William Blake: The Complete Illuminated Books

by William Blake
William Blake: The Complete Illuminated Books
published
April 27th 2001 by Thames & Hudson
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binding
Paperback, 480 pages

isbn
0500282455   (isbn13: 9780500282458)

description
In his Illuminated Books, William Blake combined text and imagery on a single page in a way that had not been done since the Middle Ages. For Blake, r...more





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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 283)



Antiabecedarian
Antiabecedarian rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/20/07

bookshelves: pretty
recommends it for: devotees & students
PRETTY pictures. And wonderful pictures. And awful pictures. I mean that in the clearest origin of the words: awe full and wonder full, ok? For my personal study of how I am not able to draw, or perhaps might alter what I have done already, like a touchstone, since it's impossible to imitate; therefore infallible. The first hippie. I wouldn't read Blake unless I had to for a grade. I could look at the pictures all day, though, till the pastel and tortured teenage notebook aspects start t...more
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Sean
Sean rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
06/05/08

Read in June, 2008
Blake is insane, that's for sure. He leaps back and forth over the line of genius/madman like no one else. The illuminated books are intense. Reading his works in his own handwriting coupled with his illustrations gives them a great and unique power. He creates an entire mythical world in these works, much of which is tricky to wrap one's brain around, but I enjoyed trying.
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Emily
Emily rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
03/02/08

bookshelves: english--so-it-must-be-good, weird-is-good
Read in January, 1999
William Blake might be the most profound artist who ever lived. He wrote poems and painted paintings, and actually printed his own books with a copper plate engraving process he invented, then hand colored them as well. His views on g-d are brilliant and original. He fully believed in direct experience. This is every illuminated Blake page.
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Cody
Cody rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
03/11/07

bookshelves: eighteenth-century-romanticism, favorites
"Lo! to the vault of paved heaven, with sorrow fraught thy notes are driven, they strike the ear of night, make weep the eyes of day, they make mad roaring winds, and with tempests play." The combination of Blake's vivid, manic poems and watercolors is a multimedia extravaganza. Gesamtkunstwerk 4-ever!
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Melissa
Melissa rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
05/25/07

bookshelves: readbutwanttoreadagain
Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in February, 1998
O Rose, thou art sick!
The invisible worm
That flies in the night,
In the howling storm,

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy:
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

One of my favorite poems in the world. What would life be without the Romantics? I shudder to think.
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Jessica
Jessica rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
07/27/07

bookshelves: art, essays, poetry, religious
Read in January, 2005
Blake isn't my favorite Romantic, but this is a stunningly beautiful collection of his illuminated manuscripts. It's definitely worth a look if you're interested, and worth owning if you're a Romantic(ist)-type person.
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Adam
Adam rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
02/26/08

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
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Melissa
Melissa rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
02/07/08

This is the ONLY copy of blake to read!
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Alicia
Alicia rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
03/21/07

Read in January, 2002
A true masterpiece of art and poetry.
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Alanna
Alanna rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
04/05/07

I hope to one day understand this.
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Maya
Maya marked it as to-read
02/11/08

bookshelves: to-read
Perhaps I will buy this book.
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February28
February28 rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
06/29/07

Read in January, 1991
swag on the deep
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Silencut
Silencut rated it: 3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars
10/02/08


Dogwoman
Dogwoman rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
10/02/08


Deborah
Deborah rated it: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars
09/27/08


Alexander
Alexander marked it as to-read
09/23/08

bookshelves: to-read

Mélanie
Mélanie marked it as to-read
09/18/08

bookshelves: to-read

Srsem
Srsem marked it as to-read
09/18/08

bookshelves: to-read

Derek
Derek added it
09/17/08


Jenny
Jenny rated it: 5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
09/16/08



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book data (includes all editions)

avg rating (all editions): 4.58 (238 ratings)
avg rating (this edition): 4.58 (238 ratings)
number of reviews: 12







other editions

William Blake's Illuminated Books: Jerusalem, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, the Early Illuminated Books, the Continenetal Prophecies, Milton, the ... Books (Illuminated Books of William Blake)
The illuminated Blake: All of William Blake's illuminated works with a plate-by-plate commentary (Unknown Binding)
Illuminated Blake (Hardcover)