Van Gogh's brother Theo was his confidant and companion, and, in his letters to him, Van Gogh reveals himself as artist and man. Even more than if he had purposely intended to tell his life story, Van Gogh's letters lay bare his deepest feelings, as well as his everyday concerns and his views of the world of art.
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''An extraordinary book . . . and a great one.'' --New York Times
''A great book, the greatness of a man in his own words.'' --Nation --This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.
''A great book, the greatness of a man in his own words.'' --Nation --This text refers to the MP3 CD edition.
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Text: English
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 52 people found the following review helpful
By The roofer
Format:Paperback
I, like the many reviewers of this book, was enthralled and inspired by this collection of letters when I first read it 25 years ago. I have recommended it to many friends. At the time I would have given it five stars or even more if they were available. Irving Stone writes in his preface "My aim has been to edit the 1670 pages of material down to a swiftly flowing, continuous normal-sized book..." He succeeded but even 25 years ago I was a little disturbed by the complete absence of indications where exactly Mr. Stone had done his cutting, or his editing. Today, in the age of internet we can now do some easy checking. The unabridged letters are on the net and reveal that basically what this Dear Theo is, is another novel written by Irving Stone. There is almost no resemblance to the original letters. The novelist has used his talents and the raw material to create a beautiful saga. Worth reading, but let the reader beware.
43 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Dear Theo" should be mandatory reading for all students of fine art today, as no modern artist injected a level of passion into their work equal to that of Van Gogh in 1880 through 1890. This volume is a sort of highlight reel of Vincent's comments on his life and art to his beloved brother Theo. I recommend "The Complete Van Gogh" published by Taschen to accompany "Dear Theo", as there are no visual examples of Vincent's art aside from the cover included in this book. No one who appreciates fine art will be sorry to invest in either publication.
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
The book provides an excellent cross-section of letters painting a vivid picture of Van Gogh's life. It is not an all-in-one biography, though, in that Van Gogh makes references to work that only curators and art historians can picture. It would have been nice to have a black and white thumbnail of the finished paintings as Van Gogh wrote of them.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Overheard in a Denny's
Pretend you're in a Denny's. You're alone. You went in for breakfast It's about 1:30 or 1:45 in the morning. You've ordered already. You're waiting for your food. Read more
Published 3 months ago by DeFoe
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite book
This is definitely my favorite book.
i read its Chinese version several years ago, now I could read the English version.
i read its Chinese version several years ago, now I could read the English version.
Published 5 months ago by Yuqi Wang
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dear Theo
An art instructor encouraged me to track down this book to read and
share with residents who are enrolled in the art class. Read more
share with residents who are enrolled in the art class. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Tina E. Detweiler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dear Theo
Purchased this book during my Van Gogh stage in my painting. I read it quite soon after I purchased it and found it enlightening about the artist--what motivated him, his intense... Read more
Published on August 22, 2010 by Anita M. Shirk
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nice insight
It is not as easy a read as Stone's van Gog biography Lust For Life, but for fans, it's a deep book. Read more
Published on February 6, 2007 by Eolake
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fire starter
These letters speak the truth of van Gogh. This book opens a window of knowledge on a man so misunderstood to the world. At 14, I absolutely am in love with this book. Read more
Published on November 3, 2002
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting and revealing
Vincent Van Gogh was a great painter, but not a writer. So these letters are of interest in terms of history and painting. Read more
Published on January 14, 2001 by Guillermo Maynez
2.0 out of 5 stars
here's your unadulterated chance to see just how screwed...
here's your unadulterated chance to see just how screwed up van gogh was. letter after letter after letter sitting on the pity pot writing to his younger brother whining for... Read more
Published on December 12, 2000 by Daniel Mackler
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing!
It was so fascinating to see what what going through Vincent's mind when he was doing all of his painting. He was an amazing artist.
Published on March 9, 1999 by Michelle Webb
5.0 out of 5 stars
Van Gogh both thought, wrote & felt with his heart.
I read Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo shortly after I saw the Van Gogh exhibit in Washington, DC. The effect was overwhelming. So much pain. So much loneliness. Read more
Published on October 13, 1998
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 11
books:
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9
books
cite this book:
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- A Tale of Two Cities (Signet Classics) by Charles Dickens on page 29, and page 47
- A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens on page 29, and page 47
- Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Readers Level 6) by Dickens on page 29, and page 47
- Passions of the Mind (Signet) by Irving Stone in Front Matter
- The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo by Irving Stone in Front Matter
See all 11 books this book cites
- The Widening Stream: The Seven Stages of Creativity by David Ulrich in Back Matter
- After Nietzsche: Notes Towards a Philosophy of Ecstasy by Jill Marsden in Back Matter
- Nietzsche and Asian Thought by Graham Parkes on page 213
- Conversations with Maxine Hong Kingston (Literary Conversations) by Paul Skenazy on page 180
- Frames Of Mind: The Theory Of Multiple Intelligences by Howard E. Gardner in Back Matter
See all 9 books citing this book
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