Customer Reviews

The Lamp of Beauty (Arts and Letters)

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Ruskin was "an encyclopedia with sideburns," as Anthony Lane put it. I'm going to assume you're looking for a good collection of his writings on art and architecture. This Phaidon selection is a reissue, with amendments, of a collection issued in 1959. This should not put people off. It is a very handsome volume with a high-quality feel, full of unusual features for this low price.

The short introduction was written in 1959, but is pleasant and servicable, and includes a brief biography. It also describes the thoughts behind the selections; specifically, the idea has been to present "Ruskin's own view of art." (For this reason, not many pages from The Stones of Venice have been published here, as it is viewed as "more factual and less personal.")

Whether you like the organisation of this book may depend on taste or reading habits. Some may find it hard to seek out specific passages, or get back to where they were without a system of bookmarks. The way the extracts are organised, chronologically from diverse sources, is unusual today, and makes it impossible to write a full table of contents. I should point out, however, that the index is very good. Add to this that every extract contains a precice citation, and the book becomes a very manageable place to start for Ruskin study. I got used to it quickly. As for the choice of selection, one puts oneself in the hands of the editor. Personally, I find the selections rewarding, and a good use of space, though I have very little grounds for judging whether things not included should have been, having previously read only The Stones of Venice and The Elements of Drawing.

The text pages, running to about 360, are printed on thin "onion skin" paper, which is what keeps the book slim. It might remind one of thumbing through scripture; it even smells the same. The 77 black-and-white plates, however, are printed on heavy semi-gloss paper, and are crisp and clear, an invaluable resource (there are referances to them throughout the text). The editors have added to the short bibliography with works on Ruskin published as late as 1991. It's a clean, handsome, slim-but-hefty softcover with dustjacket, and you'll look like you're reading a serious piece of work (which indeed you are). I was never embarrassed reading this tome on the subway.

Ultimately, if you are looking for a solid, portable selection on Ruskin's fine writing on art, this might be the best compromise out there. There are other selections of ruskin's writings, published by the major "Classics" publishers, and I'm sure readers will find satisfaction with those as well. This Phaidon volume, however, offers its own advantages; it's very slim for the sheer amount of extracts; the true, well-printed plates are a huge bonus; it concentrates on art and the arts (if you wish to read Ruskin's political writings, there are other collections out there); it is a beautiful production, with crisp text and good binding for a paperback; and it is competitively priced. It also has Phaidon caché. If you're looking for a portable Ruskin on art, this has my recommendation. It really should be better known.