Pop up books, in my opinion, are the most charming invention ever. Each thick page reveals an upended paper structure of anything imaginable. Whoever first engineered the papers to become these magnificent creations is undeniably a genius. It’s about making books less-two dimensional and giving life to the stories (literally!). I never owned any but I remember reading them at the kindergarten where I went to. If I ever have children of my own one day, I’d give them as many interesting pop-up books to read, even though there’s a higher chance for them to prefer some innovative apps instead.
But for the time being, I only have to take account of my own reading needs. And finally, a few weekends back, I managed to pick up Kyle Bean’s Guide for the Unlucky to treat the child in me. This clearly turned out to be rather significant, mind you. The guide happened to be the first pop-up book for me to own. I can’t express how interestingly-crafted the book is, especially with its uncanny Edward Gorey-influenced aesthetics. Flipping through the pages was similar to hearing a strange-but-true story unfolding before your eyes. And true to its title, this book is a collection of superstitions and bad luck have-you-nots with a handful of tips to avoid unfortunate occurrences. I learnt a thing or two from here because as far as I’m concerned, I’m a little ‘stitious’ myself. There were infamous bad luck objects like being in the way of a black cat and opening an umbrella at home, but who’d knew that an inverted horseshoe or a clumsily-buttoned shirt could cause misfortune?
Below are some that I grew up believing in (but, of course, I no longer do now):
Umbrellas are known to bring misfortune if they’re opened indoors. I’d been taught of this when I was younger, and one of my aunts who helped raise me warned that snakes might come in and attack. Now that would scare any child to tears! The book says that umbrellas are predisposed to keep household guardian spirits at bay, thus leaving the vulnerable to be attacked by mortal sickness. Ironically, an umbrella may keep us from catching cold during the rain.
The full moon, despite its mysterious beauty, is often the scapegoat for many tragedies. I’d heard the same of the moon eclipse as well. To view a bright, full moon through a window is believed to bring bad luck. It’s not surprising seeing how the moon’s able to attract the tides and, uh, rouse the werewolves. Staying home during those moonlit nights might not be a bad idea after all.
The thought of birds accidentally flying into the house terrifies me. It reminds me of the many petrifying, wing-flapping-eyeball-pecking scenes from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. On top of that, I’m highly orniphobic. The guide states how certain birds, like magpies and crows, are bearers of bad news. Their unwanted presence in the house forewarns death and the sort. Remember Poe and his famous poem The Raven? That’s the “rapping” of death on the door, nevermore!
And there’s the black cat that’s so infamous for carrying black omen. Crossing their path may bring all sort of misfortune. Likewise, I’d been told over the years not to call out to stray black cats because they might be devils in disguise. I never took that advice simply because I’m particularly fond of the feline race. To reverse the luck apparently is to own one. If that is so, I’d love to adopt a Salem from the streets to be Charlie’s playmate.
I love that this pop-up gem deals with a subject that’s less sunny. Despite its dark thesis, the book is actually hilarious in a sly manner. I’m on the prowl for more pop-up creations from such genre, like this and this. I’d definitely recommend the book if you’re in the mood for something dark yet visually interesting to browse through. May luck be in your favor!
