Van Gogh's Letters: The Mind of the Artist in Paintings, Drawings, and Words, 1875-1890

I am a Van Gogh fan and love a lot of his quotes and the interactions with his brother Theo. I was hoping to get that with this book. However, the excerpts chosen from these letters dealt more with his references to colors and the scenes he was painting (which is great for some) but I wanted more of the human stories.

I did like that this book had photos of the letters and then the text printed in English, it just wasn't the portions of the letters I wanted. i could not find any of my favorite Van Gogh quotes in these excerpts so that was a disappointment. Here are some of the quotes I missed, I wanted to see the context in which they were written:
Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
Conscience is a man’s compass.
I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.
One must work and dare if one really wants to live.
Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things put together.
I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it.
Admire as much as you can. Most people do not admire enough.
A great fire burns within me, but no one stops to warm themselves at it, and passers-by only see a wisp of smoke.
If you hear a voice within you saying, you are not a painter, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.
I have put my heart and my soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.
Only when I fail do I get up again.
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.
What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
Art is to console those who are broken by life.
I wish they would only take me as I am.
Success sometimes is a whole string of failures.
The way to know life is to love many things.
Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.
I would rather die of passion than of boredom.
I try more and more to be myself, caring relatively little whether people approve or disapprove.
It is a pity that, as one gradually gains experience, one loses one's youth.
What is done in love, is done well.

Not a literary review here, I'm just a lover of pure aethsetics. I was looking for a version of Van Gough's letters that included high quality images of his sketches along with the translated text. This printing does that and much more, selecting 150 of the most interesting letters. We're just fans, not academics, so it's great to find a collection of his work that doesn't break the bank. And don't be put off by the soft cover edition, this is a well made book with thick, glossy paper and a heft that made me think it was a hardcover when I took it out of the box.

The book is awesome, informative and touching. If you love Van Gogh now, just wait until you've read his letters. There is no way you can know him, his heart and his soul for the art, without having read his letters.
The book is presented well and has a fine quality about it. I think all Van Gogh fans need to have this book in their collection.

Since I learned who he was, Vincent Van Gogh has been one of my favorite artists. Van Gogh's Letters by H. Anna Suh has taught me much more about him. This book provides English translations of all the letters Van Gogh wrote to his younger brother Theo, who supported and encouraged the artist throughout his difficult and troubled life as a painter. Though he was never financially successful in his tireless efforts to break new ground in his work, he never lost his passion for painting or for people, especially poor working people. Through his letters, the reader shares his passions as well as his struggles with a developing madness that eventually led him to take his own life. His wonderful and colorful paintings, however, remain. Though his contemporaries, who neither understood him or his work ever recognized his genius, successive generations did. H. Anna Suh has produced a book that allows us to see just what it took for Van Gogh to bequeath his brilliant work to the world. In addition, Ms. Suh has provided images of his paintings throughout, making it a feast not just for the mind, but for the eye as well.

Jean Barber

I am really enjoying this book! It was recommended to me by my art teacher, and the quality of the reproduced images from his letters is really beautiful. Love hearing his "voice" from his letters. It is definitely worth the cost.

I saw this book first at the MOMA in New York. Waited until I got home to see if I still wanted it...I did...so found it on Amazon. I love all things Van Gogh and this book is a good one to have if you do. For $20, it's really nice to have a reasonably comprehensive book about the letters between him and his brother Theo and the prints of his paintings are well done. This is one of two books that I keep on the ottoman in my living room (the other a world guide to street art).

This is an absolutely fabulous book. I am an artist myself, but am obsessed with Van Gogh's work in any medium. These letters give a deep insight in VG's processes and vision. It is actually a fine reference book one will go back to time and time again. My biography of VG (the new 900-page one, which is also excellent) is on my library shelves. The VG Letters book is on the table near my easel. A MUST BUY.

Very enjoyable reading and a wonderful insight to Van Gough's thoughts as he progressed through his life with painting and drawings. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in art.

Simply wonderful. A nice book with clear photos on nice paper. And I love having the letters describing each painting right next to the image. A must for your Van Gogh library.

So many people did not know about Van Gogh's letters - I learned a lot when I did a college final essay on him (I got a 88 out of 100). Great book on his letters, poetry, quotes, messages, prose, etc... Never knew about all of this. I used this book and others at Amazon, as resources for my essay paper. I passed and graduated (May 2021 class).