"MARVELOUS . . . A first-rate biography of an extraordinary man."
--The Wall Street Journal
"SUPERB . . . Ackroyd writes with clari...
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reviews
Jul 24, 2010
Elaine
rated it: 
Amazing biography, excellently written. Since Blake was very open about his visions and conversations with the dead, Ackroyd is able to present his inner life as well as Blake's always evolving artistic creations. This is a biography of the man, his inner life, and how it impinges on his art, as well as Blake's religious and political views, and his theories of art and how all merged and influenced his amazing poetry and engravings. Blake himself innovated his art throughout his life, leaving a
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Oct 05, 2011
C.w.
rated it: 
Dry at times, but so seems any book by a lover of history read by someone with my attention span. Nonetheless, Ackroyd's tender and thorough account of Blake and his works provides much insight into the poet, painter, and engraver's complex mythology and environs. I didn't realize how common mysticism and radical forms of Christianity were in London during the 1700s and early 1800s. Understanding that the Bible was viewed very differently than it is now does much to reveal Blake's evolving ideas
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Oct 24, 2011
Lawrence
rated it:
I give this book three stars because I thought that the prose/style was difficult. That is, it was sometimes hard to discern meaning because the writing was sometimes too elliptical. For example, there were many references to Blake's cosmology or mythology of the universe, but never a basic outline of it. (I do understand that it was likely an evolving project even for Blake.) Also, I was left to wonder why, in view of the life of Mr. Blake's imagination, Mr. Ackroyd in the book's last parag
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May 01, 2008
Rachel
rated it: 
The blurb on the cover of my edition of this book describes it as "a marvellous work of the imagination"... and biography or no, that's what Ackroyd does best. His non-fiction is always spattered with anecdotes and "what ifs" or "what may have happened".
However Ackroyd's brilliant style didn't really save this book from being quite dry and overly complicated. Which is odd considering it had very little to say. Blake wrote some amazing poetry. He als More...
However Ackroyd's brilliant style didn't really save this book from being quite dry and overly complicated. Which is odd considering it had very little to say. Blake wrote some amazing poetry. He als More...
Jun 19, 2008
John
rated it:
A good standard biography that clearly delineates the contours of Blake's life, work, personality and ways of being in the world. It is also a good example of why one must read multiple biographies of the same writer in order even to hope of gaining real insight into the inner lives of writers. Ackroyd focuses on Blake's art almost dismissing the personal mythology that his art illustrates. He doesn't ignore Blakes's poetry through which Blake expresses his mythology, but I sense that Ackroyd
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Aug 16, 2011
Zzoeeeee
rated it:
A lot of artistic license taken with the source material, perhaps better read as Fiction than Biography, but then most of it bored me to tears.
I would have far rather read into his poems in more detail than his acquaintances (occasionally very loosely established) with various celebrities of the day. The sections on his printing methods were fascinating though.
I would have far rather read into his poems in more detail than his acquaintances (occasionally very loosely established) with various celebrities of the day. The sections on his printing methods were fascinating though.
Dec 22, 2010
Robert
rated it:
A wonderful biography of one of my artistic heroes. Blake was unique in his combination of complete confidence in his vision and the humility of his existence. A person of strong moral character who never created much of anything for popular consumption.
Sep 05, 2007
Jeremiah
rated it:
I like Ackroyd a lot because he has one foot in the slipstream/high weird camp that I so love. Okay probably more than one foot as novels like English Music and Hawksmoor attest.
Ackroyd’s biography of Blake is a detailed look at Blake's life, linking his work, his art, his philosophy and his poetry together. Something I enjoy even more the second time through is the way this biography oftentimes seems like a tourist's guide to Blake's London. No surprise after his biography of London More...
Ackroyd’s biography of Blake is a detailed look at Blake's life, linking his work, his art, his philosophy and his poetry together. Something I enjoy even more the second time through is the way this biography oftentimes seems like a tourist's guide to Blake's London. No surprise after his biography of London More...
Aug 09, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
Blake's life story is fascinating - misunderstood and unappreciated during his lifetime, Blake nevertheless held true to his artistic vision. A truly interesting man.
Oct 02, 2009
Joanna
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William Blake was a visionary poet and artist, the real deal: always authentic, honest, and courageous even in the face of the public's mockery and/or bafflement. Even though it was slow going at times, this story of his life was fascinating.
Nov 26, 2010
Erik
rated it: 
I travel light: a small backpack with clothes, a satchel with books--one of which stays with my hosts as a gift and leaves me room to pick up another book to bring home.
Ackroyd's Blake accompanied me on the flight to the Bay and stayed with my host, Mike Miley. I read it enroute, finishing it soon after arrival. What I'd hoped for was some insight into Blake's visions. Did he really have them? If so, how come? Was he exaggerating? lying?--on all of these questions Ackroyd proved d More...
Ackroyd's Blake accompanied me on the flight to the Bay and stayed with my host, Mike Miley. I read it enroute, finishing it soon after arrival. What I'd hoped for was some insight into Blake's visions. Did he really have them? If so, how come? Was he exaggerating? lying?--on all of these questions Ackroyd proved d More...
Oct 02, 2010
existence of this book makes me happy. blake was a genious. look forward to read this one.
Nov 22, 2010
Julie
rated it:
Very readable. A sympathetic though clear-eyed tale of an extraordinary person. Intriguing details of matters both large and small, creative and mundane.
Jan 27, 2010
Lizzie
rated it:
I like Blake's art a lot, and don't know much about his writings except that they were "visionary" (translation: nutty). This is a dense, serious, but very interesting biography that tries to explain his writings, art, and thought processes, while acknowledging that much of it will always be mysterious. I liked Blake the person a lot, now.
Nov 30, 2008
James
rated it:
Very readable biography of Blake that almost becomes a novelization of Blake's life at points. One Blake scholar engaged in archival study of Blake's London residences told me he likes this bio because it gave him many good leads. I was annoyed with it for making confident assertions about unclear facets of Blake's life while providing no documentary evidence to support them.
Jan 28, 2010
Lovely, lovely, but ran out of time and abandoned at almost exactly the halfway point. I love Ackroyd's writing style, which strikes me as informed without being informing, cheerful, and as fascinated with the world of the artist as he'd like the reader to be. I have a copy of his Canterbury Tales; I can't wait to take a crack at 'em.
Sep 15, 2008
Robert
rated it:
A bit of tough sailing. This is the book that put me onto reading literary biographies, or, at least, put me onto the idea of reading literary biographies. I left with the idea that Blake was brilliant and I a little bit dim for not really getting him.
Jun 22, 2008
Albert F.
rated it:
perhaps i had always been expecting too much? somehow i felt more empty after having finished and lacking any deeper vision into blake and his work..maybe blake is the last person one should read a biography on!
Oct 18, 2008
A joy to read and a magnificent insight into the intellectual origins of Blake's whole canon by a master writer immersed in the London of the period and the philosophical and theological debates of the times.
Sep 13, 2007
Mark
rated it:
I remember being more fascinated with Ackroyd's account of Blake's engraving career than with discussions of the poetry. I should re-read this one: Blake seems like a perfect 2007 poet, doesn't he?
Jun 08, 2009
Catherine
rated it:
Fabulous, lavishly illustrated biography of the visionary artist-poet.
Feb 11, 2012
