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Dear Theo  By  cover art

Dear Theo

By: Irving Stone,Jean Stone
Narrated by: Clive Chafer
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Publisher's summary

Each night, when the hours of painting and drawing were over, Vincent van Gogh put pen to paper and poured out his heart through letters to his beloved brother, Theo, his confidant and companion. No thought was too small, no element of his craft too insignificant, no happening too trivial. It was all scrupulously recorded and shared.

In these letters, Van Gogh reveals himself as artist and man. Even more than if he had purposely intended to tell his life story, Van Gogh’s letters lay bare his deepest feelings, as well as his everyday concerns and his views of the world of art. Irving Stone has edited the letters of Vincent in such a way as to retain every line of beauty, significance, and importance. “It is my humble opinion that Vincent was as great a writer and philosopher,” Stone says, “as he was a painter.”

©1937 Irving Stone (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“An extraordinary book… and a great one.” ( New York Times)
“A great book, the greatness of a man in his own words.” ( The Nation)

What listeners say about Dear Theo

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Worst narrator ever!

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Interesting from an art history perspective, and to witness the thinking of Van Gogh.

What didn’t you like about Clive Chafer’s performance?

Almost a complete monotone all the way through. I am pretty sure that Vincent Van Gogh was a very passionate man, but the entire book was read in a near monotone. It was so excruciating to listen to that I put it down for months at a time.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Dear Theo?

No scenes - these are his letters to his brother, so no editing. I would select a more passionate narrator.

Any additional comments?

Read the book on your own. This narrator is awful!

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating book. Dreadful performance

A truly remarkable autobiography of the Artist’s life via personal correspondence with his brother, but I could barely withstand the reader’s monotonous drone. Well worth it in the end.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book...horrid performance.

I could not listen to this one. I did not care for the Narrator. His voice rarely changed tones.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

If you know Vincent's life story already this is a perfect audio book for you.

I wanted to try this because I was a fan of Lust For Life the movie and the audio book. Since Irving Stone was the author of Lust For Life I felt his editing of Vincent's letters could be trusted. I always wanted to read his letters so when I found this audio book I was excited.

This audio book is over 21 hours long. It is straight from his letters and is the words of Vincent. It gives you very detailed times during his life. If you know his story already and want his feelings and take on his life this is a perfect book. I believe you will enjoy it as much as I do.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Vincent Van Gogh could have been a great writer.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in art and artists. It completely contradicts the popular Hollywood version of Van Gogh.

What did you like best about this story?

His amazing skills as a writer. When he describes a scene it's a vivid as his art.

What does Clive Chafer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

As these are letters written by Van Gogh the performance isn't really important.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not applicable.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The best book I've ever read

Who would have known that Vincent van Gogh could write as beautifully as he painted? this book is uplifting, inspiring and heart wrenching. The letters he writes to his brother are exceptionally descriptive and not only give insight into the world of fine arts that is enough to inspire even the least artistic person to at least view art through a different lens, but they also give so much insight into mental illness and the difference between pain and suffering. Hands down, one of the most interesting and entertaining books I've ever read. I'll be buying a hard copy just so I can see all the sketches that are mentioned.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great book, good reader.

However, I would have loved to know the time span in between Vincent's letters as I am guessing the original letters might have been dated as was typical for correspondence. Also, the reader could have paused a bit while reading instead of running the letters together. It made it difficult to know if one letter had been concluded before the next letter started. At times, the only way I was able to know there was a change in the time line of events was that Vincent would mention the change of seasons in his locations. Otherwise, it was great to listen to.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Boring with a Capital B

Mind numbing. easily one of the worst audible books I have ever listened to. One's time would be more wisely spent and less painful pulling out your own fingernails

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Historical but not entertaining

I love Irving Stone novels. They have brought history to life for me but not this one. You would have to be a student of art or have a great interest in Van Gogh to get through this one. The narrator didn't help much but he didn't have a lot to work with.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Can't get past the narrator

I gave three stars to the story; it probably deserves more. But I couldn't continue listening because of the narrator. He speaks in a consistent monotone, a strikingly bad choice for someone as passionate as Vincent Van Gogh. There's no variation in pitch, no emotion, no personality. It's like Van Gogh is being voiced by Ben Stein in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Even the rhythm of the sentences is repetitive: take a breath, read a chunk of text, take another breath, read another chunk of text of a similar length, over and over and over again. I've listened to other recordings by Mr. Chafer that were actually listenable. For example, his narration of Ian Davidson's "The French Revolution," an especially dry subject, demonstrates far more variety and passion. Very strange. And very unlistenable.

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2 people found this helpful