...was a novel by
the American writer Patricia Highsmith enjoying high renown and large
following among European readers up to the present day.
A German society of
bibliophiles (Büchergilde Gutenberg) published a translation in 2012
(ISBN 978-3-7632-6458-2) commissioning an artist, Ms Alexandra
Rügler, to furnish 32 whole- and douple-page anaglyph drawings.
These gloomy and sometimes drastically cruel images are quite
remarkable in their expressiveness. From the stereographic view there
is a certain amount of ghosting in a few instances; I hardly care
about that phenomenon but a purist might be put off. In general there
is little depth. A number of drawings has the 3D effect extended only
to part of the image, while the foreground is in 3D the background is
not ? or the other way round. In such cases the effects may be
justifiable for artistic reasons.
Printed books in 3D
are quite rare nowadays. Most of the copies in my library are pieces
of 19th century information (in journals) or juvenile
subjects (dinosaurs!) or female beauty or technical instruction (a
manual on the military use of stereographical aerial photography).
The German Ripley book is my first example of literary 3D
illustration.
If you don't know
the book here is THE PLOT: A young American good-for-nothing is so
bitterly disappointed at not gaining access to the friendship of a
painter that at the whim of a second he kills him while sailing with
him in the Mediterranean. To avoid being detected but to his own
dismay he then has to kill another man. Trying to cover up his crimes
he assumes the identity of his first victim but then changes back to
his own life. In the end he gets away with his schemes, successfully
forges his first victim's last will and becomes well-to-do. The
action takes place in France and Italy mostly.
J. V.