Hopper (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Poet Strand intuitively captures the spirit of American realist Edward Hopper's (1882-1967) paintings in this latest entry in Ecco's Writers on Art series. Hopper's people, he writes, whether glimpsed in hotel rooms, diners, storefronts or gas stations, "seem to have nothing to do. They are like characters whose parts have deserted them and now, trapped in the space of their waiting, must keep themselves company with no clear place to go, no future." In his spare, precise commentaries on two dozen paintings, which are reproduced here in black-and-white, Strand peels away layers of poetic meaning and symbolism to pierce the private dramas implicit in Hopper's lonely, brooding canvases. Strand calls Sun in an Empty Room (1963) "a vision of the world without us; not merely a place that excludes us, but a place emptied of us." That formulation suggests the stark, slightly menacing atmosphere that makes Hopper's pictures still look so modern.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Mark Strand looks more deeply into Hopper's pictures than anyone else has before."
--Adam Gopnik

"Strand takes the poet's entrance into the silent world of Hopper with a gift of words that allows painter and poet to become partners in opening the windows of the imagination."
--Wayne Theibaud

"Strand's perceptions are intuitive and visceral. I recommend this strange and wonderful book to anyone interested in Hopper's work."
--Justin Spring, Artforum


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; Revised edition (November 13, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375709711
• ISBN-13: 978-0375709715
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #442,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing, concise, insightful, July 22, 2006

By	HB "Scholar" (Northeast USA) - See all my reviews

Just because the previous reviewer didn't get what he expected from this volume doesn't mean it isn't brilliant in its own right. From an outsider's perspective (I am not an art critic, but a literary scholar), I found Mark Strand's insights into Hopper's work to be refreshing and insightful, the first collection of art criticism I have read that speaks thoughtfully and intelligently to its readership without making the assumption that the reader already has the thoughts and inclinations of the critic him or herself. Instead, this is a book that teaches, and I am grateful for it!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Poets Ruminations, August 14, 2006

By	drkhimxz "irv" (Freehold, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

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This is not a book for anyone seeking information on life and/or the works of the great Americn painter, Edward Hopper. Pictures are all in black and white, while few facts about his life ae given.
This is a book solely for the person sufficiently familiar with the artists work to appreciate this outstanding poets reflections on the impact of some of his paintings and some fearures in the picture which produce those effects.
Most will find little meat for thought here. Most will find these minimal responses unsatisfying. Those who know the poetry of this Pulitzer prize winning Poet Laureate of The United state will gain some insight into the workings of his poetic perspective when turned on the subject of Hopper's painting.
Others who want to tune in to a poetic sensibility writing prose may find it gratifying.
It is a very quick read with each selection taking no more than a few minutes to read although those who want to apply Strand's conceptions to their own appraisal of these works will find much more to chew over.

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Strand Leaves The Reader Stranded, February 13, 2006

By	Drew T (Kansas) - See all my reviews

I found this thin volumen incredibly inadequate, as it barely (if at all) mentions some of Hoppers most important themes such as silence, voyeurism, and loneliness. Strand spends approximately two poorly developed paragraphs on a number of paintings, often doing nothing more than describing them with bland geometric terms and giving little-or no-insight. I'm in the process of doing a six month research and writing project on Hopper, I found this to be the worst of all my resources.

Additionlly, the black and white reproductions are tiny and worthless. The book is of little value in any capacity, which is saying something considering my love for Hopper and art history analysis and evaluation. In fact, in the Preface, Strand acknowledges that this volume flies in the face of previous scholars. He must have meant he was going against quality analysis with support, because his book says nothing. There is no point whatsoever! Quite frustrating.

I would recommend J.A. Ward's American Silences instead.