so many couples retrace. . . Despite the mist of melancholy that floats amid this photographic record, there is also humor, caprice, knowingness and the implicit suggestion that changing feelings and fading possessions can't rob a true romance of the value it had at its height. As Lenore and Hal's remembrances show, a love affair is worth more than its trappings could fetch at a jumble sale., Conceived and executed by the art director of the New York Times Op-Ed page, Leanne Shapton, the story concerns Lenore Doolan (a food writer for the Times ) and Hal Morris (a photographer). Doolan appears to have been a clever and adoring girlfriend, who showered the often-absent Morris with confetti-packed envelopes (LOT 1126) and lavender pajamas (LOT 1061). Morris, who had commitment issues and a drinking problem, expressed himself via mixtapes (LOTS 1276 and 1044). What finally drove them apart? Each of the 331 lots provides another piece of the puzzle. Yes, breaking up is hard to do, but reading about it has never been so pleasurable., Leanne Shapton's splendid book is completely sensational and over-the-top great. I am nuts about it. This is the stuff of life, literally. Oh, love. Oh, despair. Oh, stolen salt shakers., "Taken together, the item descriptions provide a running, cumulative portrait of one couple's glorious rise and deflating fall. . . For people who have ever thought that the little gestures, tokens and inside jokes of their relationships were unique to them, Ms. Shapton's book comes as a poignant, jarring reminder of the sameness of the steps that so many couples retrace. . . Despite the mist of melancholy that floats amid this photographic record, there is also humor, caprice, knowingness and the implicit suggestion that changing feelings and fading possessions can't rob a true romance of the value it had at its height. As Lenore and Hal's remembrances show, a love affair is worth more than its trappings could fetch at a jumble sale." -Liesl Schillinger, The New York Times " Important Artifacts . . . from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris may look like an everyday auction catalog. But the auction itself is a literary conceit: What this book-type object really does is show us the trajectory of a failed four-year relationship - by showing us the physical detritus that two (fictional) lovers leaver in their wake. "Conceived and executed by the art director of the New York Times Op-Ed page, Leanne Shapton, the story concerns Lenore Doolan (a food writer for the Times ) and Hal Morris (a photographer). Doolan appears to have been a clever and adoring girlfriend, who showered the often-absent Morris with confetti-packed envelopes (LOT 1126) and lavender pajamas (LOT 1061). Morris, who had commitment issues and a drinking problem, expressed himself via mixtapes (LOTS 1276 and 1044). What finally drove them apart? Each of the 331 lots provides another piece of the puzzle. Yes, breaking up is hard to do, but reading about it has never been so pleasurable." - Very Short List "[Shapton''s] book tells the story of a hopeful young New York couple and their four-year relationship almost completely through their things, many of which end up unceremoniously, and improbably, under the gavel: books, pajamas, bedside lamps, a stuffed squirrel, an astrakhan coat, the winning half of a wishbone and lots of notes, inscriptions and e-mail messages that start out giddy and become slowly more complicated, angry and sorrowful. "If there were a real failed-relationship auction house named Strachan & Quinn, where the sale is supposed to take place on Valentine's Day, the event might actually draw a modest crowd, if only because the fictional Hal Morris, a globe-trotting photographer in his early 40s, and Lenore Doolan, who is presented as a late-20s cake columnist for The Times's Dining section, are generally more meticulous than conspicuous in their consumption." - Randy Kennedy, The New York Times "The task is daunting: How to render the dissolution of a relationship in a new way? Leanne Shapton succeeds against all odds with this wildly romantic and erudite book." -Dave Eggers, What is the What "Leanne Shapton's splendid book is completely sensational and over-the-top great. I am nuts about it. This is the stuff of life, literally. Oh, love. Oh, despair. Oh, stolen salt shakers."-Maira Kalman, The Principles of Uncertainty "Whenever I come across something of Leanne Shapton's-an illustration in The New York Times, or the wooden books she makes-I feel like I have found a hidden treasure. What a great idea-to create a fake auction catalog. It's so original, and the items are perfect and brilliantly displayed. Shapton thought of every detail. I truly am jealous."-Amy Sedaris, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, If there were a real failed-relationship auction house named Strachan & Quinn, where the sale is supposed to take place on Valentine's Day, the event might actually draw a modest crowd, if only because the fictional Hal Morris, a globe-trotting photographer in his early 40s, and Lenore Doolan, who is presented as a late-20s cake columnist for The Times's Dining section, are generally more meticulous than conspicuous in their consumption., The task is daunting: How to render the dissolution of a relationship in a new way? Leanne Shapton succeeds against all odds with this wildly romantic and erudite book., "Taken together, the item descriptions provide a running, cumulative portrait of one couple's glorious rise and deflating fall. . . For people who have ever thought that the little gestures, tokens and inside jokes of their relationships were unique to them, Ms. Shapton's book comes as a poignant, jarring reminder of the sameness of the steps that so many couples retrace. . . Despite the mist of melancholy that floats amid this photographic record, there is also humor, caprice, knowingness and the implicit suggestion that changing feelings and fading possessions can't rob a true romance of the value it had at its height. As Lenore and Hal's remembrances show, a love affair is worth more than its trappings could fetch at a jumble sale." -- Liesl Schillinger, The New York Times "Important Artifacts . . . from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris may look like an everyday auction catalog. But the auction itself is a literary conceit: What this book-type object really does is show us the trajectory of a failed four-year relationship -- by showing us the physical detritus that two (fictional) lovers leaver in their wake. Conceived and executed by the art director of the New York Times Op-Ed page, Leanne Shapton, the story concerns Lenore Doolan (a food writer for the Times) and Hal Morris (a photographer). Doolan appears to have been a clever and adoring girlfriend, who showered the often-absent Morris with confetti-packed envelopes (LOT 1126) and lavender pajamas (LOT 1061). Morris, who had commitment issues and a drinking problem, expressed himself via mixtapes (LOTS 1276 and 1044). What finally drove them apart? Each of the 331 lots provides another piece of the puzzle. Yes, breaking up is hard to do, but reading about it has never been so pleasurable." -- Very Short List "[Shapton's] book tells the story of a hopeful young New York couple and their four-year relationship almost completely through their things, many of which end up unceremoniously, and improbably, under the gavel: books, pajamas, bedside lamps, a stuffed squirrel, an astrakhan coat, the winning half of a wishbone and lots of notes, inscriptions and e-mail messages that start out giddy and become slowly more complicated, angry and sorrowful. If there were a real failed-relationship auction house named Strachan & Quinn, where the sale is supposed to take place on Valentine's Day, the event might actually draw a modest crowd, if only because the fictional Hal Morris, a globe-trotting photographer in his early 40s, and Lenore Doolan, who is presented as a late-20s cake columnist for The Times's Dining section, are generally more meticulous than conspicuous in their consumption." -- Randy Kennedy, The New York Times "The task is daunting: How to render the dissolution of a relationship in a new way? Leanne Shapton succeeds against all odds with this wildly romantic and erudite book." -- Dave Eggers, What is the What "Leanne Shapton's splendid book is completely sensational and over-the-top great. I am nuts about it. This is the stuff of life, literally. Oh, love. Oh, despair. Oh, stolen salt shakers." -- Maira Kalman, The Principles of Uncertainty "Whenever I come across something of Leanne Shapton's--an illustration in The New York Times, or the wooden books she makes--I feel like I have found a hidden treasure. What a great idea--to create a fake auction catalog. It's so original, and the items are perfect and brilliantly displayed. Shapton thought of every detail. I truly am jealous." -- Amy Sedaris, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, "The task is daunting: How to render the dissolution of a relationship in a new way? Leanne Shapton succeeds against all odds with this wildly romantic and erudite book." -Dave Eggers,What is the What "Leanne Shapton's splendid book is completely sensational and over-the-top great. I am nuts about it. This is the stuff of life, literally. Oh, love. Oh, despair. Oh, stolen salt shakers."-Maira Kalman,The Principles of Uncertainty"Whenever I come across something of Leanne Shapton's-an illustration inThe New York Times,or the wooden books she makes-I feel like I have found a hidden treasure. What a great idea-to create a fake auction catalog. It's so original, and the items are perfect and brilliantly displayed. Shapton thought of every detail. I truly am jealous."-Amy Sedaris,I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, "Taken together, the item descriptions provide a running, cumulative portrait of one couple's glorious rise and deflating fall. . . For people who have ever thought that the little gestures, tokens and inside jokes of their relationships were unique to them, Ms. Shapton's book comes as a poignant, jarring reminder of the sameness of the steps that so many couples retrace. . . Despite the mist of melancholy that floats amid this photographic record, there is also humor, caprice, knowingness and the implicit suggestion that changing feelings and fading possessions can't rob a true romance of the value it had at its height. As Lenore and Hal's remembrances show, a love affair is worth more than its trappings could fetch at a jumble sale." -Liesl Schillinger,The New York Times "Important Artifacts . . . from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morrismaylooklike an everyday auction catalog. But the auction itself is a literary conceit: What this book-type object really does is show us the trajectory of a failed four-year relationship - by showing us the physical detritus that two (fictional) lovers leaver in their wake. "Conceived and executed by the art director of theNew York TimesOp-Ed page, Leanne Shapton, the story concerns Lenore Doolan (a food writer for theTimes) and Hal Morris (a photographer). Doolan appears to have been a clever and adoring girlfriend, who showered the often-absent Morris with confetti-packed envelopes (LOT 1126) and lavender pajamas (LOT 1061). Morris, who had commitment issuesanda drinking problem, expressed himself via mixtapes (LOTS 1276 and 1044). What finally drove them apart? Each of the 331 lots provides another piece of the puzzle. Yes, breaking up is hard to do, but reading about it has never been so pleasurable." -Very Short List "[Shapton's] book tells the story of a hopeful young New York couple and their four-year relationship almost completely through their things, many of which end up unceremoniously, and improbably, under the gavel: books, pajamas, bedside lamps, a stuffed squirrel, an astrakhan coat, the winning half of a wishbone and lots of notes, inscriptions and e-mail messages that start out giddy and become slowly more complicated, angry and sorrowful. "If there were a real failed-relationship auction house named Strachan & Quinn, where the sale is supposed to take place on Valentine's Day, the event might actually draw a modest crowd, if only because the fictional Hal Morris, a globe-trotting photographer in his early 40s, and Lenore Doolan, who is presented as a late-20s cake columnist for The Times's Dining section, are generally more meticulous than conspicuous in their consumption." - Randy Kennedy,The New York Times "The task is daunting: How to render the dissolution of a relationship in a new way? Leanne Shapton succeeds against all odds with this wildly romantic and erudite book." -Dave Eggers,What is the What "Leanne Shapton's splendid book is completely sensational and over-the-top great. I am nuts about it. This is the stuff of life, literally. Oh, love. Oh, despair. Oh, stolen salt shakers."-Maira Kalman,The Principles of Uncertainty "Whenever I come across something of Leanne Shapton's-an illustration inThe New York Times,or the wooden books she makes-I feel like I have found a hidden treasure. What a great idea-to create a fake auction catalog. It's so original, and the items are perfect and brilliantly displayed. Shapton thoug
