The richly illuminated works of William Blake mdash; poet; prophet; and artist mdash; have fascinated readers since the late eighteenth century. In majestic verse illustrated with his own hand-colored plates; the poet explored profound and mystical themes; including the relationship between God and man and the concept of life as a journey toward spiritual self-knowledge.One of Blakes most interesting and powerful creations; The Book of Urizen represents a parody of the book of Genesis; in which the righteous figure of God is replaced by that of Urizen; the "dark power" and obstacle to spiritual life. With "the voice of honest indignation;" Blake compels readers to recognize and overcome their inner adversary in order to rise to higher levels of perception.Incredibly beautiful in its combination of words and pictures; The Book of Urizen boasts some of Blakes most magnificent designs; rich in energy and monumental grandeur. For any lover of Blake; this edition represents an inexpensive opportunity to enjoy one of his finest works; including full-color reproductions of the poets distinctive hand-colored plates and a printed transcription of the poem.
#1459308 in eBooks 2012-06-08 2012-06-08File Name: B00A3ZDNEM
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A must for the architecture loverBy Irma GurmanMy interest in this book was piqued when I discovered that I live within walking distance of Box Hill and had probably passed it many times. The history of the area and of the nearby houses and the cemetery where White is buried further increased my curiosity. As I read the book I sat studying a map in order to locate all the familiar and less familiar locations. Since I also love architecture and art; I enjoyed Suzanne Lessards vivid descriptions as I perused pictures of Whites beautiful edifices; some of which are; unfortunately; lost to us. I am now ready to walk through Manhattan with newly education eyes and have strolled the back roads of Smithtown; including the beautiful Rhododendron Drive with a new appreciation. Having read McCullochs The Greater Journey; I had previously learned about St. Gaudens and other early 20th century artists. This added more depth to my understanding.White and the family certainly had their problems; as do many historical figures whose lives teeter on the cusp of mental instability; but I found these passages interesting; not appalling. However; the letters of Evelyn Nesbitt which are presented by the author as fact are so incredulous that I wonder how much is fabrication and how much is truth. I also like the way Lessard evoked the ephemeral boundary between memory and emotion. I appreciated that a family tree was included because it clarified this complicated saga. If you love architecture; art and history; you will enjoy this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I could not put it down!By Victoria Taylor AllenI wanted to read this book because it recounts the family history of a person I met many years ago; a nun who was a retired; and renowned; English professor at Boston College; who was then living in the retirement home of her religious order in Albany; NY. I knew that she was a granddaughter of Stanford White and I was eager to learn about the family. First of all; let me state that the author writes beautifully; her descriptions of the family home; of her relatives; of the deep Catholic faith that inspired her and so many of her relatives almost brought tears to my eyes. She describes her grandmothers faith in God and love for her family as being a large and precious jewel. The artistic and intellectual talents shared by her family are extraordinary. The information about Stanford Whites architectural contributions occupies a large section of the book and is well worth reading carefully. I thought that the main thread that ran through the book was that although some members of the family were deeply flawed; genius and family love; faith and hope were a binding force. A great read!50 of 53 people found the following review helpful. American History; Angst; Sex; ScandalBy Lance C. PanzerThis book defies a brief explanation. I sensed deep passion in the author as I read her words; a passion for her familys weaknesses and strengths; a passion for knowing herself; a passion for the power of architecture; and a passion for her great-grandfather; the infuriatingly complex architect; Stanford White. Stanford was generous and careless; creative and self-destructive; maniacally disciplined and utterly irresponsible. While he selflessly gave his heart and soul to his massive stone buildings; he thoughtlessly shattered the hearts and lives of the people around him. Even while he was racked by ill health; he drove himself in his work life AND his recreational life as if he were immortal. He either believed he could never die; or knew he surely must and so didnt care. The sexual portrait of Stanford can be rather harrowing: The countless love nests he set up around New York; his systematic debauchery of young women (many of whom fell in love with him); the attorneys he hired to hush things up; the endless supply of cronies he found to join him in his nocturnal plundering--his appetites--and his ability to feed his appetites--knew no limits. As for Evelyn Nesbit; the celebrated beauty who arguably played a role in Stanfords murder; Ill just say she wasnt the first girl to ride in his red velvet swing. Finally; two notes. This author presents architecture; and its impact on the human psyche; in a beautiful; moving way; she breathes life into the bricks of Stanfords buildings. And her depiction of the Gilded Age is superb. Its the stuff of a great trashy Summer novel. Except its real. And probably still goes on today.I should also warn future readers that theres a fair amount of incest in this book.