Dear Theo: the Autobiography of Vincent Van Gogh

by Vincent; Stone Irving & Jean Van Gogh

"One of the most revealing, deep-moving autobiographies of all time. Irving Stone, distinguished author of The Agony and The Ecstasy & Lust for Life, has collected Van Gogh's intimate letters to his brother Theo, and the result is a vivid self-portrait in words whose intensity and emotion equal any painting the artist ever created."

Paperback

Published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Valerie D]

This is not a book I can personally rate, it felt all too familiar as I grew up with an extremely talented, brilliant, and a mentally ill brother. He was in and out delusional thinking, had talents that should have made him wealthy and secure many times over but instead he struggled with homelessness. He was in and out of treatment and hospitalizations. What I felt came through in Vincent’s letters, my brother also perseverated on thoughts and ideas, and he too had challenging relationships with people, especially in understanding women and their intentions or lack thereof. This book was like revisiting life with my brother. I liked hearing how Vincent appreciated viewed beauty in what others might find mundane, as in common people, people living in poverty, the beauty in nature, appreciation of the colors and shades of the world around him. I appreciated hearing of his compassion for those in society who were considered by most the dredges of society, where he saw a common thread of humanity. But I was inpatient with the repetitive, unchanging struggles Vincent voiced in nearly every letter. He was remarkably lucky to have Theo as a benefactor and a constant source of emotional support. We are all lucky for the support Theo was for Vincent.
One thing I’d recommend is to read this book rather than listen to the audiobook, I frankly found the narrator in the audio version tedious to listen to, in part because of the content I suppose. Perhaps some of my sensitivity of the book stemmed from this.

[Dylan Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

imagine writing ~600 pages worth of verbose letters to your brother and people still reading them 125 plus years later ... !!! one of the bigger book undertakings i've done in a minute, took me all this month basically, touch dry at times, but ultimately worth it. van gogh, as artaud describes in his BATSHIT essay on him, is at times just as good at describing in words his feelings, his impressions, as he is painting them. in the letters it is confirmed how sensitive a soul he was, how ardently day after day year after year he struggled to find his purpose, to express himself properly, to help others, to do something different in painting. so many failures, so much heartbreak, so much rejection. in the letters we learn how passionately van gogh appreciated, in addition to his fellow painters, novelists, who he learned just as much from. the man was OBSESSED with millet and delacroix but also with zola and shakespeare. i've often considered dabbling in painting and the URGE IS RENEWED.

ALSO, watch minelli's LUST FOR LIFE after reading this (or during), it's the perfect accompaniment.

[Cassie Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dont know what I was expecting but this one kept me in my feels. Through these letters from Vincent van Gogh’s to his brother, I feel like I've met the man...lonely, hopeful, and longing to be understood. His honesty about mental health, rejection, faith, and calling is so raw and unfiltered

Reading it was not easy. It's intimate and sometimes uncomfortable, but felt meaningful. It reminded me of the cost of creation and the power of being truly seen by even one person. If his artwork made me admire him, his words have made me love him.