Customer Reviews

Dictionary of Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Traditional Images, Icons, and Emblems

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would call this dictionary an average reference book. It contains pictures to keep the graphically inclined happy. The marginalia directing readers to related topics is helpful. The longer articles giving more general descriptions are fun to read. On the other hand, Tressider seems to try too hard to come up with universal meanings for the symbols he describes, pointing out the common elements while ignoring instances where a symbol may have radically different meaning. His articles are often short and incomplete. This is not as comprehensive a book as Chevalier's Dictionary of Symbolism (which I would recommend for the serious student of art and literature over this one), but many readers will find it's clean format and short explanations entertaining and attractive. It deserves to be part of a library of symbolism, but I would not make it my only source.

I found the book useful for my publishing business ( an RPG company) and I have used the book to stir the grey matter as it where when coming up with ideas.

This book has a lot of useful information, but a lot of it is general. First of all, this book is supposed to be illustrated - and it is to an extent, small blue line drawings or several icons/symbols, but I expected more. Also I found that a lot of the explanations of symbols were not complete, or fully explained. Not only that, but there is a lot of symbolism left out. Several times, I have gone to look up an item in the book and it wasnt even there, I feel like there wasnt enough research done in the production. (but then again, to have a more complete book of symbols, you would need a VERY LARGE BOOK, and this book is tiny.) Good for quick general referances, but not good detailed information about the different interpretations of symbols.

one of my favorites on symbols. Not exactly encyclopedic, but extremely palatable, useful and written in a fun style.

Very cool.

symbols of brotherhoo