The Shoes of Van Gogh: A Spiritual and Artistic Journey to the Ordinary

Extremely satisfied!!!!

love Dr Edwards best professor at vcu! his class made me grow spiritually and thats rare. great book too love his insight

Enjoyed this book!

amazing professor, took many of his classes

I found the shoes of Van Gogh to be poetic, in particular in contrast to the author's other book Van Gogh and God, which began as very thick and theoretical. Shoes of Van Gogh painted a certain portrait of Van Gogh as a person instead of an abstract. The characterization was given with more empathy and less of the analytical bend that biographers sometimes give their subject. The empathy that the book created with Vincent comes from the closeness that the author felt for Vincent himself as was evident in the introduction and first chapters that talked about his search and discovery for the artist. This is an empathy I actually did not feel while reading the letters, perhaps because the letters offer a view of Vincent that supposes prior knowledge (that of Theo) where this book draws on the larger base of knowledge already compiled.The book is not strict biography, but a view of Vincent through his paintings told almost like a story. The paintings chosen could have been any of Vincent's paintings but these particular ones provided a good survey by which to understand Vincent as a person rather than Vincent's body of work as a whole. The paintings were more landmarks, both for Vincent and the author, of important events in their lives. One thing mentioned in particular struck me. On page 133 the author talked about locals putting stalks of wheat on Vincent's gravesite. I cannot think of a single more fitting tribute for Vincent, more than flowers or wreaths, than to put his beloved wheat as he rest.

Not only do we get an insight into the artist and his paintings, but we get a personal journy of the author as Edwards describes how he followed in the footsteps of van Gogh in his explorations in researching the letters, traveling to the places that the artist lived, etc. The book is a beautiful journal into the exploration of the artist, his life and his paintings. Upon closing the book, the reader gets the sense that this book was truly a labor of love for the author. Edwards takes us a on spiritual journey through the process of van Gogh's life and works that touches our own lives in way that is transformative. This book is a must read.

Dr.Edwards is amazing. I am taking his Van Gogh and Religion class at Virginia Commonwealth University and the way he talks about Van Gogh is so clear. This book is almost like his lectures...only shortened. We had to read it for class but after the first chapter I was hooked. The way he weaves the letters that Vincent wrote with the paintings is amazing. It gives a clear idea of Vincent must have been going through. This book will help anyone have a better understand of Vincent and his magnificent paintings.

The Shoes of Van Gogh took me on a journey; I was like a ghost sitting next to Cliff Edwards as he explored Van Gogh's life, loves, and passion. Edward's does not make the mistake, like many, to describe Vincent as a deranged painter, but as a person with a passion for life, who was a deeply sensitive and spiritual person. Dr Edward's explorations of nine paintings help the reader discover this part of Van Gogh, something which is deeply rooted in all of us; the need for meaning in this world of shadows. Vincent was able to produce paintings, which act as a conduit from us to the greater mystery, or the ultimate concern of everyone. Dr Edward's has done an excellent job in describing this to the reader and has done justice to the work of Van Gogh.

Marvelous Book about the life of a great man