Customer Reviews

Le Désert de Retz

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Ms. Ketcham has given full breath to the story of Le Desert de Retz, the fanstastic late 18th C. creation of Monsieur de Monville. The place and the book don't quite occupy the space they should in general conciousness, but it's interesting to note by whom Msr de Monville was inspired (Piranesi and others) and who he inspired (Thomas Jefferson's UVA Library). Ms. Ketcham reviews each of the estate's main buildings and follies and creates a picture of how Le Desert came to be, how it nearly came to destruction, and how it was thankfully saved.

The broken column at Desert de Retz is for me, a must see in my lifetime, largely as a result of this book. Do not mistake this for a coffe table book, but do take it for a work of beauty and insight...The reproductions of the vintage etching are very good, and the contemporary photographs by Michael Kenna are excquisite. The vintage photographs from the late 19th & early 20th century are an added bonus. It's easy to see why the surrealists were inspired by Le Desert, my only complaint is that I would have liked to know a bit more about any surrealist adventures (if any) at Le Desert...

Intrigued by the cover I bought the book sight unseen online and was very surprised to find it as beautiful inside. Diana has done a remarkable job getting the message across. This book is a pleasure to pick up at any given moment and just fantasize.