The yellow house Book

I have mixed feelings about this book. I don't think I'd recommend it to someone solely on the basis of being a good read (it's not). Gayford needed a better editor, because though he is incredibly thorough and informative, he really needs someone to smooth out the prose. The book took me a while to get through, because it doesn't really lend itself to "reading" - it's more take some in, process for a while, and then read some more. There's so much in here that I think the better version of this book would be twice as long. This is a fascinating period to focus on though - the subject-matter sort of just tells itself. (spoilers below)

For someone with no background in Van Gogh or Gauguin, getting to learn so much about how they influenced each other so vividly, what their rapport was like, and who they were as people and artists was great. Beyond that, reading Van Gogh's descent into madness with a pretty deep understanding (drawn from the first few hundred pages) of how it happened, made it that much more heartbreaking and thought-provoking. I was truly taken by Van Gogh in this book - isolated, but hapless to change it. He is presented as such a poetic, emotion-filled, thoughtful, and sensitive person that is tragically a prisoner to loneliness. And then there's his brilliance - the associations he draws, his amazing creativity and artistry - all were inspiring to me. Reading it made me feel inspired to just follow what feels right creatively for myself and to think more boldly. Though there is some insight into Gauguin in this book, I found it to be more a character study on Van Gogh (and of course there is a lot of information about how his art developed and changed over time, and what influenced him in Arles, etc). The book may just be more of a canvas for your own thoughts on the subject, since the author doesn't lead you too well until the end.