This is one of my favorite Nouwen books, along with Compassion (which I'm about to read again) and Return of the Prodigal Son.

I think that what I appreciate and enjoy most about Henri Nouwen is his taste for the paradox, the upside-down-kingdom perspective on things that must be under a lord who declares that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. And that sense of upsidedownness is probaby in its finest form in Clowning in Rome -- hence the title. In his quiet yet confident voice, Nouwen speaks of profound paradoxes -- how solitude is the foundation of community, celibacy the key element of a good marriage (or any intimate relation), and silence the basis of conversing with God.
I am learning how to read Nouwen's books as well, and it is something like the prayer life he talks about. I have been frustrating by the somewhat repetitive content of them in the past, but in some way, it is good and true that he sings the same tune repeatedly, with different variations. Somewhat in the same way of the Gospels -- it is good that there are four, though the story is basically the same. I am learning to quiet myself when I read Nouwen's books, not to read them quickly or intellectually or academically or even necessarily for content. It is amazing to me how often the Spirit speaks to me while reading these books: sometimes directly related to the content, sometimes not related at all. I am thankful for Nouwen's willingness to be a vessel for the Spirit through his writing, and for the environment these books help create within my spirit -- one in which I am especially attentive to the Spirit's whisperings.

I strongly wish that more people would read brother Nouwen's books, and hope that others find the same gold in them that I do. I strongly, firmly believe that it is Christianity of this sort -- this quiet, irrelevant, powerless spirituality -- that has the power to profoundly affect the world: indeed, that it is this kind of Christianity that has changed the world in past centuries.
(...)

This book may never hit the top of the charts or appeal to the general christian populace, but if you want to develop your spirit-man so as not to offend the gentle dove of the Holy Spirit, this book will stir you to contemplation and quieting the noise of your flesh so that your spirit may hear deeply. Though it is small, this is not a book to be read quickly. Allow it to seep into your spirit and gradually change your heart.

Excellent book that brought a lot of closure to certain episodes in my life. Nouwen had a great gift for being able to write in very easy to understand ways about topics such as celibacy, solitude and contemplation. He gave wonderful insights into why these virtues are so wonderful and necessary for those wanting to grow in holiness. His section on celibacy was very enlightening, especially in this world where it is so misunderstood. I'm thrilled the book is now available again to buy!

This is the accompanying book to the exhibition by the same name. It is classified by country and covers from Ireland on the Western edge of Europe to Turkey on the East. Within each country there no further classification by date, location or any other criteria. Photographs are less striking than his usual magnum style but has a certain peaceful effect to most of them. Photos from Russia are exceptionally good.

Cartier-Bresson is a God of Photography. This is his best album that I know.

Review Summary: This book is a brilliant expansion of M. Cartier-Bresson's 1955 show designed to emphasize the similarities that exist from country to country throughout Europe in the way people live together. M. Jean Clair has done a marvelous job of adding earlier and more recent images to extend and magnify this theme. As a result you will see an "unquestionable family likeness" for the Europeans that emerges from "the obstinate reworking of a chosen subject." The book contains 200 duotone images to make that point.

Reader Caution: While there is relatively little nudity in this book, there is one final image of two female models resting on a couch that would probably cost this material an R rating if it were a motion picture. If you skip that photograph, you will probably not find the other partial female nudity offensive. This one work is actually asexual, in portraying posing nude as hard work from which one needs a totally relaxing break.

Review: Since World War II, Europeans have been struggling with their common heritage and how to balance it with the national, religious, and cultural ones. Gradually, the differences are being homogenized. Brilliantly, Henri Cartier-Bresson understood early on that the connections were stronger than most other people probably realized. By showing the similarities across countries and cultures, he creates an awareness of potential for friendship that would escape those who had never visited all of these countries.

The work revolves around unnamed themes. But any casual viewer will spot children playing, men and women enjoying a relaxed moment together, public observances of religion and politics, how humans are dominated by nature, the contrasts between rich and poor, and the artificial nature of much modern life. His work also explores the subtle ways that natural and human-made objects display the same forms and outlines.

Here are my favorite images in the book: Guilvines, Brittany, France, 1956; On the banks of the Seine, France, 1936; Palais-Royal, Paris, France, 1959: Amarante, Alto Douro, Portugal, 1955; Lamego, Beira Alta, Portugal, 1955; Madrid, Spain, 1932; Ariza, Aragon, Spain, 1953; Aquila, the Abruzzi, Italy, 1951; Torcello, Italy, 1953; Zurich, Switzerland, 1953; Ridnik, Serbia, Yugoslavia, 1965; Gyor, Hungary, 1964; Near Linz, Upper Austria, 1953; Tug-boat pilots on the Rhine, Germany, 1952; Warsaw, Poland, 1931; Moscow, USSR, 1954; Fishermen, near Suzdal, USSR, 1972; George VI's Coronation, London, England, 1937; Queen Charlotte's Ball, London, England, 1959; and Break between drawing poses, Paris, France, 1989.

You will also be intrigued by how much of the political content of what is portrayed here has changed since it was photographed. The scenes of celebrating Soviet Communism and its founders are gone. The Berlin Wall is gone. The positive identification with everything royal in England is diminished.

Naturally, there's a less pleasant side of this convergence that M. Cartier-Bresson did not choose to portray -- the dominance of mass culture with world brands and forms of entertainment, often from outside Europe. In fact, some have argued that the gravity pulling Europe together is that people like to have more choices when they shop. Isn't it interesting that this dimension was ignored?

M. Cartier-Bresson has a masterly touch for composition that is seen again and again in these photographs. The large two-page landscapes with small people in them show the kind of sophistication that only the most successful painters achieve in the oversized paintings you see in the Paris museums. M. Cartier-Bresson also shows his love for people by portraying them in attractive, positive ways . . . even when they come from different ends of the religious and political spectrum. How wonderful it must have been for him to see people so positively!

Those who are long-time Cartier-Bresson fans will be disappointed a little in the images here. You are probably used to seeing them reproduced in somewhat larger sizes. The sizes used here work, but bigger in this case would have been better.

After you read this book and enjoy its wonderful images, I suggest that you think about how people can make connections with one another that move from a deep spiritual commitment to helping one another, regardless of the basis for that commitment. Otherwise, all we may find we have in common in the future is that it will look like we all shopped in the same mall.

Stand taller by assisting those who want to receive a willing heart!

This collection of photographs from the author's two visits to Mexico are quite striking. Cartier-Bresson knows his craft well, and yet I feel a slight disappointment in the book, as I had hoped that his range of subject matter would be a little more varied, and perhaps show a few more pictures of the countryside. This collection of photos is nice, but consists mostly of shots of a sociological nature, from the poor classes of Mexican society. I understand that this is Cartier-Bresson's personal photo essay, but perhaps he could have widened his scope of Mexico to have included a wider array of subject matter. I do like the pictures, there just should have been more of a variance of them. If you like Cartier-Bresson, his book of India is simply fantastic.

this is a very touching and intimate look at everyday life, but Cartier-Brenson's experienced eye has also captured the powerful light that alludes to heat, the mood of poverty, and the history that pervades this country. At different points this volume is disturbing, humorous, spiritual, and abstract. a masterpiece.

There is a consistant light which runs through Cartier-Bresson's work. It is the late afternoon light or the early morning glow, that enters his leica. We see it in the streets, behind the waitress in the Mexican bar as she leans unknowingly towards Cartier-Bresson's lens. It's surrounded by this light that Cartier-Bresson feels most at home, even in Mexico. Mexican notebooks is full of all Cartier-Bresson's hallmarks; real people in real situations. Circumstance and the click of his shutter fixes them in their descisive moment. This is a collection no photojournalist should be without.

I was really impressed with not only how wonderfully the book related to children, but to the colorful art work as well. My son asked lots of questions and related this book to his life.

Mike Venezia begins his look at Henri Matisse with the assertion that this was one of the most important painters of the 20th century. However, after having read this volume in the Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series I am not sure why this would be the case. If it is because Matisse wanted artwork to give people pleasure or because of his striking use of colors, then the problem is simply that the case is not made explicitly. Usually when an artist is important you can point to the impact he had on others, but that is not the argument being made here. I raise this issue, not because I have been grading papers all week and been constantly harping on the difference between arguing and asserting, but because I had been reading every one of Venezia's books I can get my hands on as part of my do-it-yourself art appreciation course. I want to know who was important and why.

What this book does do better than most of the volumes in this series is trace the development of Matisse as an artist. The best example of this is when he compares the 1908 work "Harmony in Red (The Tablecloth)," with Matisse's 1897 painting "La Desserte." The paintings both show a table covered with deserts, but in very different styles. Of course, it is the latter work that represents Matisse's use of colors and the working of decorative designs into his painting. This was a painter who did not start his life's work until he was twenty, but even with that late start Matisse produced art for half a century and went through several evolutions of style. Of the world's major artists (i.e., the ones Venezia writes about), only Pablo Picasso had more distinct and significant periods as an artist. Matisse is labeled a French post-impressionist artist, and while that particular designation is never explicitly explained, you can certainly get a sense for what it means by simply looking at the twenty examples of his work reproduced in this volume.

As always, there are several cartoons in which Venezia depicts key moments in the life of the artist, such as when he was ill and given a paint set, through which Matisse learned he did not want to be an assistant lawyer, but rather an artist. As mentioned earlier, there are twenty examples of Matisse's work reproduced throughout the book. My minor complaint on this score would be that except for the cover, you will not find another example of his work when his chief tool was a pair of scissors rather than the paintbrush. I also would have liked to have seen a painting by John Russell, who is cited as a major influence on Matisse in terms of the use of bright colors. Usually Venezia includes works by the other artists relevant to his subject, so I have to assume there were copyright problems this time around. This look at Henri Matisse is an above average entry in this first rate series for introducing young readers to the great artists of the Western world.

Mike Venezia makes famous artists come to life. I have used these books in my reading class and have inspired reluctant readers to read non-fiction. Ages 6-11 enjoy the lively language and great reproductions.

Pretty good gave me some nice feelings

I have found this book so helpful that I have used it as my morning devotional book two years running. Each day's reading is brief, yet so thought provoking. There is much spare space on each page and in my copy of the book all the spare space is filled up with thoughts and ideas provoked by the readings. I have given away at least ten copies of the book as gifts and I have invariably been thanked for each gift. If life is a journey, here are a set of helpful road signs.

This book leads one gently through all the themes of life with Christ. I love to give it as a graduation gift because it is mature, but not overwhelming. It is an invitation, one that can be picked up at any time of the year, and there is a short message. Worth having the head of one's bed - that's why I give it.

As has been noted by other reviewers, this book contains some "progressive" ideas. Nouwen does not get up on a soapbox, but he calmly records his opinions and his observations. His compassionate, endearing manner is more effective than the blatantly propagandistic stance we might encounter elsewhere. This is certainly four-star writing, but we reserve the right -- respectfully -- to dissent from Nouwen's dissentings.

These notes were made between two Septembers, 1995 and 1996; Nouwen's death occurred a few weeks after the final entry was made. We see his sympathy for Buddhism and for the current Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church; his fascination with the Olympics and with films about astronauts; his bemused comments on same-sex relationships (there is an ostensible endorsement of "gay" "marriage" will cause a few eyebrows to be raised). We find him reading Matthew Fox, the renegade Dominican; we find him "working out"; we find him meditating in a shrine called The Empty Bell, built by friends in the back of their house; and we find him celebrating the Eucharist in many domestic and companionable settings.

Nouwen's travels take him to California and New Mexico, Holland and Ireland, Watertown and Peapack, Freiburg and Toronto. He speaks warmly of his friends in the Episcopalian communion, the clergywoman Margaret Bullitt-Jonas and the clergyman turned politician Bob Massie. There is much an illumination of Nouwen's relationship with his aging father, whom he visits during the course of this year; there are many glimpses of Nouwen's liberality and liberalism; there is a sense of his ceaseless activity and his desire to learn more and do more up till the very end.

The Crossroad Publishing Company is not renowned for producing books that are unswervingly loyal to the Catholic magisterium; however, this book has considerable appeal. With the caveat that, perhaps, it is not for everyone.

This was my second Henry Nouwen book (the first was a book of selected writings edited by his friend Robert Jonas, with whom he stayed during part of the sabbatical described in this book), and I can assure you, this will not be my last Nouwen book. I have long been intrigued by this Catholic priest so often quoted by my Protestant pastors, and this book was recommended by one of them at a low point in my life.

Nouwen's spirituality and humanity come through so well through the pages of this journal. His reflections as he celebrates the Eucharist on a nearly daily basis are a source of spiritual food that sustains not only his community of friends (and he has many!) but his readers as well. He also writes about the tug of war he feels between wanting to write more, yet wanting to be available as a pastor for his friends, to preside over their weddings and baptisms and funerals. The anguish he feels over the death of Adam, a young disabled man who brought him to the Daybreak community he pastored for the last decade of his life, brought tears to my eyes. And he talks candidly about his hurts and disappointments, his anxieties and his fatigue, a haunting undercurrent, given the knowledge that three weeks after his final entry, he died of a massive coronary.

In short, you have to love, respect, and listen to a priest with the courage to write "...my faith and unbelief are never far from each other. Maybe it is exactly at the place where they touch each other that the growing edge of my life is" (p. 143). I am sorry I will never meet Nouwen in person, but I look forward to getting to know him better through his writings, and I look forward to someday meeting him in God's kingdom in Heaven.

This journal was written during the last year of Henri Nouwen's life, ending approximately one month before his death. In it, he describes his struggles with other people, his difficulty discerning what God intends for him, the direction his ministry is to take, and, woven throughout the book, are the continual, endless and beautiful themes of God's reconciling love, the Eucharist, forgiveness, friendship and love.

It is especially heartening (although sad for him) to read of his own struggles with others, his sadness and depression, his occasional hurt feelings, and to know that, great as he was, Nouwen struggled with the same problems of alienation and sadness that afflict us all. Yet, somehow, he found the strength to go on, and to inspire millions. Some of his beliefs may be upsetting to more traditional and conservative Christians, but were obviously products of much thought, energy and prayer. A very moving and inspiring book.

The clumsy, poorly written text in the first few chapters is almost impossible to read. Since it's so disjointed and quotes too much from Cezanne's personal letters or from other writings, I skipped over a large portion of this. I was also surprised that the authors tried to make Cezanne into some sort of religious deity, rather than a master of his art; it could be marketing hype accompanying the show, but Cezanne's work speaks for itself. In spite of these flaws, the painting and sketches are wonderfully reproduced, and the accompanying description is pretty good. But because the accompanying description is always laudatory and doesn't adequately talk about his mistakes, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between Cezanne's masterpieces and his OK work. The best part is learning what other artist, such as Monet and Matisse, owned what Cezanne painting (and then trying to speculate on why they liked a painting so much).

Picasso, speaking about modern art and artists, referred to Cezanne as "the father of us all." He was that rare artist whose vision -and ability to express it- was so keen and unique that it can actually impact the way we se the world around us. (How often I look into the trees and think "that looks like a Cezanne.") More than any other book of his work this volume succeeds in showing the sweep and depth of Cezanne's genius. The reproductions are superb and plentiful. The descriptive text accompanying each image, while interesting, needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as is often the case in catalogues of this nature. But the truth is I buy art books for the pictures! For text, try Rewald's book which is also excellent and contains some paintings not elsewhere printed, and deals extensively with the relationship between Cezanne and Zola. I also recommend Gotz Adriani's book on Cezanne. But if you can only have one, this is it.

This is a must for art lovers, in general, and for 19th cent. french art lovers, specifically. Rich in colour images and a detailed editorial on each piece. Also gives the history of ownership.

Absolutely wonderful. A must.

How can a novel be based on a man who peeps on other people through a hole in his apartment wall? Read this book to find out. The protagonist is an isolated man who presents a great many of the problems of modern existentialism in a nutshell. Colin Wilson used this book as the starting point for his "Outsider", and one can easily see why. The protagonist is a perfect example of the outsider. Unfortunately, he is not a particularly intelligent or perceptive outsider, and this detracts from the book. but on the whole, a great analysis of the human condition in the modern world.

Although sometimes considered as an erotic work, this is in fact a philosophical novel about solipsism.
This theme is treated brilliantly: a man looks through a hole in a wall in a hotel room into another room, where he observes scenes about life and death, like sex or a dying person who insults a priest.
He always asks himself: is this real or are these scenes only in my thoughts? Does the world outside me exist? His answer is negative: I am alone.
It brings him on the brink of schizophrenia. Even science cannot help him. But ultimately he chooses to continue to live, because there is still a sparkle of hope. To find out why, you should read this novel.
An ambitious, not always well understood, but brilliant work about an essential philosophical problem.

Some books are smuggled into our lives in a way that almost begs supernatural interpretation; thus did I unintentionally come across Henri Barbusse's novel: 'HELL'(LeEnfer,Paris,1908); suspiciously placed in my path as by divine intervention. So profound are my affections for this short 250 page book that I cannot forsee the same fate for myself had I not been challenged into taking "the left-hand path" this devil's pitchfork on the road of life signalled. Our narrator is the very man Colin Wilson used to define "The Outsider" in the opening pages of that influential book; but OUR NARRATOR WHOSE NAME APPEARS NOWHERE is much more than a reference point for late 20th century Art Historical/ Cultural Studies. He is witness to the unspeakable visions of the individual that any sensitive, intelligent young man would see if he were to cast one dark, unholy, voyeuristic eye and the other a tender, humanitarian, all-recording lens that must saturate itself in tears if it is to continue to bear looking any longer at the horrible woes of humankind. Our narrator has barely any hope left, all he has in the world is a hole in the wall in which to view, the world; more specifically, Paris around the turn of the 20th century. He suffers from the existential metaphysical horror of existence so prevalent in young men of his disposition, who are more concerned with deep matters of the soul than with eeking out a life of dull servitude amongst the financial fanfare of society. It is no surprise Robert Baldick, translator of J.K.Huysmans': "Against Nature"(A Rebours, 1884) chose to translate Barbusse's early novel, although vast differences exist between the two they are of like spiritual & reclusive considerations of new ways of experiencing the world on a much more intimate level than Naturalism or Realism; they process their thoughts to an intensive, hitherto unrealized degree that is considered "Decadent" by many. The things our narrator sees are everything that most young men are fascinated about: sexuality being high on the list. But it is not just tender LESBIANS devouring each other's venusian mounds that one must encourageingly suffer: ADULTERY, evoking feelings of jealousy in an innocent bystander(?)made of an eye peering at two lover's guilty squirmings; guilty, but like beauty, only in the eye of the voyeur. CHILDBIRTH is seen in all it's horrifying surgical mystery, bloody as only murder can compare, in which a slimy monster is squeezed out of a hole small as the one our narrator sees through; a hole usually reserved for sublime violation in the mind of a young man. DEATH plays a dirge on our narrator's heartstrings that marks the novel with an "X" on its forehead, setting it apart from other more common scenarios, giving our young man "steeped in the infinite" a chance to further his evolutionary spiritual career in that he may play for a while at being an old man's guardian Angel. These examples should suffice to give those attracted, with perhaps voyeuristic tendencies and a love of immortal Literature an idea of the scale and depths probed by this all-seeing eye in a motel wall. The language is entirely of late Symbolist/Decadent persuasion, poetically lyrical yet realistic and focused in its descriptions; Octave Mirbeau and J.K. Huysmans come to mind. But the book singularly occupies the celestial heights of voyeuristic literature, it has no comparison and is second to none. Its eye is an all-knowing, all-encompassing specimen. I believe it is the only novel of its kind Barbusse wrote, who went on in the surrealist years to be involved with political activities, bearing no evidence of further work in this artistic/spiritual realm in which he wholly succeeded in by birthing this literary only-child of its kind.

Sure, Bergson's ideas may not have been as revolutionary as Descartes' or Kant's, but I find them just as intriguing. In fact, it is his critique of the Empiricists (one of my favorite "ists") which I found most interesting in this work, along with his distinction between intellect and intuition. Scarcely sixty pages, "An Introduction to Metaphysics" is the type of work that can be read in one sitting (at your local Commercial Book Store if you are short on dinero) and I think you will find well worth the time.

"An Introduction to Metaphysics," is less an introduction to metaphysics than a criticism of its previous ideas. Bergson provides very interesting criticisms of empiricism and rationalism as well as interesting solutions to these problems. Bergson is one of the more intriguing of 20th Century Philosophers and I found this work enjoyable enough to recommend it to anyone with an interest in AND knowledge of the subject. However, if you are looking for an ACTUAL introduction to metaphysics, look elsewhere. Might I suggest starting with Aristotle?

The author Bergson has written a book that is ideal for students and or anybody considering studying or learning about "Metaphysics". However, I personally feel that somebody who is not a philosopher would do better to study some of Aristotle before looking into studying metaphysics. Nevertheless this book does it's job and does it well in the introduction of metaphysics by telling the reader what it's good for and why it's worthless. Having a good understanding of the benefits of studying metaphysics is truly the best way to pursued somebody into studying metaphysics. If your considering studying of metaphysics, good for you, I suggest you buy this book.

One of the most influential books in art history, The Life of Forms in Art is nonetheless horribly tedious. It was originally written in French, which is reportedly much more lucid. However, if your background in art historical study is strong, it is imperative that you understand Focillon's thesis. But I must tell you, I am a first year undergraduate at Yale, and I had to read it three times before some degree of understanding crept in; my graduate student TA read it twice! Enjoy!

Although I ultimately disagree with most of this book, I would neverthless wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody trying to think through the issue of form in art. What is form? How do forms evolve? What is the relationship between forms and space/ time? In particular this book begins from the curious problem of how, while individual artists do not conceive of their work as a develpment of existing forms, nevertheless, viewed historically, forms do seem to have their own life, their own temporality. How do we account for this. Focillon's prose is limpid and occasionally poetic, in an almost Proustian way. I loved reading this book.

This book is indispensable to anyone who wants to understand art and begin to comprehend its inevitable intricacies. It is an agreeable blend of art, its history and philosophy. The author explains his positions in crystal clear form and shows many of the myriad relationships among form itself and imagery. He almost always writes well-informed by an understanding of techniques and materials. The English edition requires more concentration than the French version which is eloquent.