Customer Reviews

Mary: Images of the Holy Mother

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This is a beautiful book with a very broad range of madonna-art in it. There is a great deal of variety in the countries and movements represented. Not a great deal of narrative, sometimes you have to do outside research to find out more details but in terms of quality and variety, this one is a very good deal for the price.

As usual, Chronicle Books presents a lavish book. This is simply a physically beautiful work. I would not be surprised in the least if giving this book becomes a First Communion or Confirmation gift tradition.

What a great book! I've owned it for several years and I still browse through it for the beautiful art. Includes everything from the first images of the Virgin Mary in a Roman catacomb to Salvador Dali. If you're looking for information on the Blessed Mother, this isn't the book for you but if you want to see all kinds of depictions of the Virgin, this is a great resource. I loved it!

WARNING!!. ......If you are a traditional catholic, I advise you not to buy this book (actually, no one should). Some of the images are selected from artists who did not respect modesty in their subject. Also, the author includes such trivialities as a tattoo on somebody's arm. I consider at least one image to be blasphemous due to its revealing nature.

The old rumor is the basis of this kind of book. This is the way to catch naif believers, without chances to know the real and original reports about Fatima events. Do they really know, ie. that the Portuguese daily press published in February 1917 a few reports made by Spiritist groups in Lisbon and Porto ( the major national cities )announced that "in May 13 a great anounce would happen"? Well, the catholics believers can not see here a proof for their devotion; by the contrary, the Spiritists don't agree with the official Marian apparitions interpretation and they would not be the promotors of the present Fatima status. So, why these spiritist groups got the preannounce in the Portuguese press with 3 months in advance? This is a fact, not invention, that everyone can read at a library. So, the traditional interpretation of Fatima must be revised. The believers will have to look at the original reports and enqueires on the phenomena and not pious third-hand slogans that repeat the well known rumor processs in Psychology. Who said that the Marian apparitions never could be understand by Science is mistaken. Try to read
"Heavenly lights" and "Celestial Secrets" by Portuguese historians Dr. Joaquim Fernandes and Fina d'Armada to learn what REALLY happened at Fatima 1917.