Ammonite was published in the US in February 1993 and in the UK a month later. So today is (more or less) Ammonite‘s birthday. It’s sweet sixteen.
To celebrate, a Friend of AN has offered to buy three brand new copies of the trade paperback (cover, above), the one with the map and glossary etc. She have amazon.com send a copy to the first three people who ask for one in these comments. (We’ll do private email/address exchange later, off the blog.) You can ask for yourself or for a friend. We just want to send Ammonite out into the world to make new friends.
This was my first novel. It means a lot to me. If anyone is so inclined I’d like to hear what it means to you. Or what music you think goes well with it. Or what food. Or what other books (or parks, or holidays, or wine, or parties) remind you of Ammonite, or complement it in some way.
For those who haven’t read it, you can take a look at the beginning for free here on ShortCovers, or here on my website. Or you can listen to a couple of readings.
The first one is about eleven and a half minutes in which Marghe learns the true history of the original inhabitants of Jeep, the goth.
http://www.nicolagriffith.com/audio/player.swf
(direct link)
This one is nearly seven minutes of the scene where Marghe is in Ollfoss striking the gong, trying to make some decisions. If you haven’t read the book, it will make no sense at all (she said, heartlessly).
http://www.nicolagriffith.com/audio/player.swf
(direct link)
Enjoy.
Nicola Griffith 
I don’t want to take the copy from anyone who needs it– but I do want to say happy birthday! To a book. The internet is a funny place sometimes. Hooray!
I would *love* a copy! Love your writing, but have somehow never gotten to read Ammonite…
I have a copy for myself, but if no one else needs it more, I’ve got a friend in mind who would love it (and, frankly, needs to read it).This fantastic book comes to my mind at least twice every week; I read it a year ago. It helps put things into perspective sometimes, and I love to read it as I drink a good Shiraz. A full-bodied book needs a full-bodied wine..grin.
Well, I would love to read Ammonite. If the offer still stands a copy will be gratefully accepted by yours truly.
Congratulations on AMMONITE’S 16th birthday! (I already have my own copy.)
I’d love a copy! ;)
Cool. Everyone, keep asking. You never know, there may be more books to be had–at the very least we could add Ammonite to the travelling lending library.
Congratulations
Congratulations! I would love a copy…I’ve been wanting to read Ammonite for a long time now!
What it means to me is adventure,walk about,adversity, great fights, and one of the most completely developed characters I’ve ever read about. I simply fell in love with her. I gave my copy to my public library, because other people would love it too.
Congratulations on Ammonite’s 16th birthday!
Ammonite was/is a true original. Within it you were able to achieve the single sex society without ignoring that power struggles would still exist, and of course, a lot more.I think that the book is brilliant. Time will make it a classic. Just wish someone had the balls to make the movie!
Oooh, me too. Who would you cast?
Happy 16th birthday, Ammonite! To me, Ammonite refreshed a tradition of books envisioning and exploring the future we want to have and how we could get there by increasing our connection to each other and the world. It’s part of a vital conversation, and also a great story!
Ammonite is the best book I’ve ever read about a woman-ruled/inhabited world, and because I read your acknowledgments and began to search out books about the subject, I can honestly say that. I gave the book to my ex (who wasn’t my ex at the time) because I thought the relationships these women forged were so telling, so unique, so real, and because I dream about that planet. Lol. But congrats, and Happy Birthday to Ammonite. It is aging beautifully.
Also, can I say that, as a name for a planet, I find “Jeep” really compelling?
Ooh, happy belated birthday Ammonite! I am on page 336, and am obsessed with Uaithne’s Death Spirit character. I want to know what the hell’s going on in that red-head of hers!!Casting you say? I keep picturing Trinity (from Matrix, too lazy to go look up her real name) as Marghe. And Thenike, this one’s hard. She’s so beautifully put together, many different faces come to mind. I really love Danner’s character too, and I envision a young Sigourney Weaver-ished type of appearance. Y’know, outwardly strong, but not afraid to show the tender parts every once in awhile? And Uaithne? Oh, dear God. I don’t know that there’s a red-head that could pull that crazy feat off. :) Someone might have to bust out a wig!!And I’ve already told ya that I think Bjork’s “Hunter” and “All is Full of Love” would fit beautifully in there somewhere. But I know, I know….not a big fan. Phooey. :*(
<>shel<>, I don’t think enough people are imagining the future at the moment. Perhaps because, for many, it looks rather frightening. But imagine how much more scary it would look if McCain had won…<>jesmimi<>, well, I hope <>Ammonite<> had nothing to do with the ex-ness.<>mordicai<>, ha, I like Jeep, too. Of course, I also like Beaver, BV4, where Marghe had her face rearranged by Mirrors before the story on Jeep starts.<>realmcovet<>, I don’t know where Uaithne came from, but I remember being really, really startled the day I imagined her holding her bloody arms to the sky: it has begun! Gave me the shivers.
I remember Ammonite as the wondrous novel that I forced onto the San Francisco best seller list by hand selling it. When readers bought it, I offered a money-back return if they didn’t care for it. No one asked for their money back. They came to the bookstore to buy it for their friends.Ammonite is very close to my heart and always will be, as is NG herself.Congratulations. And happy birthday.
I”m a little late to the party on this one, but did want to chime in and say congratulations. Happy sweet sixteen.Been waiting for a clear headed thought to surface, but alas, it looks like it’ll be a long wait.But I can tell you (altho I probably have already) that I read Ammonite first. I loved it and immediately went back to Amazon and ordered every other book of yours that was offered at the time. I was a bit leery of the ‘mystery ‘label that TBP and STAY were getting, but I knew they knew they had to be worth reading if you had written them as well.Ammonite is the only book of yours that I haven’t read more than once. Time for a re-read.
<>anonymous<>, I owe you a drink. Two drinks. Name your poison.<>jennifer<>, if I recall correctly, it was <>Stay<> that really spoke to you. So I’d love to hear what you think of <>Ammonite<> when you reread. Thematically, I think you could say they’re similar: loss, and then turning to face a brighter future.
Well, STAY was the book that moved me so much to go looking for you. But AMMONITE was the first book of yours I read (I read them chronologically), and I was moved by it and knew immediately that you were a Great Writer. To tell you the truth, you made me feel the hard parts of it so much that I wasn’t eager to jump back in. But I think it’s been long enough.So it wasn’t just STAY by itself that prompted me to contact you – it was all of them. TBP and STAY are tied together in my mind, but it’s true that the way you handled the whole grieving thing in STAY blew me away/surprised me, and that was the clincher for me wanting to connect with you.
No, Ammonite had nothing to do with our breakup. Lol. The book giveaway that you mentioned in your post reminded me that I had given my copy of Ammonite away, who I gave it to, and that I need to order another one. So, it was a useful reminder.
I read it when it first came out, lost my copy somewhere over the years, so later bought the trade paperback copy. So no need for the free copy, but I do have a question: can we also, later, celebrate the sweet sixteen anniversary of its having one the James Tiptree, Jr. award?
<>jennifer<>, I’m glad you did get in touch.<>jesmimi<>, that’s a relief :)<>mel<>, are you kidding?! I’m the kind of person who celebrates everything: ooh, look, it’s raining, let’s have a drink; cool, the sun came out, let’s have a party… So, yes, absolutely, next year we’ll party for the Tiptree.
Okay, shira, janine, rory, mihaela-marija, jessica m, please send your name and addresss to me by tomorrow night:asknicola2 at nicolagriffith dot com
Sixteen years since Ammonite’s first pub? Fifteen since it won the Tiptree? Woah. Time flies.