Blake

Ackroyd's "Blake" joins his "Dickens", "Chaucer" and "Thomas More" and I cannot think of two better and more interestingly matched characters than Blake and Ackroyd, both writers, lovers of and inhabitants of London, a city which fascinates them.Three sections of illustrations, two black-and-white drawings and sketches and one colour section of Blake's works, complement the scholarly text in which he builds a vivid picture of life in Blake's London and the man himself.All that we see is Vision, A Temple built by Albion's Children , We do not want Greek or Roman Models and The Bible of Hell - just four of the twenty-eight chapters followed by twenty pages of source notes and ten pages in the bibliography and references.Ackroyd is a detailed, punctilious researcher; drawn from Lady Charlotte Bury's diary is the following description of Blake: "... another eccentric little artist ... full of beautiful imaginations and genius ... appears unlearned in all that concerns this world and, from what he said, I should fear that he is one of those whose feelings are far superior to his station in life. He looks care-worn and subdued". This was after Blake attended a dinner given by Lady Caroline Lamb in 1818. Ackroyd ponders on what he was doing there but goes on to make some fascinating observations. (P 338)This is typical of this highly recommended book.

I ordered this because there was a Blake exhibition coming up. It is completely fascinating and Ackroyd has painted a picture of London as Blake grew up in it - every smell, every influence. His friendships, his art. Wonderful. Thank you P.A.

Much like the author's work on Shakespeare, due to the lack of contemporary material, the biography isn't a true biography as such. The book weaves around (mainly London but) the Georgian intellectual world with Blake as a vague pin keeping it all from straying too far away from the title.This isn't an issue and I did enjoy the book, although it was a little scholarly and heavy at times. The author digresses masterfully on many occasions, bringing in philosophers, artists, poets, friends and acquaintances who inspire or affect Blake, and uses his extraordinary powers of understanding his subject so comprehensively to delve deeper and deeper into Blake's mind and what made him who he was.However, the only reason i drop to 4 stars is that there is little real sense of the man himself and what meeting him would have been like - his inspiration and influences are discussed brilliantly, but there is no real attempt to separate the man from the artist, so the book can feel repetitive and like you are going down a bit of a rabbit hole in parts. That may be fitting though with Blake!On balance, i think this is an excellent work but not an easy breezy 'poolside' read, and not really a biography in the traditional sense, so may not be for you if you have a casual interest in finding out a bit more about William Blake.Others have commented on the publishing being poor. I have the paperback and I didn't find this a huge issue, occasionally a word had a slightly unprinted letter in it but it never stopped me in my tracks or took away from the experience. It may be of interest, the book is about 400 pages of main content but the font is small and packed in, so it's a more substantial read that it appears!Enjoy.

I have been a massive Blake fan since I was 16, and yes, whilst that makes me sound like a dweeb with no life, I can also safely assure anyone who is interested in William Blake's life to pick up this book and buy it. Ackroyd is one of those writers who encaptures the whole picture, rather than just one part of it, and his chronicling of Blake's life and works is interesting, clever, and in some places witty. It's a book that is meant to capture the imagination of the reader and transport them back to 1757, leading them through the French and American Revolutions, past Blake's home in Felpham (where he was arrested for throwing a soldier off his property after said soldier peed on his garden) all the way through to his death. It also gives a great account of his early life, when he was still at home, facts that are hard to come by. All in all, an amazing biography, and one I used when writing my dissertation for Uni :)

I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

One of the best biographies I have ever read. Full of well researched information and gives a really interesting look at all aspects of William Blake's life. I ended up liking Blake even more than I did before I read Ackroyd's book.

A good read - but very disappointed with the version sent

“Blake: A Biography” is classic Peter Ackroyd, whom we in the United States would call a popular as opposed to academic writer but who occupies a different position in Britain. Amateur historian and biographer he may be, but few living writers today can equal his output, erudition, and insight. He’s in the process of writing a multi-volume history of England. He’s written three novels. He’s retold the stories of the legend of King Arthur and “The Canterbury Tales.” And he’s written biographies of Charles Dickens, T.S. Eliot, Sir Isaac Newton, Edgar Allen Poe, Geoffrey Chaucer, J.M.W. Turner and Shakespeare. And William Blake.Ackroyd gives us Blake in his historical context, and “historical” is defined in its broadest terms – historical, philosophical, literary, social, and economic.We see Blake growing up in a “Dissenting” household (people who did not belong to the Church of England). We’re walking with him on a London street when he gets caught up in the anti-Catholic Gordon Riots that led to looting and the destruction of Newgate Prison (nine years before the Bastille was stormed in Paris). We discover that London always seemed like a riot waiting to happen, and that public licentiousness at all class levels was common. We rub shoulders with the artists and poets who were his friends, and those who thought he was more than slightly mad.This is where Ackroyd excels as a writer, allowing us to imagine what it was like to be William Blake, and how his personal life and the times in which he lived shaped and directed his art and his poetry. Here, for example, is a poem from Blake’s notebook, written in 1792 when the fear of the French Revolution had reached levels of near hysteria in London and the king had stationed Prussian mercenary troops in and around the city:I wander thro each dirty streetNear where the dirty Thames does flowAnd see in every face I meetMarks of weakness marks of woeIn every cry of every manIn every voice of every childIn every voice in every banThe german forged links I hearBut most the chimney sweepers cryBlackens oer the chuches wallsAnd the hapless soldiers sighRuns in blood down palace walls“Blake: A Biography” is a fascinating account, meticulously researched and extraordinarily well written.

Very academic requiring some background in literature and history to navigate but that is to be expected given the subject and the depth to which it is explored: typical Ackroyd thoroughness and perception. It is a tough slog but worth the time: it isn't a quick read by any measure: very dense. Not a book for those looking for a "good story" to pass a rainy night! I loved it because I have some Blake background but it certainly isn't for the general reading public. It is what I expected it would be: an excellent resource for scholars. The paperback version is badly printed, however, and somewhat difficult to read so take that as a warning. Rocco

William Blake is a very complex and infuriating character. I was first introduced to him by the rock group the Doors with their song "End of the Night" and loved "Jerusalem" a poem put to music by Sir Hubert Parry.I've always been intrigued by William Blakes poem the "Auguries of Innocence" but also infuriated by the banal and clumsy lines in it. I love the following lines:"Every day and every morn a child is born, some are born to sweet delight, some are born to sweet delight, some are born to endless night."This book helps to explain the meaning of some of Blakes poems and the context of his spiritual beliefs, influenced by Emanuel Swedenborg. I like history so enjoyed the historical detail.This book would not be acceptable as the basis of an essay on literary criticism of Blake at University level.I'ts very enjoyable to read.

Its the kind of book you have to set aside a time when you want a reading challenge.