Take a photo of a barcode or cover
inacaps 's review for:
The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh
by Vincent van Gogh
Writing a review not as a critique of the book but as a way to invite more people to read Van Gogh's letters. The prose alone deserves merit! :D
This was an enjoyable and ennobling read. Learned some new things about Van Gogh, and I feel like I scratched the surface a bit by reading this compilation of letters. There's really much much more than meets the eye; the word "complex" doesn't even begin to describe Van Gogh. Eccentric? Insane? Obsessive? What I'm sure of is that while these labels are simplistic, they are helpful in understanding his facets, so he can be understood in his entirety (which is extremely daunting!).
1. He wasn't merely "insane." His letters to his brother offer an almost opposing viewpoint. He was almost always led by principle, and it was deviation from principle that unsettled him. He was radically human in his attempt to make sense of his feelings, he was almost hyper self-aware and that often caused him distress.
2. God, was he obsessive. He was obsessive with women, with love, with family, with friendship, with literature, with art. I had to struggle through his letters about his early obsession with God; let's just say that he was a much better artist than preacher. He was obsessive in his many facets, and I guess that's what made him seem insane.
2.1. Notably, he was obsessed with his proper response to beauty. I don't think I can ever create and create and create as obsessively as he did, but I can learn from him in this respect. It seemed as if he owed a response (of wonder, of words, of gratitude) to beautiful things: nature, women, and even the most painful moments of his life. He was apologetic when he failed to respond to beauty like he believed he ought to.
3. He was a big idiot. It was delightful to read about Van Gogh falling madly in love with his cousin, and attempting to delight in this unrequited love. Idiot idiot idiot.
I'm not sure how having read this book will help me appreciate his art more (pretentious AF v 2.0), but even if it doesn't, this book was not a waste (except for, uhh, maybe the lengthy parts about god), and I think I can safely say this now forms part of my favorite non-fiction list! :D
TL;DR: PICK UP A COPY AND READ IT
This was an enjoyable and ennobling read. Learned some new things about Van Gogh, and I feel like I scratched the surface a bit by reading this compilation of letters. There's really much much more than meets the eye; the word "complex" doesn't even begin to describe Van Gogh. Eccentric? Insane? Obsessive? What I'm sure of is that while these labels are simplistic, they are helpful in understanding his facets, so he can be understood in his entirety (which is extremely daunting!).
1. He wasn't merely "insane." His letters to his brother offer an almost opposing viewpoint. He was almost always led by principle, and it was deviation from principle that unsettled him. He was radically human in his attempt to make sense of his feelings, he was almost hyper self-aware and that often caused him distress.
2. God, was he obsessive. He was obsessive with women, with love, with family, with friendship, with literature, with art. I had to struggle through his letters about his early obsession with God; let's just say that he was a much better artist than preacher. He was obsessive in his many facets, and I guess that's what made him seem insane.
2.1. Notably, he was obsessed with his proper response to beauty. I don't think I can ever create and create and create as obsessively as he did, but I can learn from him in this respect. It seemed as if he owed a response (of wonder, of words, of gratitude) to beautiful things: nature, women, and even the most painful moments of his life. He was apologetic when he failed to respond to beauty like he believed he ought to.
3. He was a big idiot. It was delightful to read about Van Gogh falling madly in love with his cousin, and attempting to delight in this unrequited love. Idiot idiot idiot.
I'm not sure how having read this book will help me appreciate his art more (pretentious AF v 2.0), but even if it doesn't, this book was not a waste (except for, uhh, maybe the lengthy parts about god), and I think I can safely say this now forms part of my favorite non-fiction list! :D
TL;DR: PICK UP A COPY AND READ IT