American Mirror

The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell

By: Deborah Solomon

Narrated by: Andrea Gallo

Length: 19 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

"Welcome to Rockwell Land," writes Deborah Solomon in the introduction to this spirited and authoritative biography of the painter who provided 20th-century America with a defining image of itself. As the star illustrator of The Saturday Evening Post for nearly half a century, Norman Rockwell mingled fact and fiction in paintings that reflected the we-the-people, communitarian ideals of American democracy. Freckled Boy Scouts and their mutts, sprightly grandmothers, a young man standing up to speak at a town hall meeting, a little black girl named Ruby Bridges walking into an all-white school - here was an America whose citizens seemed to believe in equality and gladness for all.

Who was this man who served as our unofficial "artist in chief" and bolstered our country's national identity? Behind the folksy, pipe-smoking facade lay a surprisingly complex figure - a lonely painter who suffered from depression and was consumed by a sense of inadequacy. He wound up in treatment with the celebrated psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. In fact, Rockwell moved to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, so that he and his wife could be near Austen Riggs, a leading psychiatric hospital.

"What's interesting is how Rockwell's personal desire for inclusion and normalcy spoke to the national desire for inclusion and normalcy," writes Solomon. "His work mirrors his own temperament - his sense of humor, his fear of depths - and struck Americans as a truer version of themselves than the sallow, solemn, hard-bitten Puritans they knew from 18th-century portraits."

©2013 Deborah Solomon (P)2013 Recorded Books

Artistic License Used to the Max

This book is well written and much is based on accurate history. My only problem is that the author made so man assumptions about Norman Rockwell. Whether it was reading into the backstory and theme of his paintings or how he felt toward male friends for me was over the top. There is absolutely no justification for many of these judgmental assumptions. I truly believe she aggressively set out to somehow demean and soil the memory of this great 20th century illustrator and artist. I can only imagine how Rockwell’s children and grandchildren felt about this scandalous writing. What I did enjoy was the in-depth research the author made in chronologically coving the life and progress Rockwell made throughout his career. I would still recommend reading this book because there is still much to gain from its contents.

good, bad, and the questionable

I loved everything about this biography. I feel that it's fair, balanced, and well written. I felt invested in Mr. Rockwell and teared up at the end.

Good book but...

Though I did enjoy the book, I did feel that the author's narrative of Rockwell being a repressed homosexual was very heavy handed. At many points throughout the novel I felt the Deborah Solomon would lead us down a path of accusations but would always end with a form of "I'm not sayin', but I'm just sayin'...".

Take away that aspect of the book and I feel it was a solid read.

Fresh art historical consideration of Rockwell’s art

Solomon’s background as an art writer makes her well suited to discuss Rockwell’s art legacy. With insightful and serious studies of his major works, her analysis of his work from a fine art perspective is a breath of fresh air compared to the snobbery and dismissiveness of his work in his lifetime and even today by the art world.

Gender Studies shoehorned in constantly.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?
It's not terrible but the entire book keeps mentioning, with a consistency that makes it seem like the central subject, about Rockwell's supposed infatuation with men before ultimately citing modern gender studies to declare Rockwell homosexual. I don't care that he may or may not have been, but you can't go ten minutes in this biography without the subject coming up.

I don't care what modern gender studies majors have to say about the sexuality of an illustrator, I care about his life as an illustrator.

What was most disappointing about Deborah Solomon’s story?
The constant mentioning of gender studies and sexuality.

What three words best describe Andrea Gallo’s performance?
Entirely adequete

What else would you have wanted to know about Deborah Solomon’s life?
This is not an autobiography. For Rockwell, I would like more information on the development of his artwork.

this book is based on opinion not facts!!!

What would have made American Mirror better?

more research on the subject.

What could Deborah Solomon have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

reported the facts not her opinions!!!

How did the narrator detract from the book?

the narrator was fine.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

i would like a refund if i could ...very Dissapointed.

Any additional comments?

The part that sealed it for me was when she commented on other artist models being left out and neglected by other Artist and how the models felt about it. She then brings up Picasso and Dora Mar! Big mistake because I am a big Picasso fan and have read everything i could get my hands on about Picasso. Every Picasso fan knows that they had a turbulent love affair and she tries to compare this to Norman Rockwell and his boy models. Outrages!!! i didn't even listen to the complete book she i found this inaccuracy...

A book of bizarre assumptions and little facts

I’ve read/listened to many books about the lives of artists and this one was the most disturbing. The author had a strange and apparent agenda to create controversy about Rockwell’s sexuality and wasn't about to let facts stand in her way. The warped assumptions made by the author about personal aspects of Rockwell's life seemed contrived and ludicrous. I've learned that the author's assertions and insinuations in this book have been publicly refuted in detail by Rockwell’s family and friends. So far, there has been no rebuttal from the author to defend the validity of her claims. I regret giving up a credit for this audio book. Even more, I regret listening to it.

Do not read if you enjoy Norman Rockwell

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

The book has some interesting facts that I had not read about Rockwell, which is why I gave it a 2. Every great artist has his skeletons and issues. This author peppers the book with every little mis-truths that the author may have stated. Continuously kept pointing to homosexual tendencies. I personally want to hear more of techniques, no being frequently told he said one thing, but we researched, and that was not the truth. There are a few good books on the man, spend your money on one of many others.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Abaddon's Gate or Tom and Jack

Would you listen to another book narrated by Andrea Gallo?

Yes

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from American Mirror?

I think everything past Chapter 4

Any additional comments?

I personally think the author has a grudge against Rockwell. In all fairness to the author, she may have tried to make it informative, but ran it into the ground.

Skewed biography to support her view

It was a thorough journey of Rockwell’s life and the author was clearly driving her perspective and seeing what she wanted to see. She clearly wanted to stir up a controversy and generate interest in her book. There is line between presenting facts and and positioning facts to support an agenda which she crossed.