Frank Lloyd Wright

Rating:
Summary: Precious little discussion of Wright's work...
Review: Beautifully researched, well-crafted, highly readable biography of Frank Lloyd Wright. Ms. Secrest understands her subject and his work and presents both to us with clarity and empathy. Many photographs add to the enjoyment of the reader. Unconditionally recommended.

Rating:
Summary: skip this
Review: It's often pointed out that autobiographies are to a considerable extent works of fiction. It's less often pointed out, but equally true, that biographies are also to a considerable extent works of fiction. "Frank LLoyd Wright: A Biography" is a case in point. Now, it just so happens that the author of Frank Lloyd Wright's AUTObiography was a great artist, and it shows not only in his archecture, but also in his stylish, accomplished and original handling of English prose. This BIOGRAPHY, on the other hand, is dull, drab, and perfunctory, and its information is second-hand (at best). If you're going to read fiction, I say read GOOD fiction.

Also: I've read a number of biographies of composers, and I find that they are almost always written by professional musicians. It seems to me that a biography of Frank Lloyd Wright ought to have been undertaken only by someone with a professional knowledge of architecture.

Rating:
Summary: Precious little discussion of Wright's work...
Review: Secrest's "biography" focuses exclusively on the personal life of Wright, and to that end it seems fairly complete. Secrest attempts to explain Wright's inflated sense of self, his drive to succeed and his willingess to use others as means to his ends by reflecting on his Welsh background, his family's history in Wisconsin and his relationships with his immediate family, particularly his mother. My complaint is that Secrest does not carry this analysis over to his architecture - most of his works receive a paragraph or less. I was hoping for a biography of Wright that placed his work in an socio-historical framework as well as accounting for his personality. Secrest briefly mentions how Wright bristled at being called a pre-modernist and how much of a romanticist he was, but she only mentions this to elucidate Wright's personal interactions with others. If you're looking for more info that places Wright's work in a historical or theoretical framework, look somewhere else.

Rating:
Summary: Prairie interests
Review: This is an excellent book by Meryle Secrest on Frank Lloyd Wright. It traces the career of America's foremost builder from his days in Chicago as a resident in fashionable Oak Park to his final days on the Arizona desert. Ms. Secrest does not specialize in architecture, but this appears to be an asset. While there are plenty of books that can go on (and on and on) about building techniques, this is intended for the lay person who is interested in Frank Lloyd Wright in general terms. This book provides an excellent introduction to both the man and his work.

Rating:
Summary: Prairie interests
Review: This is an excellent book by Meryle Secrest on Frank Lloyd Wright. It traces the career of America's foremost builder from his days in Chicago as a resident in fashionable Oak Park to his final days on the Arizona desert. Ms. Secrest does not specialize in architecture, but this appears to be an asset. While there are plenty of books that can go on (and on and on) about building techniques, this is intended for the lay person who is interested in Frank Lloyd Wright in general terms. This book provides an excellent introduction to both the man and his work.