Reviews for English Pleasure Gardens

The average rating for English Pleasure Gardens based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-05-16 00:00:00 Jason Abell I'm split over this book. I expected something very different. It was recommended to me by a colleague, and overall, it was enjoyable. The subtitle (Italian Gardens and the Invention of Wilderness) had me convinced it would actually be about Italian gardens. It was only glancingly--through the lens of famous American authors who have been inspired by Italian gardens. Which is fine in itself, but I wanted to actually learn about the gardens' histories themselves. I also get the feeling that the author, and indeed the editors, couldn't really decide what this book was about. Was it about gardening in Massachusetts, was it about the author's love affair with the Greek god Pan, was it about living in the frightening face of always-marching suburbia, was it about European garden style, Edith Wharton's life and Italian writings, or was it about AJ Downing's influence on gardening and architecture in America? Really all these things...and often they all pointed in different directions. Things I liked: That for once we have a "wildness" writer that didn't shrink and just run away to a further-flung wilderness in the face of oncoming suburbia. He did the hard thing--he stayed and made his acreage all the more special and detailed to him. I think there are lessons to be learned from the horticultural designers of old, and he was updating a few of them in the wake of the imploding American wilderness myth we're all so fond of. There were also other magical little moments here. The dead bear cub scene, the Midsummer Night's Dream scene. I liked his process for building his maze. Not unpleasurable, as I sped through it in less than a day. Things I didn't like: Very few images, and what there were were mini contemporary line-drawings, more evocative of the chapter titles than illustrative of the book's actual material. I really, really wanted a couple of images (historical line drawings/maps would have been great) to set in stone the difference between French garden parterres and Italian formal design, for instance. I was also bothered by his tone in particular points, especially when it came to talking about women. He doesn't seem to have a basic grasp on women as people. Through most of the book, he called his fiancee his "betrothed," his "affianced." This is funny in an off-handed way for a few times, but then you need to get over it and call her by her name. Seriously. Oh, and my biggest pet peeve of ALL: Mitchell doesn't have one citation, nor bibliographic entry, in the ENTIRE book. He enters into all kinds of debates, deals with many 19th century horticulturists, etc. Was this total lack of citation his idea or his editor's? Either way, it stinks. What person that actually picks up this book would EVER be turned off by a short biblio in the back? EERRGGG. This book did make me want to get a hold of Edith Wharton's *Italian Villas and Their Gardens*. And perhaps continue my search to know a bit more about actual Italian garden history.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-09-04 00:00:00 James Corman An interesting ramble through the history of 'wildness' and attempts to capture that sense of wildness in planned gardens of the last few centuries. A good book for reflection and to open ones eyes to the effect a good garden plan can have on the visitor.