Reviews

Painting as A Pastime by Winston Churchill, Winston Churchill

ashlibunch's review against another edition

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inspiring

5.0

maya_b's review against another edition

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3.0

Ein sehr kurzweiliges gut zu lesendes Essay, das mir inhaltlich durchaus gefallen hat, und die Herangehensweise an einige Dinge war durchaus so, dass ich zuvor noch nie aktiv/bewusst darüber nachgedacht hatte, was es durchaus erfrischend machte, leider hat das alles aber auch einen beständigen Unterton, der auf mich ein wenig belehrend wirkte. Gerade zum Ende hin. Und ich hatte auch ständig das Gefühl, dass das so nur jemand schreiben kann, der Geld hat. Reisen nach Ägypten, Palästina, Indien, ...? Sich sofort an Tag zwei mit allem möglichen teuren Material eindecken? Wer schafft das heutzutage schon noch?
Also gut zu lesen, und inhaltlich großteils okay, leider wirkte es auch sehr fern ab von Alltagspersonen (oder jedenfalls mir als Alltagsperson) und die Regeln, wie man Dinge zu tun hat, nur weil sie ihm besser passten, hätten so für mich nicht sein müssen.

invidia's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

thektron's review against another edition

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5.0

I might be more than a little biased because I got to it just as I was buying supplies for a summer intro oil painting class... but it's short and lovely and great fun if you need to justify a new hobby as having broader good effects.

nickolette's review against another edition

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George W. Bush recommended this book to me. Not the obvious guy to get book recommendations from... But if not Bush, you can trust the brand of Churchill. Bush cites it as the inspiration behind his new found hobby. Churchill talks about the tormented mind of a public figure and the escape it needs, but on the other hand, Bush chose as subjects for his new book of paintings veterans from the war he sent them to. A widely considered unnecessary war and a mistake. So may be he wasn't running away from reflection and that part wasn't what appealed to him. Churchill talks about the painter as a commander who needs to consult the generals of the past, talks about painting as a battle. May be that is what spoke to Bush. I don't know and never mind. America has a worst president to worry about now.

bhan13's review against another edition

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3.0

I have an older, unlisted edition. This book, halfway between the Victorian Era and now, is much more Victorian than modern in its sentiment and earnestness. It was interesting reading Sir Winston Churchill's thoughts on having a stressful job and how to best occupy oneself to compensate for that.

renbuecher's review against another edition

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5.0

“What shall I do with all my books?' was the question, and the answer, 'Read them,' sobered the questioner. But if you cannot read them, at the very least handle them and, as it were, fondle them. Peer into them. Let them fall open as they will. Read on from the first sentence that turns the eye. Then turn to another. Make a voyage of discovery, taking soundings of uncharted seas. Set them back on their shelves with your own hands. Arrange them on your own plan, so that if you do not know what is in them, you at least know where they are. If they cannot be your friends, let them at any rate be your acquaintances. If they cannot enter the circle of your life, do not deny them at least a nod of recognition.”

smarkies's review against another edition

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informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

carlay's review against another edition

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5.0

This small book is very lovely. I love that this details another side of Churchill’s interests. Quick read but a good one.

aus_liebe_zum_lesen's review against another edition

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5.0

„Nichts flößt einem Menschen mehr Ehrfurcht ein als eine Bibliothek.“

Das kleine schmucke Büchlein im hochwertigen Leinencover versucht dem Leser eine kleine Wonne im Alltag zu sein, ein kleiner Abstecher in die Welt der Muse. Und genau das schafft das Bändchen. Einer der großen Staatsmänner des vergangenen Jahrhunderts schreibt über die Liebe zum Lesen und die Entdeckung der Malerei, die ihm die Sicht auf die Welt, auf die Schönheit der Dinge gelehrt hat, sodass man sofort selbst zu Pinsel und Leinwand greifen möchte.

Das Buch wird seinem Titel in jeder Hinsicht gerecht, ja es geht weit tiefer, ohne jedoch anstrengend zu werden.

Ein schönes Büchlein für zwischendurch, für die Muse, für die Leichtigkeit, für mehr Achtsamkeit.