over the top

I met a very sweet man in Montreux. I was looking in windows of shops, and this one caught my eye. I knew that it was a bindery! and the door was open! So I went and asked if I could come in. This sweet man welcomed me in, and we established that I did not speak French, and that he in turn did not speak English. Luckily I was with Isabelle, Veronique's lovely sister, who translated for us.

Through Izzy we talked about types of binding, and general book making all over the world. In his opinion Americans and Latins make over the top flashy books, and French, German and Swiss make simple straight forward books. He said, "no one wants to let the book speak for itself. The book should speak for itself."

I agree. It's like a good meal. Really good fresh ingredients, minimal but excellent care, make for a really good meal. Same with a good book. Really quality materials, minimal but expert execution, make for a good book. Nothing over the top, the book can do all the talking

I was glad to have met him. If I was in Switzerland I could go apprentice with him. Wouldn't that be cool?