Customer Reviews

The Gardens of Frank Lloyd Wright

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3 star:		(1)
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There are so many LARGE, beautiful and colorful photos of Wright's various homes and gardens throughout this book it is worth the book price just to view them over and over. Looking at them gives ideas for your own home. Frank Lloyd Wright's work is phenomenal and this book explains why in pictures and words.

I have mixed opinions of this book. First of all the photographs are in themselves works of art. Forget FLW; forget architecture. The photographs are of an extremely high resolution and very clear/bright. Then as you look at FLW architecture and FLW landscaping, one realizes that they are taken from amazing viewpoints which are in themselves works of art. I own a small library of FLW books but none of them come close to the quality of the photos and the paper they are printed on. I was never really impressed with FLW's Falling Water even when I made the journey to tour the house, but the photo of Falling Water "frozen" in winter is breathtaking.

Now for what I was disappointed in; the text....... The book starts off with a very brief history of FLW and some of it is wrong. Actually, the author could have just taken more pictures instead of creating chapter one. The quotes are quite annoying. "'Taliesin lives...the desert blooms.' PHILIP JOHNSON, GRADUATE OF TALIESIN FELLOWSHIP". Not sure where the author came up with this piece of information since there were no footnotes. There is no way that Philip Johnson graduated from the Taliesin Fellowship. I am not sure anyone graduated from the Taliesin Fellowship but that is another book with a very sad story with footnotes. Claiming Philip Johnson graduated from the Taliesin Fellowship is like saying FLW was an architect that built in the international style....NOT! This book starts off like a FLW sales brochure with multiple statements touting that FLW was not only the greatest architect but was the greatest landscape architect that ever lived...NOT! The author references FLW quotes about landscape architecture continuously throughout this book. If you want to find out about FLW's personal or professional life, don't waste your time with reading anything FLW wrote. They are lies.

As you get further into the book, the text gains ground when the author applies his knowledge to the interpretation of FLW's landscaping. While I hate the text, the photos are of the highest quality; for that alone, I will keep this book as part of my FLW library.

Frank Lloyd Wright is a bank of inspiration for all interested in art, architecture and gardening. One of the best architects of our times (a genius), past and future. This book by reknowned writer (also master gardener) and photographer Derek Fell captures and describes beautifully with incredible sensitivity the art, connection and respect that Write had for nature and the natural beauty of his country.
Even if you are not interested in gardening you must read and enjoy this well worth having treasure book. Great publishing and bainding. Check out Glen Fell's other garden books!
Edgard Abadia.

I really enjoy this book. The wide scale photos are magnificent. I didn't think of Wright as a landscaper, but this book changed my mind. It really is a measure of how big his ideas were. Creating landscapes on terra forming levels using mostly native plants and able to make small courtyards look like they grew naturally. I think of his ideas when I work around my own house.

Bought this for my hubby who works in arborculture and he loves the idea of Wrights gardens. He's always been a fan of the Waterfall house.

The focus really is the gardens, not the architecture of the buildings they accompany.

A nice, high-quality book with beautiful photos.