- Hardcover: 480 pages
- Publisher: Sinclair-Stevenson Ltd; illustrated edition edition (11 Sep 1995)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1856192784
- ISBN-13: 978-1856192781
- Product Dimensions: 25.1 x 20.1 x 3.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 254,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A biography of William Blake. Poet, painter, engraver, visionary, his was a radical spirit fired by genius. The book presents Blake in the context of his period: we see him caught up in the Gordon Riots, excited by the French Revolution and attracted by various forms of spiritual radicalism and sexual magic. Peter Ackroyd has also written "Dickens", a biography of Charles Dickens.
About the Author
Peter Ackroyd is a prize-winning writer of fiction and non fiction. Almost all his novels are historical novels: he has a unique gift for conjuring lives and characters from the past. Hawksmoor won the Guardian fiction prize, and Chatterton (also about forgery) was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
He has written brief lives of Chaucer, Turner and Newton, and major biographies of T.S. Eliot, Dickens, Blake, Thomas More and - most recently - Shakespeare. He holds a CBE for services to literature and lives in London.
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
William Blake must present a unique challenge to a would-be biographer: It is not that nothing happend to the great poet and artist, on the contrary, he met and conversed with some of the greatest figures in history( Virgil, Milton, Harry Hotspur, Socrates,Jesus,etc etc)and witnessed extraordinary events(flocks of angels, spirits, God Himself etc etc) the problem is, of course that all this happened in Blake's internal world, his"real" life is much more mundane.
So, Blake's biographer has to decide whether to descibe his workaday life, as a printer and engraver, a flirtation with real grinding poverty or his mad world of visions and marvels, touched with genius.
Ackroyd, in this long and detailed life story, rightly strikes a balance, Blake's work and relationships are fully described and, as far as possible the visions and voices he experiences are given consideration; The great man's eccentricities are invariably excused as they obviously inspire his genius.
This biography is very strong while considering Blake's poetry, but rather more space is given to his artistic endeavours, particularly the various methods of engraving and/or painting he employed. Personally, I would have preferred more emphasis on the poetry, but clearly Blake is a giant in both fields.
Always sympathetic and admiring of its subject, the only real complaint I had with this absorbing book was that some of the colour plates were of Black and White work, while some of the Black and White illustrations were of colour pictures.
So, Blake's biographer has to decide whether to descibe his workaday life, as a printer and engraver, a flirtation with real grinding poverty or his mad world of visions and marvels, touched with genius.
Ackroyd, in this long and detailed life story, rightly strikes a balance, Blake's work and relationships are fully described and, as far as possible the visions and voices he experiences are given consideration; The great man's eccentricities are invariably excused as they obviously inspire his genius.
This biography is very strong while considering Blake's poetry, but rather more space is given to his artistic endeavours, particularly the various methods of engraving and/or painting he employed. Personally, I would have preferred more emphasis on the poetry, but clearly Blake is a giant in both fields.
Always sympathetic and admiring of its subject, the only real complaint I had with this absorbing book was that some of the colour plates were of Black and White work, while some of the Black and White illustrations were of colour pictures.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Peter Ackroyd is clearly passionate about his subject matter, and for students of William Blake or those simply seeking further context for his poetry this is ideal. Accessible and not even faintly patronising; the text is comprehensive and coherent.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good stuff
Second hand book, I guess the biggest risk is if pages are missing etc. But I'm a quarter of the way through and so far so great!
Published 1 month ago by Andy
blake, peter ackroyd
It is unfortunate that the paperback edition is poorly produced. This is a facsimile? The print quality is appalling. Read more
Published 1 month ago by diana hunt
So good!
I have been a massive Blake fan since I was 16, and yes, whilst that makes me sound like a dweeb with no life, I can also safely assure anyone who is interested in William Blake's... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Stephanopolisrose
Very disappointing print
I was so disappointed when this arrived. I found it almost impossible to read because of the very poor quality of the printing, in fact, I gave up after a few chapters as almost... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jenny
Ackroyd's Blake
Ackroyd's "Blake" joins his "Dickens", "Chaucer" and "Thomas More" and I cannot think of two better and more interestingly matched characters than Blake and Ackroyd, both writers,... Read more
Published 8 months ago by RR Waller
An impressive account
I initially approached this book with some degree of trepidation. I knew that Peter Ackroyd would be likely to produce a wonderful account of Blake's life and times but I didn't... Read more
Published 9 months ago by FlyingAspidistra
William Blake by Ackroyd
BlakePeter Ackroyd writes well and succinctly which make his sentences easy to grasp. He uses previous biographical material extensively including Gilchrist and makes his text... Read more
Published on 18 May 2009 by M. Brendan Flanagan
A difficult vision to master
I found this book just too dificult. It is chock full of references to the life around Blake but says little about the man himself. Ditto with references to his work. Read more
Published on 15 Feb 2009 by mary C. Irving
A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2005 by S. Gardiner
a little too fawning to its subject matter
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book. Read more
Published on 1 Nov 2003 by O. Buxton
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