William Blake: The Gates of Paradise

I completely agree with previous reviewers -- while this is a superb introduction to the life, work & thought of William Blake for younger readers, older readers will find it just as engaging & informative. The key is author Michael Bedard's obvious understanding of & empathy for Blake's vision. He never resorts to reductionism, "explaining" Blake's worldview through the distorting rationalist lens that Blake himself rejected. Instead, he presents & accepts Blake at his word, allowing the readers to experience Blake for themselves, unfiltered, undiluted. If that weren't enough, he also places Blake in context of his times, allowing small & often grim details of everyday life in England to reveal the sort of world in which Blake lived. This clearly shows what Blake was reacting against -- not just the physical ugliness of a world based on money, power & production, but the spiritual ugliness that fuels & upholds such a world. The unspoken parallel to the present world is all too obvious. Best of all, he emphasizes the credo of finding "the All in the small" that Blake embraced by using it as a frame for his book. Using Blake's early little pamphlet "The Gates of Paradise" as the entrance to Blake's magnificent vision is a stroke of brilliance. Added to this is the judicious selection of art & poetry, enough to kindle the imagination of readers coming to Blake for the first time. Even for longtime readers of Blake, this is a book worth adding to your shelves -- most highly recommended!

I loved this book! I knew the name William Blake but now I know all about him- and I am pleased to have read this wonderful book.

I always wanted to figure out what was behind the art and poems of William Blake and I think this author has a special way of getting the reader to that exact information. It is kind of like an Ed Burns documentary but added to that is the joy that the author feels for his subject. That joy added to the rapture of Blake's life leads the reader to splendor.

This is much more than a kids biography. This is a well-organized, handsomely-presented full read on Master Blake. Yes it's a perfect introduction for someone, but I also found this to be a superb supplementary book for the William Blake fan. I was impressed throughout -- especially with the loads of illustrations herein. Killer lil Blakebook.

Very good