William Blake vs the World

By: John Higgs

Narrated by: John Higgs

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

"A glittering stream of revelatory light.... Fascinating." (The Times)

"Rich, complex and original." (Tom Holland)

"One of the best books on Blake I have ever read." (David Keenan)

"Absolutely wonderful!" (Terry Gilliam)

"An alchemical dream of a book." (Salena Godden)

"Tells us a great deal about all human imagination." (Robin Ince)

A wild and unexpected journey through culture, science, philosophy, and religion to better understand the mercurial genius of William Blake.

Poet, artist, and visionary, William Blake is an archetypal misunderstood genius. His life passed without recognition, and he worked without reward, often mocked, dismissed, and misinterpreted. Yet from his ignoble end in a pauper's grave, Blake now occupies a unique position as an artist who unites and attracts people from all corners of society - a rare inclusive symbol of human identity.

Blake famously experienced visions, and it is these that shaped his attitude to politics, sex, religion, society, and art. Thanks to the work of neuroscientists and psychologists, we are now in a better position to understand what was happening inside that remarkable mind and gain a deeper appreciation of his brilliance. His timeless work, we will find, has never been more relevant.

In William Blake vs the World we return to a world of riots, revolutions, and radicals; discuss movements from the Levellers of the 16th century to the psychedelic counterculture of the 1960s; and explore the latest discoveries in neurobiology, quantum physics, and comparative religion.

Taking the listener on a wild adventure into unfamiliar territory, John Higgs places the bewildering eccentricities of a most singular artist into fascinating context. And although the journey begins with us trying to understand him, we will ultimately discover that it is Blake who helps us to understand ourselves.

©2022 John Higgs (P)2022 Spotify Audiobooks

Love the integration of contemporary culture and thought with Blake's life and times.

I am starting this book over immediately- I listen while working and tend to miss parts, but this seems worth another listen.

Fantastic

Interesting enlightening pleasurable this book is well worth a point
I’m going to explore other books this author has written

Great Introduction to Blake

A wonderful introduction to one of Albion’s aesthetic champions. Extremely well read by the author. This book places Blake within the context of his times as well as makes a powerful case for his continued relevance.

Excellent!

Insightful and engaging look into Blake and his art. The author did a superb job of providing the needed context to fully appreciate the brilliance of imagination at work in Blake, his singular spirituality and remarkable legacy. I’d love to read more by this author.

Leads you to a better understanding of his times

This is a great book about Blake, his philosophies and the times in which he lived. Can't wait to read more of his works.

A mystic of divine humanism

I was surprised by how little I knew of this renowned visionary artist. And how glad I am to become more informed. The author helped me grasp Blake’s prismatic ecstasies, contextualizing them in history and grounding them between science and philosophy.
An integral part of my experience was referring to the search engines and finding digital reproductions of specific examples of Blake’s work, while the author was referring to them.
It appears that the life of this artist, who was penniless at his passing, equals those of the masters of any age, before or after.

Great examination of William Blake

I learned so much in this in depth review of the genius of William Blake. But I felt at times the author was trying too hard to interpret Blake’s mystical operas in the depressive philosophy of our this world only belief system.

Wonderful- Imagination is All

Contextualization of Blake in his time & history & great exegesis on Blake’s philosophy, his marriage & time

I really liked this exploration of Blake and his ideas

Super interesting
I did not really know anything of the man, but I think I am a divine humanist

A fascinating exploration

This is not a conventional biography — it branches out into the nature of our mind and sense of self, with William Blake as our guide. Not what I was expecting, but I certainly enjoyed the ride.