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A Field Guide to Melancholy
A depressive illness or a passing feeling? Mental detachment or a precursor to genius? Melancholy is a critical part of what it is to be human, yet everything from Prozac to self-help psychology books seems intent on removing all signs of sadness from contemporary existence. A Field Guide to Melancholy surveys this ambivalent concept and takes a journey through the articulation of melancholy in a variety of languages, from the Russian toska of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin to kaiho—which is expressed in the dancing of the Finnish tango. Melancholy is found in the historic traditions of death’s presence in paradise, the tears of nature, along with nostalgia, pathos, and melancholy’s presiding god, Saturn. In contemporary society, melancholy becomes a fashion statement in the emo subculture. This guide finds melancholy within the work of writers such as W. G. Sebald and Jean-Paul Sartre, the art of photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto and multi-media artist Gerhard Richter, the films of Andrei Tarkovsky and Patrick Keiller, the music of Erik Satie and Tom Waits, the architecture and landscapes of ruins, and the 21st century’s predilection for memorials.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2009
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221 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 25, 2020
Fascinating book that delivers far more than expected.
I thought this was simple self-help, but it's far more than that.
It's almost scientific, anthropological approach to ungraspable nature of complex emotion.
Also, into the paradoxical beauty of all things melancholic. Yes, there seems to be such thing as beauty of sadness, and it's practically melancholia defined.
I thought this was simple self-help, but it's far more than that.
It's almost scientific, anthropological approach to ungraspable nature of complex emotion.
Also, into the paradoxical beauty of all things melancholic. Yes, there seems to be such thing as beauty of sadness, and it's practically melancholia defined.
December 7, 2011
This was a little gem of a book that was truly a joy to read, despite the subject matter. The author brings to light the subject of a sense of darkness that can be found all around the world in various cultures and in different places: art, architecture, landscapes, literature, music, film and language itself. The history of the mental state otherwise defined as madness or depression or genius is also discussed as is our need to embrace this subject and the influence it has on our lives. It appears we have a need to experience melancholy in order to more fully enable us to appreciate joy as well.
July 22, 2015
I really enjoyed this book's exploration of melancholy's connection to beauty and genius--and difference from depression. This is a quick read with a variety of references to both literature and musical culture. It's a fun quick read. Dare I say a good beach read for students of melancholy? Ha! Worth picking up.
February 8, 2013
Terrific little book that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: offer a general introduction to the various ideas and expressions of melancholy the world over. A lively read filled with nuanced insights and explanations, what I loved most about this book is that it first clarified my understanding of (and thinking about) melancholy and then had me scribbling all kinds of titles and names (of other books, films, songs, museums, photographers, etc) to seek out. The ideal jumping-off point for an exploration of this complex, misunderstood frame of mind . . .
November 23, 2021
books to make you believe in humoral theory
March 13, 2019
Very informational and well-documented!
February 10, 2014
I had high hopes for this book, and honestly if it wasn't what I expected that's my own fault. I'm sure it would be a magnificent read for the right person, a real tour de force. However, that person is undoubtedly someone very immersed in the art world; that is, certainly not me.
When I decided to read the field guide, it was with little more foreknowledge than the synopsis. Consequently, I expected something a little more well-rounded than "melancholy in art, architecture, and music", which would have been a more apt title. Since I'm not terribly well acquainted with these fields, most of the references and jargon were opaque to me. Large chunks of material, spread across several sections, are devoted entirely to photography alone. By my count, there are 22 instances of the word "poignant" and 14 more of "poignancy"; none of them do much more for me than "melancholic" would have.
Now, for the good parts. There is a decent history of the term, if not as extensive as I would have liked. It's a surprising and interesting history too, but it's also mostly available on Wikipedia. Second, and much more impressive, is the list of related foreign concepts. A sort of etymological map of melancholic concepts. It turns out most cultures have their own versions of melancholia, with subtle differences and a staple of core properties that remain the same.
So, whether this is the book for you depends largely on what it is about melancholy that draws your interest. If it's the effect of melancholy on art, or the representation of melancholy in art, than this book is highly recommended. Otherwise, not so much.
When I decided to read the field guide, it was with little more foreknowledge than the synopsis. Consequently, I expected something a little more well-rounded than "melancholy in art, architecture, and music", which would have been a more apt title. Since I'm not terribly well acquainted with these fields, most of the references and jargon were opaque to me. Large chunks of material, spread across several sections, are devoted entirely to photography alone. By my count, there are 22 instances of the word "poignant" and 14 more of "poignancy"; none of them do much more for me than "melancholic" would have.
Now, for the good parts. There is a decent history of the term, if not as extensive as I would have liked. It's a surprising and interesting history too, but it's also mostly available on Wikipedia. Second, and much more impressive, is the list of related foreign concepts. A sort of etymological map of melancholic concepts. It turns out most cultures have their own versions of melancholia, with subtle differences and a staple of core properties that remain the same.
So, whether this is the book for you depends largely on what it is about melancholy that draws your interest. If it's the effect of melancholy on art, or the representation of melancholy in art, than this book is highly recommended. Otherwise, not so much.
November 10, 2016
This was quite an interesting read. Dealing with a subject matter so fraught with mystery and ambiguity is no small feat. The audacity to delve so deep into it is what bumped this up to that 4th star for me.
Bowring starts with a trip through antiquity; touching on the early Greek and Roman perceptions of this mellow state of mind via the four 'humours'. From here is a patient stroll through national, creative, psychological, and philosophical inquiry where the notion of melancholy is brought into the light for analysis.
Beyond its ability to traverse through so much of human history, the book is a beautiful meditation on things such as the time of melancholy (long Autumn evenings, 'the season of mists and mellow fruitlessness'), nostalgia, and the melancholic overtones evident through music, architecture, and theatre. All of these things have been of interest to me for some time now, so seeing them reflected upon in such an articulate manner was a real joy.
For me the most refreshing thing about this book is it's yearning for a time where something as, ironically, 'enabling' as melancholy (as an enabler for clarity of thought, creativity, and eventual peace of mind) wasn't immediately cast aside as the genesis of a more serious season of depression; but rather permitted by society.
Bowring starts with a trip through antiquity; touching on the early Greek and Roman perceptions of this mellow state of mind via the four 'humours'. From here is a patient stroll through national, creative, psychological, and philosophical inquiry where the notion of melancholy is brought into the light for analysis.
Beyond its ability to traverse through so much of human history, the book is a beautiful meditation on things such as the time of melancholy (long Autumn evenings, 'the season of mists and mellow fruitlessness'), nostalgia, and the melancholic overtones evident through music, architecture, and theatre. All of these things have been of interest to me for some time now, so seeing them reflected upon in such an articulate manner was a real joy.
For me the most refreshing thing about this book is it's yearning for a time where something as, ironically, 'enabling' as melancholy (as an enabler for clarity of thought, creativity, and eventual peace of mind) wasn't immediately cast aside as the genesis of a more serious season of depression; but rather permitted by society.
June 28, 2021
I'd say 2.5, rounded up. I have some difficulty disentangling my thoughts on this. Bowring sets out in the introduction to mirror melancholy in her narrative. Acknowledging that it is a complex, multifaceted topic that won't have a clear cut boundary, this makes a lot of sense. In the end though, I found myself more dragging through extended lists of types of melancholy, artists, writers, etc, which was more boring than in itself melancholic. I wouldn't say that she didn't capture melancholy at all and part of the low rating is due to my own slight impatience and aversion to lists in narrative books. It just wasn't precisely what I expected and I think the target audience might be of a more academic sort that want something that is more akin to a cultural overview of melancholy rather than mood board mirroring its own content and conveying the feeling rather than the knowledge about the feeling.
September 22, 2019
This book was both a fast read and a slow read for me....which seemed to be fitting with the duality of melancholy that was presented in the book. I started reading it in an airport, and from that point on I would only read the book while traveling....it filled the spaces that are normally dominated by boredom and angst and made them places of intense self-reflection. In a world where it seems that the only socially acceptable emotion is happiness, I am glad that a book like this exists to remind us of the creative power of melancholy. We have such a beautiful kaleidoscope of emotions available to humanity, we should appreciate and learn about them all.
March 27, 2024
Profound and nuanced exploration of melancholy, presenting it as more than mere sadness, weaving it into the fabric of creativity and culture.
I like the connections between melancholy and artistic expression, though at times, the narrative could benefit from a more streamlined approach, as the breadth of references occasionally dilutes the focus.
While the book shines in its rich historical and cultural insights, i expect deeper engagement with contemporary psychological understandings of melancholy. I didnt get that here.
Nonetheless, Bowring’s work stands out for its eloquent portrayal of melancholy’s complex beauty, making it a valuable read.
I like the connections between melancholy and artistic expression, though at times, the narrative could benefit from a more streamlined approach, as the breadth of references occasionally dilutes the focus.
While the book shines in its rich historical and cultural insights, i expect deeper engagement with contemporary psychological understandings of melancholy. I didnt get that here.
Nonetheless, Bowring’s work stands out for its eloquent portrayal of melancholy’s complex beauty, making it a valuable read.
June 26, 2021
Forgotten almost as soon as it was read.
April 25, 2022
Most me book I've ever read, I can't wait to dive into the supporting bibliography.
February 24, 2016
Melancholy has always interested me in that, from a surface perspective, I seemed to be more that kind of person than any of the labels associated with normal behaviour, thinking or being positive and the like. My dad was all about being positive when I was growing up, yet he was a critical person, although not of me, and, ultimately, an unhappy one, for several reasons.
My mum used to say that when he laughed it was because something was really funny, and she was right there. But he was never really doom and gloom in the moody sense, the latter being a characteristic of me and sometimes expressed in what music I would be listening to, although there were limits to that and I would never have been characterised as an emo, for instance, or interested in Nick Cave, other than he was from a Victorian country town I knew of through driving on its streets on the way to somewhere else.
Jacky Bowring, who appears to be from New Zealand, mentions emos and Cave, as well as melancholy landscapes and architecture, redolent of the postmodern and Kantian sublime I failed to adequately grasp in my Masters' studies; there it seemed deliberately obfuscatory, which is really, on reflection, an important aspect of the post-modern, at least how it's presented by a number of people.
I bought the book because I thought it might help me locate myself somewhere within; it is, after all, a field guide. And I found something in the photographing or painting (I do the former) of abandoned homes and buildings, which is something I look for, although there aren't any deep feelings involved, just something appealing and fascinating. There are probably more feelings associated in going outside in the rain, one of those quietly relentless downpours on a bleak day where you can hear the drops on the ground or a path, entering the soil. I find that uplifting, but then I like to walk in the rain.
There was also the current trope about sadness, related to some of the positive mantras, in that it seemed to be something to avoid. Bowring talks about this with respect to the DSM and its categorisation of all kinds of feelings and experiences. Many people seem to want to brush away sadness and be almost relentlessly positive. Life's a struggle sometimes, sometimes a big one depending on who and where you are; it seems a normal experience and while it can be tough, sitting with it and acknowledging it seems to me to be more logical than denying it's there.
I didn't find any of those feelings in Bowring's guide, and her descriptions of melancholy seemed a distance away from life and perhaps associated with a particular group of artists and writers, none of whom had ever appealed. Raymond Carver writing about water seemed much more relevant. Having said that, it's not a bad book, she writes easily and clearly, and if her fields are the right one, I'm not a melancholic – probably just a moody bastard.
My mum used to say that when he laughed it was because something was really funny, and she was right there. But he was never really doom and gloom in the moody sense, the latter being a characteristic of me and sometimes expressed in what music I would be listening to, although there were limits to that and I would never have been characterised as an emo, for instance, or interested in Nick Cave, other than he was from a Victorian country town I knew of through driving on its streets on the way to somewhere else.
Jacky Bowring, who appears to be from New Zealand, mentions emos and Cave, as well as melancholy landscapes and architecture, redolent of the postmodern and Kantian sublime I failed to adequately grasp in my Masters' studies; there it seemed deliberately obfuscatory, which is really, on reflection, an important aspect of the post-modern, at least how it's presented by a number of people.
I bought the book because I thought it might help me locate myself somewhere within; it is, after all, a field guide. And I found something in the photographing or painting (I do the former) of abandoned homes and buildings, which is something I look for, although there aren't any deep feelings involved, just something appealing and fascinating. There are probably more feelings associated in going outside in the rain, one of those quietly relentless downpours on a bleak day where you can hear the drops on the ground or a path, entering the soil. I find that uplifting, but then I like to walk in the rain.
There was also the current trope about sadness, related to some of the positive mantras, in that it seemed to be something to avoid. Bowring talks about this with respect to the DSM and its categorisation of all kinds of feelings and experiences. Many people seem to want to brush away sadness and be almost relentlessly positive. Life's a struggle sometimes, sometimes a big one depending on who and where you are; it seems a normal experience and while it can be tough, sitting with it and acknowledging it seems to me to be more logical than denying it's there.
I didn't find any of those feelings in Bowring's guide, and her descriptions of melancholy seemed a distance away from life and perhaps associated with a particular group of artists and writers, none of whom had ever appealed. Raymond Carver writing about water seemed much more relevant. Having said that, it's not a bad book, she writes easily and clearly, and if her fields are the right one, I'm not a melancholic – probably just a moody bastard.
February 20, 2022
great book.
February 11, 2017
An interesting primer on the history and influence of melancholia in the arts.
It's a survey of a huge range of topics which helpfully name-dropped and reviewed some major artists or terms, making it a useful resource to discover artists or ideas.
It's a survey of a huge range of topics which helpfully name-dropped and reviewed some major artists or terms, making it a useful resource to discover artists or ideas.
May 20, 2016
Not sure if it's my confirmation bias speaking but this book provides the reader with a perspective that challenges the average interpretation of 'melancholy'. It emphasizes its importance in maintaining our sanity, contrary to the modern assumption that it deteriorates or threatens our mental well being. For that, I appreciated the book.
In terms of the read, it was smooth about 3/4 way through and took a little hit from then onwards with the melancholic architecture and photography. There were some passages that I'd read several times over, though, because of how true they rang to me. I recommend this book for anyone who views melancholy as the spawn of satan or as a precursor/symptom/risk factor for depression.
In terms of the read, it was smooth about 3/4 way through and took a little hit from then onwards with the melancholic architecture and photography. There were some passages that I'd read several times over, though, because of how true they rang to me. I recommend this book for anyone who views melancholy as the spawn of satan or as a precursor/symptom/risk factor for depression.
November 19, 2016
it would be nice if the author provided more direct references to what was being described in the book. there are so many wonderful descriptions of paintings that are not pictured. guess it's one of those books best read in close proximity of google.
December 2, 2011
just getting to know my way around
November 18, 2014
Much like the feelings it describes, this book left me ambivalent, shrugging my shoulders with an existential "meh." It wasn't bad, it wasn't great. Much more could be said, but it wasn't.
February 20, 2016
A wonderful field study on this most bitter-sweet of emotions and state of mind
October 25, 2016
Je t'aime mélancolie {I Love You Melancholy}
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews