This book roughly is a sketch of all of Ruskin’s work that brings out the forward-thinking and benevolent endeavor of this prominent English art critic of the long gone Victorian era. He was unique & so was his style of writing. This book all in all portrays his literary marvels in various fields like that of subjects oscillating from geology to architecture, mythos to ornithology, fiction to learning, and botany to administrative economy. The life of John Ruskin (1819-1900) is a book by WG Collingwood depicts the wide variety & correspondingly wide-ranging knowledge of Ruskin that stems from the fact that he was also an art patron, architect, artist, a prominent social philosopher and humanitarian. Each of his values and unique quality has been very well described by the author, who could do so as Collingwood continued to be in some relation to him—as a visitor, resident assistant, or near neighbor—until his death.
Facts about a unique personality
John Ruskin has been described as an exclusive individual who thought very profoundly about his fellow human beings. The very qualities of a learned man come easily through his works in diverse fields, as described in the book, The Life of John Ruskin by WG Collingwood. He was a professor at Oxford University, and his legendary poetry won him many awards and accolades. He has a total of 39 volumes as his written works that focused on the fact that the conventional man and woman should have the right to training, wellbeing and a decent occupation. Also, his interest in spiritualism led him to becoming a member of the Society for Psychical Research. This book is simply splendid and outstanding in terms of literature & knowledge. This book was roughly framed under his own eye & was written not long after Ruskin’s death, and was penned by his long time student and personal assistant, WG Collingwood. Collingwood was flawlessly situated to carry out & work with such a significant venture.
Ruskin’s life from end to end
Initially, Collingwood thought that Ruskin’s work was not very well known, and that this book was a way of conserving and passing on the great literary work for the general public. Ruskin’s work nonetheless, is now very well appreciated and also is easily available. This book throws light upon his work that is set on a proper chronological journey of discovery. The book is divided into 4 major parts that are, Part I – The Boy Poet (1819-1842), Part II – The Art Critic (1842-1860), Part III – Hermit and Heretic (1860-1870) & Part IV Professor and Profit (1870-1900). This is a memoir & the detailed profile of a prodigious Victorian nobleman whose Scottish values & love for art, romance & culture is depicted effortlessly in the book The Life of John Ruskin. With the genius that he was oddity was also a part & parcel, as he was opposed to train travel, which meant to hi that the travel reduced voyagers to the position of ‘human parcels’. Collingwood not only inscribed this outstanding life story of Ruskin, but he also crafted Ruskin’s memorial – an interesting 9 foot structure situated in St Andrews, Coniston. Ruskin was a great man and his life makes this and many other interesting books written about him, a must read. With something special & very compelling about Collingwood’s style of writing, this book lives on as an eternal work of art.
