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Review
A necessary genius. --Ali Smith
A master at rummaging in the dustbins of the mind. --Daily Telegraph
A great writer, perhaps the greatest writer living in Britain today. --Will Self
Marvellous . . . a pleasure to hold and well as to read. --Times Literary Supplement
A master at rummaging in the dustbins of the mind. --Daily Telegraph
A great writer, perhaps the greatest writer living in Britain today. --Will Self
Marvellous . . . a pleasure to hold and well as to read. --Times Literary Supplement
Review
Gray is a true original, a twentieth century William Blake - Observer
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
39 of 41 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I cannot believe how long it has taken for this book to exist. It is a crime, Gray is rightly described as a "modern-day William Blake" and he should be punted more and more outside of Scotland. He is so well loved, especially in the West End of Glasgow where his work is in multiple venues and many private homes.
I am no Alasdair Gray Scholar. I like his short stories and novellas - and less so his mighty door-stoppers such as Lanark, although I respect that book, for the life of me I couldn't penetrate it, but I still think he is a genuine polymath! However, it's his art I really like, and in particular the more line-based graphic style he uses for his book covers and illustrations. I also really like the way he has drawn and painted his nudes, which are both erotic and unashamedly well-padded. I've seen an awful lot of his work up close. I've gone to just about every venue in Glasgow that has a Gray mural and they are sumptuous, even the ones showing their age a bit. Some of them spill onto multiple surfaces, go round corners, up walls - and like the huge cavernous Oran Mor ceiling (and beyond). What I like about his style is that it is very much rooted in both Art Deco and a kind of 1960s idiosyncratic poster-like punch. It is both romantic and gritty at the same time. Some of the works have a counter-culture or renaissance feel about them, that makes me wonder what Glasgow was like at that time, with many of the portraits of the writers and artists sited near the mighty tower of Glasgow University.
This book seems to have been timed to coincide with two retrospectives of his art in Edinburgh and I knew I couldn't make the opening, so I decided to order the book instead.
And what a great visual anthology it is, very well laid out. The format of the book is an excellent democratic choice, being square, considering how many different formats his works are in. None of the illustrations seem to go over two pages (I always think it's such a waste when that happens). It could have been an even bigger book dimension-wise, as some of the more epic renderings suffer a tiny bit, but not much. My only niggle, and it's a pretty big one, is that the images which are murals and look really vibrant in the flesh, have been printed a little drab in this volume. The graphic works come out well, but the tonal range of the painted works is very disappointing in the volume. Such a shame, but Gray's work is strong enough in totality that this will not affect new fans to his magnificent Glaswegian documentations! Absolutely brilliant. I would have awarded five stars but because of the printing, I'm knocking a star off.
I am no Alasdair Gray Scholar. I like his short stories and novellas - and less so his mighty door-stoppers such as Lanark, although I respect that book, for the life of me I couldn't penetrate it, but I still think he is a genuine polymath! However, it's his art I really like, and in particular the more line-based graphic style he uses for his book covers and illustrations. I also really like the way he has drawn and painted his nudes, which are both erotic and unashamedly well-padded. I've seen an awful lot of his work up close. I've gone to just about every venue in Glasgow that has a Gray mural and they are sumptuous, even the ones showing their age a bit. Some of them spill onto multiple surfaces, go round corners, up walls - and like the huge cavernous Oran Mor ceiling (and beyond). What I like about his style is that it is very much rooted in both Art Deco and a kind of 1960s idiosyncratic poster-like punch. It is both romantic and gritty at the same time. Some of the works have a counter-culture or renaissance feel about them, that makes me wonder what Glasgow was like at that time, with many of the portraits of the writers and artists sited near the mighty tower of Glasgow University.
This book seems to have been timed to coincide with two retrospectives of his art in Edinburgh and I knew I couldn't make the opening, so I decided to order the book instead.
And what a great visual anthology it is, very well laid out. The format of the book is an excellent democratic choice, being square, considering how many different formats his works are in. None of the illustrations seem to go over two pages (I always think it's such a waste when that happens). It could have been an even bigger book dimension-wise, as some of the more epic renderings suffer a tiny bit, but not much. My only niggle, and it's a pretty big one, is that the images which are murals and look really vibrant in the flesh, have been printed a little drab in this volume. The graphic works come out well, but the tonal range of the painted works is very disappointing in the volume. Such a shame, but Gray's work is strong enough in totality that this will not affect new fans to his magnificent Glaswegian documentations! Absolutely brilliant. I would have awarded five stars but because of the printing, I'm knocking a star off.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book has been beautifully produced and I can only imagine that Mr Gray himself is the driving force behind this. The publishers have opted for good quality paper instead of that cheap and nasty recycled rough paper which so many of them use to save costs while pretending it is because they are environmentally responsible. The print quality is outstanding - crisp and bright - and the pages have been bound, rather than just glued. The cover, as you would expect from a Gray book, is beautifully detailed and embossed and there is a surprise extra image on the hardback when you take the dust jacket off (I'm always worried that one day they won't do this).
The book is stuffed to the gills with Alasdair's art and also with family photographs in the early pages. Your eye is darting all over the place as you light on one jewel after another. It has all of his dust jacket illustrations and so much more. The layout is reminiscent of a personal scrapbook, rather than a sterile one-image-to-a-page with a huge white margin round it. This doesn't detract from the art at all and we were grinning with delight as we looked through it. The art has been grouped so that you go on a journey through the artist's life and the images are of all sizes so you don't lose any of the detail.
I have to confess that I haven't read the text yet, but I will when I've had my fill of just looking at the art. The book is a joy to behold, which is just what you want from an art book.
The book is stuffed to the gills with Alasdair's art and also with family photographs in the early pages. Your eye is darting all over the place as you light on one jewel after another. It has all of his dust jacket illustrations and so much more. The layout is reminiscent of a personal scrapbook, rather than a sterile one-image-to-a-page with a huge white margin round it. This doesn't detract from the art at all and we were grinning with delight as we looked through it. The art has been grouped so that you go on a journey through the artist's life and the images are of all sizes so you don't lose any of the detail.
I have to confess that I haven't read the text yet, but I will when I've had my fill of just looking at the art. The book is a joy to behold, which is just what you want from an art book.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'm a huge fan of Gray, especially Lanark which I think is an awe-inspiring book. This is a beautifully produced book of his art and memoirs which is a must for anyone whose interest is piqued by his writing. It's been really gloriously produced too, and is a pleasure to dip into. Agree with other reviewers it has a real William Blake feel to it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
excellent value
Absolutely delighted with my purchase which came in pristine condition and it was half the price that I had paid for the identical book, as a present for my daughter, last... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Pollyanna
An Affront to Good Taste and Civilized Values!
Being largely unaware of the (presumably self-styled, genius and polymath) pictauthor's previous obscurantic and *#@%ographic literarture (sick), I mistakenly stumbled upon and,... Read more
Published 11 months ago by apardion
Brilliant book... see and read it now!
Absolutely brimming with beautiful paintings, drawings, murals etc., reads like a dream. A fascinating insight into the Scottish art world, social history, Mr. Read more
Published 16 months ago by AJ Loader
Great Scot!
A funny and very entertaining book, full of wonderful illustrations. A real treat, I enjoyed every page. There is richness and honesty in his descriptions of his life.
Published 16 months ago by Christine Kabashi
Life experiences
Having met Alasdair and been a friend of his sister, Mora, and her husband, Bert, for almost 50 years, I found the book very interesting and the pictures were fantastic. Read more
Published 17 months ago by A. G. Boon
Good Buy
This is a beautifully crafted book. Especially good for people who like pictures in a book and for those familiar with Glasgow. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Sharpey
Beautiful book
this excellent bargain - at half the RRP - is a beautiful object in itself. It is an unusual autobiography in words and pictures, full of quirky interest. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Bf Baughan
A page turner, I want to see the next set of images!
This book is a page turner. As you read the story of Gray's life you also want to turn the page to see the next set of wonderful paintings/drawings/murals. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ransen Owen
Glorious
I can not begin to say how much I am enjoying this.
I am caught between rushing to the next page and lingering over the last picture or relishing the plain speaking... Read more
I am caught between rushing to the next page and lingering over the last picture or relishing the plain speaking... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Combat Wombat
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