Frank Lloyd Wright

Penguin Lives

by Ada Louise Huxtable

From the way we build to the way we live, Frank Lloyd Wright's influence on American architecture is visible all around us. Now America's Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Ada Louise Huxtable - architecture writer for The Wall Street Journal, previously chief architecture critic for The New York Times for nearly twenty years - offers a look at the architect and the man. She explores the sources of his tumultuous and troubled life, his long career as a master builder, and his painful search for love. Along the way, Huxtable introduces readers to Wright's Taliesin, rebuilt after tragedy and murder; the Imperial Hotel, one of the few structures left standing after Japan's catastrophic 1923 earthquake; and tranquil Fallingwater, to which millions have traveled to experience its quiet grace. Through this journey, Huxtable takes us not only into the mind of the man who drew the blueprints but also into the very heart of the medium, which he changed forever.

Genres: Biography, Architecture, Nonfiction, History, Art, Design, Research

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Ada Louise (Landman) Huxtable (b. March 14, 1921, in New York, NY) is an architecture critic and writer on architecture. In 1970 she was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for "distinguished criticism." Her father, Michael Landman, was co-author (with his brother, Rabbi Isaac Landman) of the play "A Man of Honor."

Ada Louise Landman received an A. B. (magna cum laude) from Hunter College, CUNY in 1941. In 1942, she married industrial designer L. Garth Huxtable, and continued graduate study at New York University from 1942-50. She served as Curatorial Assistant for Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from 1946-50. She was a contributing editor to Progressive Architecture and Art in America from 1950-63 before being named the first architecture critic at The New York Times, a post she held from 1963-82. She has received grants from the Graham Foundation for a number of projects, including the book "Will They Ever Finish Bruckner Boulevard?".

She is currently the architecture critic for The Wall Street Journal.

John Costonis, writing of how public aesthetics is shaped, used her as a prime example of an influential media critic, remarking that "the continuing barrage fired from [her] Sunday column... had New York developers, politicians, and bureaucrats, ducking for years." He reproduces a cartoon in which construction workers, at the base of a building site with a foundation and a few girders lament that "Ada Louise Huxtable already doesn't like it!" (Costonis,1989)

Carter Wiseman writes, "Huxtable's insistence on intellectual rigor and high design standards made her the conscience of the national architectural community." (Wiseman, 2000)

She has written over ten books on architecture, including a 2004 biography of Frank Lloyd Wright for the Penguin Lives series.

Reviews

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it’s hard to rate a biography beyond content but ultimately this was 250 pages of FLW being an asshole and I’m mad Ada never said it. It’s also hard to write a biography and not focus on his architecture, but it was glossed over in ways that kept having me pull out my phone to do more research. FLW sure was scandalous but was that the only goal of this book? It felt like she wanted to say that his autobiography may not always be truthful look here’s some examples where he may have lied but idk you should decide who to believe and if it matters.

[Darwin8u · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good survey of FLW's life. This is a man who evokes strong emotions. My daughter's contempt for him is only matched by her contempt for Paolo Soleri and his Arizona "town" Arcosanti. Strong feelings for sure. But I adore him. Perhaps, as a man, I can more easily separate the artist from his art, his character from his designs, his foibles from his style. He was an icon and a conman. He was a genius and an egoist. He was absolutely American.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this well-researched portrayal of Frank Lloyd Wright's life and work. I felt it was equally balanced between his background, life as an architect and his personal life. As Huxtable points out over and over, FLW created Frank Lloyd Wright, even fudging his birth date to make himself younger than he actually was. He might be the definition of a difficult creative genius.

I am fascinated by FLW. I've read a lot about him, visited many of his buildings around the country as well as Taliesin (Wisconsin) and watched Ken Burns biography on PBS. Reading this biography didn't tread much new ground, but I'm still glad I did. The thing I appreciated the most was Huxtable's reference to other works about FLW throughout the book as well as an extensive bibliography.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Wright, you've won my American heart. You belong among the many lovably difficult, genius, hubristic, antiheroic, narcissistic men of the Western literary tradition: Prometheus, Captain Ahab, Faust, Achilles, Don Quixote, Dr. Frankenstein, Tom Sawyer, King Lear and, of course, Mr. Willy Wonka.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, Huxtable is an architecture critic, so it's predictable that she spends more time on Wright's architecture than his personality. In this format, though, that didn't really work. I love the Penguin Lives series, but this entry points out the dangers of 250 page biographies. First, without more pictures, a focus on the architecture doesn't work. In fact it's just plain annoying to read long descriptions of buildings and then have no picture to accompany them.

But worse, all of Wright's wives, lovers, and other associates are barely present here. One gets no sense of them whatsoever. Even Wright himself, one of the 20th century's great characters, is not really captured. This was very perfunctory. I'll look elsewhere for a good Wright biography.

[Cymru Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judge the art not the artist and all that but bitterness is still bad aesthetics. Ms Huxtable leans too much on the bitter beer when describing the shortcomings of the Welshman, imho.

Does someone who abandoned his wife and six kids, leaving them with the equivalent of thousands of dollars in debt, deserve any better? As a man, no. Unfortunately Wrighty boy joins the ranks of other 20th century geniuses who were assholes to their wives. Where I find fault in Huxtable's diligence in pointing out these realities, is when her astute journalistic objectiveness extends to the art. If you're not a fan of the art, don't write a book about it. #juztsayin

Not to be too harsh, and hagiography is bad aesthetics too--I'm sure Wright was insufferable at times IRL--but this "journalistic" need to have an answer for every artistic inspiration, to suss out every cool idea and point out its impracticality, at the end of the day misses the point. Huxtable isn't always in this mode, and she gives the lad his flowers due, still I find myself going to art for inspiration and not cold water; on the whole the brew bubblin' in this slim volume is perhaps too luke.

Now on to Wright's autobiography. Comparing the two should give one a well-balanced view on the man. Not that the man was anywhere near as cool as the artist.

[Jacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the shocking first sentence Ada Louise Huxtable grips you with the Frank Lloyd Wright story. He is seen for his visionary genius and glaring character flaws. Ms. Huxtable, as a renown architecture critic, has the chops to understand and uniquely communicate his work and life. I found myself admiring him and being appalled by him. You’re as perplexed by FLW when you get to the end of the book as you are at the beginning, but you remain in awe of his unique, often misunderstood genius. I highly recommend this book.

[adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Lloyd Wright had a remarkable life. His career spanned so many decades and had some many chapters: his architecture, his homes, his families, his tragedies. He was larger-than-life.

I listened to this biography as a book on tape about a decade ago. The tempo of the storytelling was engrossing. I’ve since visited Wright homes across the country (Oak Park, Taliesin, Taliesin West). I re-read this as a paper copy years later. Unfortunately, on paper, I didn’t find the style of the writing quite as enchanting as the audiobook, but it was still enjoyable and educational. In particular, the last few chapters feel rushed, given how much Wright accomplished in the last decades of his life.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think having background knowledge of Frank would be good. She references his autobiography ALOT so maybe read that if you dont know anything about him and want to. But i liked learning more about his life, his wives, and his house in Chicago.

[Shikha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most influential person among the masters of Architecture. Any book would not do complete justice for his ideologies and the life he led, yet Ada managed to highlight most of the mind blowing stories and works of his life. Every chapter is worth it.

[Cristina Prentice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Lloyd Wright was brilliant, but surely unwell!

[stella scarozza · Rating 4 out of 5]

i ❤️ frank

[Teona Mango · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was well written and well researched. It covered the whole life of Wright from birth till death. From his personal life to his professional one, I enjoyed reading it.

[Kasparas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mmm labai greitai susiskaitè

[Steve Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordsmithing her way through Wright’s 90ish years in just over 6 hours, Huxtable revisits a fascinating, tragic, and complicated life. The brief overview was enough to get a taste, but left much to be desired (especially wanting to hear more about his many house designs).

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is a combined commentary on both Frank Lloyd Wright - A Life - by Ada Louise Huxtable and at the same time Frank Lloyd Wright - American Master by Alan Weintraub and Kathryn Smith - the second being primarily a book of photographs.

I began the Huxtable book, in Kindle format, during a long vacation which by its nature discouraged carting around heavy books. I have to mention that as there were virtually no photos in the Kindle book and when I have found photos in Kindle editions they are sometimes less voluminous and less good than in bound books - and my Kindle lacks color too.

Well Frank Lloyd Wright came out in the biography and his trials and struggles and ego and talent and character seemed to be well explained (albeit with some seemingly accurate prejudices or judgments of the author showing through) and presented from several perspectives, Wright’s (as the author thought), the press, the industry, his customers etc etc.

When I returned from the trip I picked up the photo book I had bought for my wife and started to follow his progress and to look at the projects and was able to compare them to the descriptions in the book. The photos are of the projects in a chronological order so both books progress together and once they are meshed there is no need to go back in the pages of either.

Except for the exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum and the short exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (both New York City museums) in 2014 on Density vs. Dispersal I really had not seen so much of Wright’s work (except the the Guggenheim Museum in New York as I live there) and a visit for a half day at Taliesin West a few years a go.

So now I was able to see may of the projects as I read the text and the enormity of this mans talents and gifts just come rushing out. It is overwhelming what he could accomplish in that he was more than an architect, not just the building, but the furnishing and decor etc. And further the volume of work that he seems to have turned out.

So I would say that if there is interest in the man or in 20th century architecture, or American architecture, or in romantic tragedies with action this is the combo for you to read. You can get the romantic action tragedies without the photo book but for the other aspects you need a good photographic record to go with the biography I think. Either book alone would no have gotten four stars from me.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

The text is all right. What was most offputting to me was the format of the book. The lack of illustration was the biggest drawback for me. There are only 8 small b&w photos of buildings. I would have liked to have seen many more photos of the people and places. Next, the book was published in 2004, but has the look and feel of one from decades earlier, from the font, paper style, cover illustration, etc. Maybe that's to make it blend in with the rest of the Penguin Lives series, but it's not especially appealing to me, and it was a little jarring to read about something that happened in 2002 in such an "old-fashioned" book. Another drawback is the lack of an index.

[kait · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Read Review:
I came across a copy of this book at a used book store in Ann Arbor on a trip to visit a friend. I was delighted to have found it, tucked away among autobiographies and grand proclamations of Architectural theory, when I couldn't locate the book on Amazon when I had wanted to buy it a few years ago. Huxtable's short and nuanced biography of FLW reads more as a response to existing biographies and comments on his life, a discussion that draws from critics and patrons alike, and it is extremely well researched. Huxtable includes critical analyses of FLW's work, contextualizing them with rich details from his life and the state of the industry. From the early-life influences to later undocumented periods of his life, this book is less an academic inquiry to rationalize his work, but more a sympathetic retelling to understand FLW's genius, shuttering any need to align his personal character and his artistic pursuits. As if reflecting Wright's slippery view of himself, this piece is at times apologetic, making up for other, presumably scathing, accounts of FLW's life, and at times mocking. Regardless of Huxtable's tone, however, the book is determined, and successful in its attempt, to assert FLW as a genius who is, and has always been, above the "normal" masses.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've recently come to the conclusion that nearly all male geniuses are assholes and Huxtable certainly makes the case of putting Frank Lloyd Wright into this system.

I recently visited the Frank Lloyd Wright houses Kentuck Knob and Falling Water and was blown away by the amazing designs. These two houses are unlike anything I've ever seen before - great designs, aesthetically pleasing, fitting seamlessly into the landscape, and including features I've never seen before.

After visiting, we listened to the Audible Book by Huxtable and learned that the "idiosyncrasies" mentioned on the tours barely scratched the surface of Wright's unusual personality. I can see that, in order to buck convention, having a large ego and total belief in yourself can be helpful resources. As this book describes in great detail, Frank Lloyd Wright had these in spades!

Ada Lousie Huxtable does a great job outlining Wright's life and filling in the details - both from his rather fictional autobiography and from extensive research. A fascinating book about a fascinating man. While this book does nothing to inspire you to like the man, Frank Lloyd Wright, it does add to the awe of his creations and what he was able to accomplish.

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inspired by a spring visit to Taliesin West (and journeys to many other FLW sites over the years), I chose this book because I am a fan and wanted to learn more about the life and work of this amazing, outrageous man. This book is shortish (~ 250 pp), written by a well-respected architecture critic, affordable (unlike many architecture books), and aimed at a general audience. Good, good, good, good. Yet even with flamboyant, crazy genius Frank as its star, the narrative managed to bore me. Maybe it’s just me or the limitations of a shorter book. More photos would have helped; the few BW photos that are included are grainy and poorly reproduced. DNF @ 50%.

[Jason Bergsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography of the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

I picked this book up while visiting the Westcott in Springfield, Ohio. I was going to pick out a copy of FLW's autobiography, but our tour guide recommended this one, saying it was an easier read and more factually accurate.

I read this book over the series of about a month and a half, mostly while on my lunch break at work. I found it to be an easy read, even with distractions and long periods between reads.

It was an entertaining read, even funny at times. I found it to have some good drama from time to time, keeping it interesting without getting to textbook-y.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely adore FLW's architecture and design. So, I was intrigued by the book as I assumed it would be a book on design... Yes, there is design but, it's a dive into who Frank was as a person. I was certainly shocked to learn of Wright's life; the justifications, work before family, tragedy, and to always live outside of your means. Even with all the chaos of his personal life, he had an immense need to create art and build no matter the cost or sacrifice.

Artists are normally a bit on the eccentric side anyhow, right?

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid biography of Frank Lloyd Wright. Full of anecdotes and quotes from Wright's own Autobiography, Huxtable's book tells the true story of a crazy genius. I went into this book already a fan of Wright's architecture, and was amazed at the full story of his life. There were scandals galore, tragedy, reinvention, strife, and acclaim. Any Wright fan should read this book.

[Geoff Habiger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ada Huxtable does a good job of recounting Frank Lloyd Wright's life from the myth that has been created around the famed architect - often at Wright's own hand. She provides a very balanced and neutral approach to exploring the man and his work. If you are a fan of Wright's work and want to know more about the man, and not necessarily the myth, then this is a good place to start.

[Barbaracase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penguin has created a lovely series of biographis , each written by a scholar or expert I the related field. Though short, they are comprehensive in scope f by detail. Ms. Huckabee's writing g Israel clear and entertaining. She greatly admires Wright's work while remaining clear eyed about the man.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really quick and solid read from the late, great architectural critic, Ada Louis Huxtable. For someone really deep into Wright, this really only skims the surface and might disappoint, but I can see this being a terrific introduction for the curious. I also liked hearing from a critic's point of view, especially what particularly drew Huxtable's eye.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huxtable is a brilliant choice to author a fresh book on the life of Frank Lloyd Wright. An excellent choice to read after wandering through his historic camp buildings at Taliesin West in Arizona. The low ceilings, the wide drafting room, the lovely sunken theatre complete with piano. The clerestory windows, the baking sun, the reflecting pool, the dry wind.

[N.J. Danatangelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kanye West before there was Kanye West. Although it is hard to separate the art from the artist, it is especially vital in this case. This was a solid biography and I am sure it was even more powerful for its time but after having watched a number of documentaries and listened to podcasts on this guy, it didn’t grab as much as I would have liked.

[Meaghan Flaherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book seemed a little biased and definitely made me like wright less. was very interesting tho. probably would've gotten 5 stars if i hadn't been reading gaudi's beautifully written biography simultaneously

[Franco Lualdi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eccezionale biografia di uno degli architetti che hanno segnato la storia di questa arte. Intriso di insight, è un prezioso excursus della vita pubblica, indiscutibilmente unica e inimitabile, e privata, a dir poco “movimentata”, di un personaggio originale e discusso. Particolare.