Dear Theo: The Autobiography of Vincent van Gogh - Vincent van Gogh Audiobook

Written by Vincent van Gogh
Read by Clive Chafer
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Irving Stone - Editor , Jean Stone - Contributor

Each night, when the hours of painting and drawing were over, Vincent van Gogh put pen to paper and poured out his heart through letters to his beloved brother Theo, his confidant and companion. No thought was too small, no element of his craft too insignificant, no happening too trivial. It was all scrupulously recorded and shared. In these letters, Van Gogh reveals himself as artist and man. Even more than if he had purposely intended to tell his life story, Van Gogh’s letters lay bare his deepest feelings, as well as his everyday concerns and his views of the world of art. Irving Stone has edited the letters of Vincent in such a way as to retain every line of beauty, significance, and importance. “It is my humble opinion that Vincent was as great a writer and philosopher,” Stone says, “as he was a painter.”

In an incredible series of letters to his brother, artist Vincent van Gogh discusses life, art, religion, and philosophy. He also records the daily comings and goings of his life, first as a teacher and missionary and then as a painter. They form an intimate autobiography. Clive Chafer does a solid job narrating the work, giving emotion to the artist’s angst and joys, especially in his discussion of art. Chafer adopts a more even tone for the more mundane passages. The book, as a whole, can be a little tedious at times as we follow the author literally day by day–to the market, to a school, or on a ramble in the countryside. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2012