Customer Reviews

On Longing: Narratives of the Miniature, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the Collection

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

 

 

This wonderful work has been indispensible in my research into collections and souvenirs. Stewart's ability to look at the long history of visual culture and bring in such disparate elements as Pop art and miniature manuscripts makes for a thoughtful and reasoned argument. Particularly notable is her need to cross barriers of medium, writing on everything from children's stories to painting to Tom Thumb weddings. An engaging read that rarely falls victim to theoretical rhetoric. The world needs more writers like Stewart who take their time, slowly unfolding their argument, surveying all aspects of culture, giving high and low culture equal weight.

This book has some truly enlightening chapters on the meaning and implications of Souvenirs, which are really useful in conceptual research. I haven't read the whole thing though.

I'm an avid and intelligent reader of all things to do with art and collecting, but this left me cold. It's the kind of writing that's virtually incomprehensible to all but the initiated in comparative literature. I tried from the beginning, then dipping in to topics which I thought might be particularly interesting, but to no avail. Can someone explain, please. I did read her book on the studio and loved it. So what's missing here?

I might add to the previous review, that this book is also of great interest for those that are interested in the study of objects and collections. Objects in this text are analysed in the miniature and the gigantic revealing their symbolic meanings and values. the analysis on the collection and the souvenir are also fantastic. Being a poet Stewart's book is a pleasure to read.

On Longing is sensitively written and a must read for anyone interested in art or literature especially artists and writers. I would recommend Italo Calvino's Six Memos for the Next Millenium to anyone who enjoyed On Longing.