Customer Reviews

Going Out in Style: The Architecture of Eternity

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GOING OUT IN STYLE

August `99

You may think that books about cemeteries couldn't possibly be of interest. Not so! The great American cemeteries such as Wood Lawn and Green-Wood in New York, Laurel Hill in Philadelphia, Mountain View in Oakland and Mt. Auburn in Cambridge, nearly all now sadly neglected, are fascinating, fantastic places filled with palace-like tombs, many of which were designed by famous architects and decorated by famous artists, as well as a feast of oddities, some funny, some ridiculous, some touching, some merely lugubrious. While such places may now seem quaint, ironically, they reflect a more realistic acknowledgment of the inevitability of death than is the case today. GOING OUT IN STYLE presents nearly 170 color photographs of tombs, mausoleums, grave stones, columbaria, stained glass, chapels and stone angels and other statuary found in cemeteries across the United States. There is an informative introduction and the captions provide adequate information about the Dear Departed. Some other worthy illustrated books about cemeteries include SILENT CITIES: THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN CEMETERY (Jackson/Vergara-Princeton Architectural Press, l989. All color), WOODLAWN REMEMBERS: CEMETERY OF AMERICAN HISTORY (Bergman/North Country Books, 1988. Color and B&W)the small-format SAVING GRACES (Robinson/Norton), a stunning collection of B&W photographs of the exotic and often downright erotic marble ladies who adorn European graves and BEAUTIFUL DEATH(Robinson/Penguin Studio),a volume of artful color photographs of tombs and graves in European cemeteries

I bought this book...sight unseen because of the reader reviewsand the description of the book. It is indeed a beautifullyphotographed book and is filled with fascinating (not just interesting) synopses of people who "went out in style". I was hoping for more pictures of cemetery statuary (as pictured on the cover of the book), but when I started reading about the masoleums, etc. I was enthralled. (The book "Saving Graces" is totally cemetery (female) statuary, but almost all from European cemeteries.) This is a new interest for me and is quite beautiful and interesting! Not at all morbid. One interesting note: all photos taken in the cemeteries photographed for this book have NO living people in them. I wonder how the photographer managed that? Or was it requested beforehand? END

This is the greatest book for people who are interested in cemeteries and sepulchral monuments. It specializes in mausoleums, mostly small family ones, but shows you what the larger ones are like, also. Doug Keister actually takes you inside a few mausoleums to see what they look like inside. The book also tells you a lot about the architecture of the tombs, so you can visit your local cemeteries and be more knowledgeable . The photos are outstandingly clear and crisp even in book form. If you get a chance to see Keister's travelling exhibit, you will be even more astounded at the large photos. I wish Mr. Keister would write more books, with Mr. Cronin's photos, about this subject. The statuary is just gorgeous, and so emotional. The information is so interesting.It is just a "must have" for anyone interested in these subjects.

This book mostly focused on mausoleums and unusual statuary, not very much on graves and/or headstones. It was very thorough without being boring at all. A GREAT feature was that every picture had a story right next to it with neat information - no searching around to find the text to go with the photo, or looking it up in an index in the back. I also liked the fact that 98% of the book focused on sites that you could find in the United States - only one or two of the sites were in Europe. A very interesting "coffee table" book which could easily interest others on this subject.

Okay I like cemetery books, and I received this as a present recently (THANK YOU AGAIN!!)and I gotta say, it's really nice. You get a nice selection of styles of monument and outstanding photography! I was also interested in the pictures of the Community Mausoleum at Mary Queen of Heaven and the name of those annoying little flies that live there (buy the book, or better yet, get it as a gift!).