John Berger was born
in 1926. He is well known as both an artist and writer, particularly
an art critic. This book is a collection of essays written over the
past 60 years. They were not originally intended for a single volume,
being published in a variety of venues.
Instead of the
historical discussion of landscapes I was expecting, the book
presents the landscape of Berger’s thoughts. He does discuss art.
One of my favorite essays was on Cubism, but he also discusses
writers who influenced him, and politics, among other things. The
political essays have a definite left slant because Berger was a
Marxist. If you find that offensive, those essays can be skipped. The
rest of the book is well worth reading.
I enjoyed the book.
It wasn’t what I was expecting, but I was fascinated by the way
Berger sees the world. I particularly liked his admonition to trust
your own instincts when it comes to art. You don’t have to follow
the dictates of the critics.
I recommend this
book if you want an adventure in seeing the world through the eyes of
a story teller and artist.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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