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chairmanbernanke's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting details and a reasonable treatment of some great creators.
cclawson77's review
2.0
Some chapters terribly boring, others more interesting but wide ranging. An inconsistent mix.
carldietrich's review
2.0
At the beginning of "Creators," Paul Johnson asserts that God is the source of all human creativity. This claim, which of course can neither be proved nor disproved, means that the book's chapters merely tell how the author thinks creativity works, not why. Yes, an occasional insight appears like a comet in heavens. For example, Johnson argues that Picasso's "genius" arose from a twisted megalomania, that only his vision mattered. From that, Picasso changed art in the 20th century. I can ponder that thought. Yet Johnson's assertion that creativity is a mystery nursed in the bosom of the deity means that we mortals merely drink the milk. Maybe. But a god as cosmological genius gurgles in this reader's mind like gas bubbles in the stomach after the lactose intolerant eat bad cheese.
These chapters encompass short biographies, revealing facts about creators' lives and work. Johnson does this well. He acts as biographer, music critic, and historian when he delves into, for example, J.S. Bach's life and work. Bach came from a musical family and sired one. Johnson offers several works as evidence of Bach's brilliance, namely, "St. Matthew's Passion." The author discusses why this work compelled critics' and music lovers' attention then and does now. Thus, Johnson puts Bach into his time and ably argues for the composer's relevance today.
These features contribute to this book's sole strength. Johnson might have been well served with a term in Plato's academy or even the experience of ancient Greeks' frat party--a symposium. Then maybe he would've reasoned out why creativity happens. Frankly, readers would've been better served had the deity in which Johnson professes belief doused him with a stainless steel bucket of divine moo juice.
These chapters encompass short biographies, revealing facts about creators' lives and work. Johnson does this well. He acts as biographer, music critic, and historian when he delves into, for example, J.S. Bach's life and work. Bach came from a musical family and sired one. Johnson offers several works as evidence of Bach's brilliance, namely, "St. Matthew's Passion." The author discusses why this work compelled critics' and music lovers' attention then and does now. Thus, Johnson puts Bach into his time and ably argues for the composer's relevance today.
These features contribute to this book's sole strength. Johnson might have been well served with a term in Plato's academy or even the experience of ancient Greeks' frat party--a symposium. Then maybe he would've reasoned out why creativity happens. Frankly, readers would've been better served had the deity in which Johnson professes belief doused him with a stainless steel bucket of divine moo juice.
creechance's review
3.0
This is an interesting book in that it profiles interesting lives. However, it contains a lot of opinion and a quite a bit of what I found to be tangential.
lindseysparks's review
1.0
The author had a horrible habit of static g his opinion as fact. This was more of a collection of brief rambling bios of people he likes than something specific about creators. I was expecting something more about how/why these people created. Half of the time he started rambling about someone else entirely instead of the person the chapter was supposed to be about. I made it about halfway through, then started skimming and skipping around. Disappointing.
charityjohnson's review
4.0
Nearly finished. Enjoyable wandering through the centuries, I would have wished for more depth than reporting.
xenobio's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of wonderfully written bite-sized biographies. Ideal for reading in short spurts, like on the bus or before bed.
tlsouthard's review
3.0
3 1/2 stars. I don't know how I even came to read this book. What made me check it out of the library? I'm glad I did though. This book is probably read dipping into it a chapter at a time - rather than all at one go. Each essay stands on its own. Some of them are better than others.
This is NOT some straight-up history/biography of various "creators". This whole book is *Paul Johnson's* take on those creators. It's like discussing these people with someone who has spent some time *thinking* about these people. And then tells you what he thinks - not just the facts. That made it more enjoyable to me. I want the quotes or the stories or the gossip, even, about these people, not just Wikipedia facts.
Honestly, though, the book suffers from one thing - a lack of PICTURES. Especially in those chapters regarding the more visual arts. I spent a good bit of time looking up art by Durer, Hokusai, Tiffany, Balenciaga, etc. because while Johnson may know whereof he speaks *I* did not. A few pictures might have helped. But that's a minor quibble.
This is NOT some straight-up history/biography of various "creators". This whole book is *Paul Johnson's* take on those creators. It's like discussing these people with someone who has spent some time *thinking* about these people. And then tells you what he thinks - not just the facts. That made it more enjoyable to me. I want the quotes or the stories or the gossip, even, about these people, not just Wikipedia facts.
Honestly, though, the book suffers from one thing - a lack of PICTURES. Especially in those chapters regarding the more visual arts. I spent a good bit of time looking up art by Durer, Hokusai, Tiffany, Balenciaga, etc. because while Johnson may know whereof he speaks *I* did not. A few pictures might have helped. But that's a minor quibble.
candace1937's review against another edition
3.0
I had to read this book for my Creativity and the Origin of Ideas class. We had to pick one creator in the book and make a presentation on them. So I only read chapter 12 to do more research on T.S. Eliot. I really enjoy it, I can't wait to actually read some of his work one day. I might go back and read other chapters.