Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman Review

 Title: Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers 

Author: Deborah Heiligman

 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Nonfiction 

Series: Standalone 

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it. 

Vincent Van Gogh is a man that I’ve admired all my life, and recently, I had an itch distinctly unlike me: nonfiction. I decided to go with it, and though Vincent and Theo was a big book, I devoured it in about five days. I’m sad it’s a library book, because I would love the opportunity to reread it, with the addition of the notes at the end of the book. Nonfiction is a subject I’m leery about; it can come across as so dry and unengaging. I’m pleased to say that this book was not like that at all. I really felt like I was traveling the world with the Van Gogh brothers, and through their letters I felt like I was constantly hearing their voices. The book starts with the epithet, ‘There would be no Theo without Vincent’, and this book proves those very words true. Vincent Van Gogh is a name that is synonymous with fame, genius, and fine art. I remember seeing a picture of The Starry Night for the first time and it’s never left my consciousness since. This book was breathtaking in its scope and so well-researched! There was great care taken in the facts of both brothers, their loving family. I cried several times throughout this book, because there is no discussing Vincent Van Gogh without his mental illness. I very much empathized with both of the Van Goghs, because they both dearly loved each other and their families. I learned a lot more about Vincent, and about the dear brother he couldn’t live without. 

Vincent Van Gogh’s name today is met with the words genius, avant-garde, groundbreaking. But in Vincent and Theo, Deborah Heiligman draws back the curtain of mystique that surrounds the artist, as well as the treasured members of his family. Was he troubled, temperamental, at times irrational? Yes, absolutely, but he was also dealing with mental illness, specifically depression and bipolar disorder in the 19th century. My heart broke while I read this book; I can’t even begin to imagine how hard life was for Vincent, Theo, and everyone around them, dealing with the troubles of labor, family, romantic entanglements, and their careers. I only wish that I was able to purchase this book for my own collection, to read it with the notes that accompany it. I loved this book, every painful, emotional moment of it. It was a truly eye-opening work that breathed life into an artist I thought that I knew, but never this intimately. I will never forget Vincent Van Gogh, his brother, or their legacy. This is not just one of my favorite books of 2020, but quite possibly one of my favorite books of all time. I only hope that I will eventually be able to purchase it for my own home library! The bottom line: Tender, sympathetic, and thoroughly researched, I loved Vincent and Theo! Next on deck: The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee!