Customer Rating: 

This is a beautifully presented book.It is a must for all Van Gogh lovers.It complimented the the exhibition at the RA.Anyone who missed the exhibition will obviously miss seeing the works in real life,however this book brings the relationship Van Gogh had with his brother alive.The paintings are beautifully reproduced that you can linger over them in peace from the crowds.I found the letters haunting so be warned!The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters

Customer Rating: 

I did not get the chance to see the exhibition at the Royal Academy so this book was a good alternative. Excellent content and also cheaper than from the Royal Academy. Prompted me to consider a trip to Amsterdam to see the Van Gogh museums.

Customer Rating: 

I realized that I did not have anything on Van Gogh or his paintings when trying to find something on him. I decided to invest in this book and it was definatly worth it. It shows deeply exactly what Van Gogh was trying to say and shows his paintings and drawings through a series of letters to his brother Theo and other correspondants. It shows the myth of the crazed painter to be that only of a geneius whom was often lonely. I thought that most interesting part was how he would paint a picture and then sketch it in his letters for his brother to see excatly what he was creating, this in itself, is eye opening and documents his life better than any other artist in the world.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see further into Van Goghs art and discover the meanings and feelings that he passionatly puts into his paintings. A really interesting read and beautifully shows his painting progression. 5 Star all the way!

Customer Rating: 

THis is a fantastic book to accompany the exhibition on this year.
I was deighted to findit on Amazon as I didn't buy it at the RA and thought I'd missed my chance.

The exhibtion itself it fascinating but very busy and it was difficult to get close to read most of the letters.

Havin the book means I can browse at my leisure and really discover moeabout this tortured soul.

As an added bonus it was quite significantly cheaper!

Customer Rating: 

This is a great book, and not just purely for Van Gogh fans, it's an inspiring book for anybody who has ever had a dream or ambition of any kind, as Van Gogh's story is about a man striving to realise his dreams. It's tinged with poignancy, because as we know, sadly, Van Gogh died poor and without the recognition he craved. It's only after his death that he became a superstar.

My only criticism really (and hence 4 stars instead of 5) is that I thought the actual letters themselves would be included, in full, and having skimmed through, this appears not to be the case. There are extracts from the letters, but not the whole text. This is probably due to the fact that the letters would have required translation.

However, it's only a small disappointment in what is otherwise an exemplary publication.