(Martin Parr)This book sat on my wishlist for ages until my wife finally got it for me. I can understand the reluctance to purchase this; Who wants to watch someone open a present and then proudly declare, "Yes, it was me who got you boring postcards!" Likewise, if you were flipping through this book at a bookstore, you probably wouldn't be surprised to find out that this book is exactly what it says it is: A book full of boring postcards, mostly from 50's and 60's England. This sure sounds tedious, but I found myself amused, even charmed - who in thier right mind decided people wanted postcards of hospital cafeterias, rooms at motor lodges, and most mind-boggingly, airport parking lots? Did anybody buy these? Non-ironically? I can't imagine sending one of these - Dear wife, really enjoying this parking lot, wish you were here.
Reading through the Amazon reviews, apparently some British readers were struck with nostalgia for a time when England was rebuilding itself after World War 2 and had bright hopes for the future; I don't have any of that, so I was just trying to come to grips with who in their right mind would make a postcard out of the living room at an invalid home.
Grade: A
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