In Peter Gay’s long-awaited work, his most ambitious undertaking since his seminal biography of Freud, the eminent scholar tells how Modernism swep...
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Sep 16, 2008
Dawn
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Finally finished the book, after maxing out renewals and having a fine placed on my library account. I won't lie to you; reading Peter Gay's Modernism is no light undertaking. There are, after all, more than 500 pages of text.
As voluminous as the volume is, though, it may still not be enough for Gay's ambitious undertaking. He seeks to define Modernism and discuss its exemplars. Although he does exactly that, there is still a sense of something missing, as if there is a slight blip More...
As voluminous as the volume is, though, it may still not be enough for Gay's ambitious undertaking. He seeks to define Modernism and discuss its exemplars. Although he does exactly that, there is still a sense of something missing, as if there is a slight blip More...
Feb 28, 2010
Alan
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I was impressed by the flowing, lucid prose, as well as by the vast scope of this book. In a mere 610 pages (including the index and a bibliographic essay), Peter Gay provides a warm, sympathetic overview of a century's worth of artistic expression in multiple disciplines—painting, music, architecture, literature, dance and motion pictures.
This approach necessarily leads to some skimming of creators and works. The book has so many hooks, in fact—jumping-off points for further researc More...
This approach necessarily leads to some skimming of creators and works. The book has so many hooks, in fact—jumping-off points for further researc More...
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Jan 09, 2008
Daniel
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The thesis isn't profound, that all of the arts underwent a radical change from objective to subjective representation between the mid-1800s and now, but what I love about this history is how incisively the author treats all the artforms--literature, dance, music, painting, sculpture, architecture, and film--and shows how diverse artists, architects, composers, and writers responded to powerful cultural and historical forces with a similar premise but with markedly different results. The book,
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Jul 27, 2011
Juneko
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Thus far, I'm lukewarm: I like it, but I'm not loving it. Usually I love these kinds of ambitious cultural histories, but I'm just not feeling it. I think I'm just not in the mood to read this right now, so I'm going to stop my reading at page 57. I'll pick it up again when I'm in the mood for it.
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Oct 31, 2010
Liam
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"For all their palpable differences, modernist of all stripes shared two defining attributes ... : first, the lure of heresy that impelled their actions as they confronted conventional sensibilities; and, second, a commitment to a principled self-scrutiny." (3-4)
"To become a work of art is the object of living." (quoting Wilde, 62)
"Immature poets immitate, mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poerts make it into something More...
"To become a work of art is the object of living." (quoting Wilde, 62)
"Immature poets immitate, mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take, and good poerts make it into something More...
Nov 10, 2011
James
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Peter Gay writes that the 2 major attributes of modernism are the desire to confront conventional sensibilities and a focus on self-scrutiny or the deep scrutiny of subject. That emphasis on investigation and understanding of people and ideas, Gay makes clear, means that psychology in art of all kinds drove what we call the modernist movement. Freud overlooks all of it, even though the full thrust of his ideas on art and culture haven't been fully digested.
As the title states, the More...
As the title states, the More...
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Jun 28, 2010
Elizabeth
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from the library 2008
intro A Climate for Modernism
Part one Founders
1 Professional Outsiders
2 Irreconcilables and impresarios
Part two Classics
from the library computer:
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Putting a Freudian view of life as an arena of conflict at the center of a view of modernism, this outspoken study tracks the avant-garde across a wide array of high culture—literature, music and dance, painting and sculpture, arc More...
intro A Climate for Modernism
Part one Founders
1 Professional Outsiders
2 Irreconcilables and impresarios
Part two Classics
from the library computer:
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Putting a Freudian view of life as an arena of conflict at the center of a view of modernism, this outspoken study tracks the avant-garde across a wide array of high culture—literature, music and dance, painting and sculpture, arc More...
Mar 29, 2008
Jared
rated it:
What's up people; I'm back. Been on book review sabbatical, but here I am. I'm going to keep this one short.
Peter Gay is one of my favorite historians of modern-to-late-modern Europe. His work on the Enlightenment, the rise of the middle class, weimar culture, etc. is all excellent - especially his Enlightenment books (1st volume won the National Book Award...). His latest study is on 'Modernism' (with a capital 'M'); it covers literature, architecture, the visual arts, etc., More...
Peter Gay is one of my favorite historians of modern-to-late-modern Europe. His work on the Enlightenment, the rise of the middle class, weimar culture, etc. is all excellent - especially his Enlightenment books (1st volume won the National Book Award...). His latest study is on 'Modernism' (with a capital 'M'); it covers literature, architecture, the visual arts, etc., More...
Mar 29, 2009
I've only really just started it but am totally engrossed. Peter Gay is trying to cover what makes the modernism movement "modernism" and the key people in this movement (across architecture, music, literature, painting, etc).
I already have some modernist names i'll be looking into. Just fantastic
I picked this up at Reading book store in Lygon St Carlton (Melbourne) on the bargain table... I love that bookstore.
I already have some modernist names i'll be looking into. Just fantastic
I picked this up at Reading book store in Lygon St Carlton (Melbourne) on the bargain table... I love that bookstore.
Nov 17, 2011
Geo
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I am much more a fan of postmodern art and philosophy but I figured I should get to know the predecessor of the "movement." As comprehensive as this book is, it barely even scratched the surface but it was more than enough to build up a nice hefty modernist reading list for me. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a lover of modern literature or art.
Oct 10, 2008
Brittany
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I have not quite finished this book, but I just want to respond to some book reviews that I have read on this book in New York times and some other publications. While the academic world may criticize this book for lack of novel ideas and perspectives on the modern movement, I think that sometimes we need good books that a normal person can pick up and enjoy an overview of a movement that otherwise they might never have been aware of. This book does that, it draws connections to things in a clea
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May 14, 2011
James
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This is both a history and a compendium of ideas about the arts and how they have changed. In it he discusses writers, including 'the Fascist Knut Hamsun, the bigot High Anglican TS Eliot and the hysterical anti-feminist August Strindberg'. As a child of Weimar, he admits with that 'Modernism was not a democracy'. The artists examined here are haughty autocrats such as Picasso or Diaghilev, or self-deifying prophets such as the painters Kandinsky and Ensor. His insights are suggestive and often
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Mar 02, 2011
Marci
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I've discovered in my time that books by tenured university professors with biographies emphasizing the author's twenty or more books are usually tedious. This one tries hard to offer something new to readers interested in modernism by including many little-known artists, but the prose feels like the author is just trying to get through another volume and get it published. As a Freudian scholar with strong scholarship in the Victorian middle-classes, Peter Gay offers some interesting insights on
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Aug 21, 2011
Lysergius
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In case you were wondering what came before "post modernism" then this is the book for you.
Jan 22, 2008
Dave
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Leaves you still searching for the thread that pulls all of Modernism together. But nonetheless is a great overview of the period, especially for someone who isn't clear on the history of painting. This is a great substitute for a couple of college classes. I got the sense though that Modernism was lacking in answering or even attempting to answer any important personal questions. Life's meaning is disregarded in favor of looking for new ways of seeing. I think this is why reading most Mode
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Dec 29, 2008
so, I checked this out at a bookstore recently and was shocked to see Gay attempts to offer a synthesis (a singularity, if you will,) to the history of Modernism.
This cannot work. Modernism is not to be traced linearly.
However, after listening to the NYTimes Book Review podcast, I am intrigued enough once again to read the book. The NYTimes critics are such bourgeois assholes. I'll read it and like it to spite them.
I've always wanted to read Gay's history o More...
This cannot work. Modernism is not to be traced linearly.
However, after listening to the NYTimes Book Review podcast, I am intrigued enough once again to read the book. The NYTimes critics are such bourgeois assholes. I'll read it and like it to spite them.
I've always wanted to read Gay's history o More...
Dec 12, 2009
Catherine
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New(ish) and very good. Recommend highly to those preparing for comps.
Dec 17, 2007
Sanjay
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Not a book to read for bold new assessments or provocative theses, but to gain a broad overview of the Modern movement which, according to Gay, starts with Baudelaire and ends with Warhol. Lucidly written -- but could have done with more illustrations -- and engaging throughout. Gay covers the gamut: from prose, poetry and drama to art to architecture to music (but leaves out photography). Makes you realise once again that though there may be very many good works of art nowadays, there aren't an
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Apr 09, 2010
Einschrein
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This book is very, very comprehensive and a wonderful study of the modernist period from literature to architecture to dance to theater - it's all here.
Mar 25, 2008
Lawrence
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Generally good overview of trends in modernism. Nothing really ground breaking here, however. Not sure that the organization into cultural type worked that well, creating perhaps too much repetition of figures, general viewpoint, etc. Nevertheless, for those wanting a non-academic and less technical work, this does the trick.
Jan 02, 2011
Lewis
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I didn't read this straight through, but after the first chapter I dipped in where I was interested. Though someone looking for a more specialized take on the subject, such as Modernist theater, will find the book to general, as an overview it's great. I'll probably get around to reading all of it.
Feb 20, 2008
Trevor
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fascinating all-encompassing account of the modernist movement.. from music, dance, painting, architecture, film, poetry, music.. etc. i love this book and recommend it to any history/art buff but it reads like a text book and may be dry for some
Mar 18, 2008
Currently reading - Its a big fat textbook-looking book, but modernism comes off flashy and Gay is good at connecting artists and time periods and making it a little easier to wade through. Still working on it, but its interesting
Mar 09, 2008
Steven
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The book is a tremendous achievement. It might be read along with Alex Ross's "The Rest Is Noise" for anyone interested in a more complete understanding of the twentieth century.
Jun 24, 2008
Sarah
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Decent overview. As with any overview, there are parts that are skipped and balance between what's covered and how much is always subjective. Overall, a good introduction
Mar 19, 2011
Michael
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This was a very good book, though the final 100 pages on Pop Art misses the boat, I think. I do think the general thesis that he proposes for modernism is spot on.
Mar 18, 2008
Max
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kinda simplistic. he makes his point in one sentence - 'make it new!' - but it's not even his own sentence. it's some other guys. ezra pound, i think. yeah.
Jul 05, 2008
Jason
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my mum got me this for father's day...looking forward to it...billy raves about it...
i'm hoping it'll be useful to the thesis...
i'm hoping it'll be useful to the thesis...
