Teen/YA Review: Vincent and Theo

Book By Book

I want everyone to read this marvelous, award-winning book and feel that my post title is misleading because although this fascinating history about the lives of Vincent Van Gogh and his brother is written and published as a YA book, it will appeal widely to adults as well. To be clear, I am not much of an art enthusiast and really know very little about art, though I can recognize a few of Van Gogh’s best-known paintings and like them. But I kept hearing great things about Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman, so I downloaded a free audio from SYNC this summer. I loved every minute of this engrossing audio book, and when I realized the print edition has drawings and paintings in it, I got a copy from my local library and pored over that as well.

Vincent Van Gogh was born in the Netherlands in 1853 to parents Anna and Dorus. Younger brother Theo came into his life four years later, followed by other brothers and sisters, but Vincent always had a special bond with Theo. The two brothers would take long walks outdoors as children and as they grew, had long talks about their lives and their futures. Though Vincent’s path in life was a windy, oft-changing one, Theo started working in the art world when he was still a teenager, working for galleries first in the Netherlands and later in Paris, in the heart of the art scene. Meanwhile, Vincent moved around Europe, working as a teacher, wanting to be a minister, and only gradually focusing on the drawing and painting he had done since childhood, carefully and slowly honing his craft through lessons, mentorships, and lots and lots of practice. Eventually, Vincent and Theo lived together in Paris, as Vincent’s talent grew and, more slowly, his reputation built. Of course, his mental illness (he is thought to have probably had bipolar disorder) also grew during those years, though he fought hard against the “melancholia” that sometimes gripped him and recognized the importance of sunlight and nature in his life. Even when they were living in separate cities, Vincent and Theo stayed connected through constant, often daily letters. Theo was not only close to Vincent personally but worked hard to promote his work in the art world. The dedication in this book reads, “The world would not have Vincent without Theo.”

This engaging, fascinating story of two brothers who cared so deeply for each other (in spite of not always agreeing) is told beautifully. The author based the book on more than 650 letters between the brothers and between them and other friends and family, and she uses their own words to bring their lives to life on the page. The book is framed as a series of Galleries, each representing a certain phase in their lives (and in Vincent’s art, too), and the print book is filled with Vincent’s drawings and rough sketches (with a section in the middle with full-color photos of some of the paintings mentioned in the book). The end of the print book is filled with additional information: people in their lives, a timeline, author’s note, and bibliography. Learning the background of such a famous painter is fascinating, as is the history behind some of his well-known works of art, and I was often setting down my audio book to pick up my laptop and look at the paintings. But, this is ultimately a story of unwavering dedication and love between brothers that is tender and loving and often, heart-breaking. Despite my usual lack of interest in art, I was completely engrossed in this compelling book, both listening to it and perusing the drawings in the print edition. I was so inspired that I bought myself a pair of hand-painted sneakers based on The Starry Night!

427 pages, Henry Holt and Company

Dreamscape Media (audio)

Do yourself a favor and listen to this sample of the compelling audio book. It begins with a prologue and gives you an idea of how the story is told from the brothers’ perspectives.