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Vincent van Gogh  By  cover art

Vincent van Gogh

By: Julius Meier-Graefe
Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
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Publisher's summary

The lives of many famous artists have been shrouded in mystery and conjecture, but none have been more controversial than the life of Vincent van Gogh.

Remembered for his swirling brushstrokes and burning colors, Vincent van Gogh is today one of the best-known painters. Though his career as a painter spanned less than ten years, he produced a body of work that remains one of the most enduring in all of modern art. In his lifetime, however, he received little recognition. Today his paintings sell for countless millions, yet during his lifetime, van Gogh managed to sell just one painting.

Van Gogh’s road to be becoming a painter took a circuitous, often troublesome path. In his twenties, van Gogh served as a lay minister in a Belgian mining district. He practiced Christian virtues with such outward zeal that he found himself ostracized from society, which prompted him to set off for Brussels to study art. His religious zeal, his belief in the unimpeachable nature of man and his struggle, and his many tumultuous inner-turmoil’s all resonate through his extraordinary body of paintings.

Public Domain (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

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What listeners say about Vincent van Gogh

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

More Poetry Than Biography...

I was a bit suspicious of a biography of Van Gogh's life that would only cover seven and a half hours of normally read text, wondering if anything truly in depth could be accomplished in such a relatively short book--and I was right to wonder. The folksy, often poetic language is interesting and gives a peculiar and often pleasing flavor to the text, but much is glossed over--and while Meier-Graefe gets all the big milestones right (his relationship with Theo, the ear, the shooting, and all the junior high school student already knows), he just gets some things wrong. Anyone who could speak of Vincent's late adolescence as "sailing along" or "happy at home with his parents" must never have encountered any facts about the uptight critical father who thought his son a mad fool, the harping mother whose constant refrain rang "why can't you be more like Theo?!" or the crazily intense antics of a young man who just about drove everyone around him nuts with his endless fiery neediness and often with careless thoughtlessness. I expected more here and would recommend a more in-depth biography of the great artist.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Dramatic Narrative

There's a conscious effort to make this more of a dramatic narrative than a biography, but that's probably not a bad way to go considering most of what we know of Van Gogh is drawn from letters between him and his brother Theo. I won't say it's 100% accurate, but the very nature of the book allows you to crawl inside the man's head. Even if you don't agree or even sympathize with him, it's the kind of perspective that allows one to better appreciate the mind behind the artwork.

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6 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Just okay

Not what I expected. I've read a lot about VanGough and was hoping this would fill in the gaps. This book is more confusing than anything. It focuses too much on Theo although I know he was an important part of Vincent's life. I've love McCaddon narrating other books but she just wasn't right for this one.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Vincent

I enjoyed this book as it was first published in 1936. This gave the author the opportunity to investigate the story much closer to the time of death of Vincent Van Gogh. As an artist I have read
many books regarding Vincent Van Gogh and now have added this to my collection. It is a noteworthy read and anyone interested in the life of this man should take it into consideration. The narration is very good and will keep the listeners interest.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

every good story I liked it

What made the experience of listening to Vincent van Gogh the most enjoyable?

the story

Who was your favorite character and why?

Vincent

Which character – as performed by Wanda McCaddon – was your favorite?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the life he had

Any additional comments?

I going to New York Met of art to see the VanGogh show so I like to know a little more about him.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Vincent’s gentle nature

I knew very little about Vincent’s life and his journey to becoming a painter. His is a remarkable story brought to life in this telling. Well done.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story

Good book but the narrator’s voice was a bit hard to listen to. Sort of grating on my nerves. Not particularly calm and relaxing. But overall decent book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beauty and meaning found in a difficult life

Listened to this after seeing At Eternity’s Gate. I learned about his life, as I expected. I was surprised to be moved to tears by the compassionate portrayal of his illness.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

loved the narrator

She sounded remarkably like Judy Dench. very easy to listen to.
I did enjoy this. But I understand what the fellow who gave 3 stars was saying.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Discovery

As an artist, I was distracted by the early pessimism in the tone of the narrator’s voice. I stayed with the book. Although I’ve read a few different books of Vincent’s life, I realized my perception of Europe in the 1850s, 1870s and later 1800s was lacking. After a couple chapters, I took the time to visit the actual historical events, societal expectations, and religious and financial limitations taking place in Europe.

Vincent is described as having uncontrolled and unreasonable outbursts when he was in his late teens and earlier twenties. Puberty in Europe for persons at that age could easily be at that age. In modern day, puberty is earlier by about 5 to 8 years. I had to consider, was Vincent acting out as many young pubescent boys and girls might do. Furthermore, the expectations of a young male in the 1870s and years later were quite dependent on a family’s perspective and often didn’t adjust to economical times. In 1873 Vincent was trying to establish himself during the Panic of 1873 which, along with religious intrusions common for the times, certainly would have had an effect on Vincent’s career wanderings. The book provides good examples of Vincent’s life path that were reflective of his times. Even his illnesses had times of great clarity demonstrating a far reaching goal and deep awareness. Yes, he demonstrated an illness that included fits and delirious symptoms which today, is likely a controllable. What would the cost of controlling the illness have had on Vincent’s Art?

This book has been enlightening in a different way than I’ve experienced before. Quite surprisingly, the results of Vincent’s approach to art and revelations of his process and lifelong struggles, resonates loudly with me. I leave this book with a new awakening of Vincent’s perspectives and a realization that the deep-seated path he struggled through to accomplish his purpose as a painter could only have happened as it did. Vincent’s perseverance was his salvation.

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