Customer Reviews

The Book of Kells: An Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin (Second Edition)

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Resting at Trinity College Dublin is one of the truly singular products of early European art. This is 'The Book of Kells,' an ornately illuminated rendition of the four gospels, rendered sometime in the Ninth Century. It has been both an influence and an inspiration since the time of its making, illustrating both the story it tells, and the subtle mind of symbolists who wove the story and the art together.

One of the key problems the student of illustrated art suffers in any attempt to study 'The Book of Kells' is the simple matter of access. I believe that the replica edition of the book cost nearly $20,000 when it was published, and most other resources limit themselves to only the most famous of the pages. Only a few detailed studies exist, and this one, written by Bernard Meehan (Keeper of Manuscripts at Trinity College), is one of the best, both in terms of quality and quantity of reproduction as well as a literate and thorough discussion.

Meehan covers the book's history, influences and parallels, the decorative scheme, and many of the decorative themes used by the illuminators. He also spends time on the more technical aspects of ink and paper. He does this in a pleasant, straightforward yet academically thorough style that is often a fount of information. Where he does not go himself, he provides indications of other possibilities for research and thought. Meehan's agenda is simply to present one of the wonders of human creativity for all to see and enjoy, and he succeeds admirably.

I was glad I had this book along with me when I went to see the real Book of Kells at the Trinity College Library in Dublin. The lines of tourists waiting to view this famous eighth century manuscript were about a quarter of a mile long, and the museum proctors were really hustling us through the area where a small sampling of pages was actually on view.

(If you take the tour, be sure to check out the main chamber of the Old Library with its first editions of Newton and Darwin, plus the harp that is (alas, falsely) attributed to Brian Boru, high king of Ireland).

The first facsimile of the Book of Kells was published in 1974, and although this book only advertises itself as 'an illustrated introduction to the manuscript...' it contains good color plates of many of the most famous pages, e.g. the symbols of the four evangelists and the beginning of the 'Breves causae' of Matthew, among others.

Author, Bernard Meehan, the current Keeper of Manuscripts at Trinity College states that "the sacred text itself was copied in the Book of Kells with a remarkable degree of inaccuracy." It consists of the Latin text of the Gospels, illuminated in the very ornate Hiberno-Saxon style ('Hiberno' refers to the Irish, or Hibernians).

Legend has it that the Book of Kells was produced by St. Colum Cille on the island of Iona off western Scotland. Although it was probably begun in the Irish monastery on Iona, it was taken to the monastery of Kells in County Meath, after a series of Viking raids. The monastery on Iona was pillaged in 795, and again in 802. According to the author, "In 806, sixty-eight of the community were killed in another raid. The following year, the survivors migrated to Ireland and began to erect conventual buildings at Kells..." where the illumination of the manuscript was probably completed.

If you are interested in the historical background of the Book of Kells, the author devotes a whole Appendix to it.

Alas, according to this book's second Appendix, "Losses, Additions and Marginalia," the Book of Kells has not remained intact down through the centuries. "At present there are 340 folios, but around thirty folios, including some major decorated pages have been lost." The monks also used blank spaces in the manuscript to record details of property transactions in the late eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Meehan's book is definitely worth viewing and reading. It also contains a wealth of the smaller decorative illustrations that do not always relate to the sacred text, e.g. hares, dogs, horses, and at least one moth. The color and minute details of these decorations are a source of endless fascination, and the scholarly text, although a trifle dry, is also very interesting.

This little book on the Kells Manuscript is one of the best I've ever seen. Of the 117 plates there are only 6 in black and white and the color plates are true to the colors of the Book of Kells. A great many of the plates are of close up details of the pages. A wonderful variety of the Kells pages are displayed with plenty of descriptive texts.

The Book of Kells is one of the most beautiful manuscripts in existence. This booklet enables those of us who are unlikely to ever see the real manuscript to feast our eyes on many of the illustrations as well as to learn a little of its history and preparation. Most of the illustrations are in colour and their vibrancy is still apparent across 12 centuries.

I consider that this booklet is worth acquiring for the illustrations alone. It also contains a lot of useful information for those interested in the physical preparation of such manuscripts as well as the underlying historical significance of this particular manuscript.

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Get this to see some details in the ms, you won't see in other works that user poorer photos. Great for students of art, Celtic art, manuscript illumination (which sould be studied more) and art history. Or for your Celto-phile friend or loved one.

This is a great book for learning about illuminated texts. It has fantastic full color photos and lots of them!

The animated feature film "The Secret of Kells" sparked my interest in this very real, very historical manuscript. It's not large enough to be considered a 'coffee table' book, nor is it long enough to be considered a completely comprehensive study of the book. However, the book isn't claiming to be those things either. It's subtitled "An Illustrated Introduction," and it delivers exactly that. The pictures are great, and it has many full page and close-ups of specific pages from the Book of Kells. The price is right for anyone that's got a burgeoning interest in the Book of Kells--which is exactly what I bought it for.

This book has just what I hoped it would: good, sufficient-sized images of the book of kells. (I'm sure the text is good too, although I have not yet had time to read it. I purchased the book mainly for the images, but my quick glance of the text proves satisfactory as well).

I am VERY happy with this purchase, and would gladly recommend it.

"We are so constituted," wrote John Henry Newman, "that if we insist on being as sure as is conceivable, in every step of our course, we must be content to creep along the ground and can never soar."

Begin at the back of the book, the historic accounts, and you will have more context to further appreciate the glorious art within. The author quotes from Life of St. Columba (Penguin Classics), a book I also highly recommend.

Savour with a glass of peaty Ardbeg or Laphroaig, a rum toddy, or an ale, sip and contemplate the convoluted and profound gyrations of a new and fresh faith. Enjoy the beard pulling, angled legs akimbo, and infinite mini-universes spilling over the pages.

The little girl who received this book treasures it, carries it in her backpack, and shows it to everyone. She's seven, going on about 30, I believe. On its own, I found it very instructive without being too labor-intensive to read. It is not encyclopedic, but an introduction, as it says. Worth owning.