Tyger on the Crooked Road: William Blake-Poet, Painter, Prophet

by Barry Raebeck

Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement are the roads of Genius. -William Blake, the Marriage of Heaven and Hell One of the world's most brilliant, visionary artists, William Blake was a painter, engraver, illustrator, and poet as well as a mystic of extraordinary proportion. But he was also a political radical, a Dissenter, and a friend and supporter of Thomas Paine, the English common man, and the early stages of the French Revolution. This remarkable personality is reimagined in Tyger on the Crooked Road, a bold historical novel that delves into both the man and the legend. In the late-eighteenth century, Blake struggles to make ends meet. He is harassed by repressive authorities, denied professional membership in the Royal Academy of Art, and considered by major artistic and literary figures of the day to be little but a willful eccentric. Not a few of them think him mad. But beyond his art and politics, Blake is a loyal friend and a passionate and devoted husband. His life comprises an amalgam of conflict and compassion, adventure and failure, violence and political intrigue, frustration and inspiration. This Blake is a man of profound appetite and exquisite skill-one who offers an enduring voice of strength, justice, promise, and capacity. Tyger on the Crooked Road brings Blake vividly to life, a genius underestimated in his own time but known and beloved today.

362 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2013

Reviews

[W. M. Raebeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knowing little about William Blake, I didn't know what to expect from the book. What I found was a consistently well-crafted journey back in time, right into Blake's life, his home, his relations, and his point of view. Through warm and intimate scenes full of charmingly authentic dialogue, we're treated to an insider's look at times gone by, and how an artist-slash-visionary-slash-renegade might have gotten through his days and years. The author's apparent understanding of this era and of William Blake seems almost uncanny, as if he's channeling Blake in many of his descriptive scenes. It's clear that Barry Raebeck has the deepest regard for his subject, and unwavering dedication in shining a light onto a man who walked the line way before his time. In addition to a fine story about a famous person, I found the writing masterful, meaningful, and colorful. "Tyger on the Crooked Road" was a pleasure to read, and is a must for Blake scholars, Anglophiles, and history buffs.

[Robin Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyger on the Crooked Road is a well-researched biographical novel, true to what we know about William Blake and the times in which he lived, and full of amazing dialogue. It greatly adds to our understanding of this difficult, driven artist/poet. You will never read his poems or look at his art the same way.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew very little about William Blake and his genius, divine giftedness, and love for people, both known and unknown, before reading this book. Barry Raebeck's excellently written historical novel has caused me to want to read Blake's work and view his art so that I can learn more about William Blake.