Pros: From the cover (which is eye catching),I thought this book was going to be a children's book. Although I was mistaken, that wasn't a bad surprise. I very much enjoyed learning more about Van Gogh's life and especially appreciated learning about the role of his sister-in-law in his posthumous success. I thought a graphic biography is such a clever way to tell the story of an artist, and I would love to see more graphic biographies of different artists told in their style of art.

Cons: This isn't really a con and might not be a problem depending on how it is marketed and where this book is found in a book store/library, but I did assume from the cover that this book is a children's book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion | Frances Lincoln for the opportunity to read this book.

A decent introduction to the artist‘s biography. The perspective of sister-in-law was a fascinating choice for the framing. However, I struggle to imagine what audience it is targeted at. It is too graphic to be children’s version, too dry to captivate the masses and too superficial to interest art students or art enthusiasts. The style of artwork is quite simple and not enchanting making it doubtful that this book would be picked up as a coffee table book. So, I truly struggle to see how it fits the market.

I remember VanGough from school, but to be 5 much of his history... just the guy that cut his ear off...
What an interesting read. I'm not one for biographies, but this was a page turning graphic novel that managed to keep my interest. I love the way it included his portraits and was told from the view of his sister in law.
I didn't realise how deep his mental illness went. Obviously, the ear cutting was a hint, but wow.....if you want a decent read and a quickninsight to this famous artist, this is your hook / graphic novel

This illustrated biography was unique. Narrated by Vincent Van Gogh's sister-in-law, it walks through his life and struggles from her point of view. She was left with the task of selling his paintings, and she accomplished the feat of establishing his legacy and preserving his story. When I picked this up, I expected it to be a children's graphic biography. I was startled by some of the images and topics in the book, so I had to reframe my expectations. After doing so, I found myself more drawn to the story. Art students and fans will enjoy this quick glimpse into the life of Vincent Van Gogh and his sister-in-law who honored her husband by preserving his memory. For me, it wasn't my cup of tea.

Una biografia di Van Gogh interessante, pensavo che non avrei apprezzato lo stile (non è nel mio genere) ma mi sono ricreduta. Nel complesso ho più che apprezzato il fumetto. (meravigliose le tavole con il campo di grano e i corvi)

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists, and the concept of a graphic biography intrigued me, so I was excited to be able to read this! This graphic biography was told from an interesting perspective— that of his sister-in-law, whose involvement in the development of his artistic reputation I had no clue about prior to this book. I very much enjoyed learning more about her. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of the art style, and I felt that there needed to be less text, since it is a graphic biography— I expected the story to be shown via the art rather just spelled out the way it was. Overall, I think it’s a good starting point for anyone who wants a basic understanding of Van Gogh’s life and story.

Good introduction to Van Gogh's life, especially for those who know little to nothing about him. Told from a unique perspective that sets it apart from other biographies. Some of the drawings - especially those in van Gogh`s style - were very charming and beautiful. My rating would have been much higher if all the pictures had followed this trend but many felt out of place due to their rudimentary style. Great for younger people to learn about the artist.

Vincent's story has always been one of my favorites and most touching. the drawings of this graphic novel are not to my taste, and I didn't really like them.

but I really appreciated the way the story is divided and told.

I liked how the biography was told through his sister in law's perspective. This book gives great insight into Van Gogh's tortured life.

Thank you netgally for the arc on Vincent Van Gogh, It was very interesting to learn more about Vincent and his upbringing. He is one of my favourite artists and knowing all the struggles he went through to creat his art.

This is a great introduction into Van Gogh. I think it would be great for schools to have as a starting point for students but it's also great for anyone of any age who wants to start learning more about this interesting artist.

I really liked the graphic aspect, it really condensed the information while still being fully informative and as someone who finds it hard to focus reading biographies, the art made it more engaging. I liked that it wasn't the typical graphic novel format, it flows much more which suits the story of an artist.

This biography gives you a look at his life, his art and his immense struggle with mental illness. You learn more about his family dynamics and relationships which I don't think most conversations about him touch on so that was interesting.

I actually had never heard of Johanna Van Gogh-Bonger, even though she is pretty much the reason behind the success of Van Gogh, so she was interesting to read about and I liked that this was written from her perspective. For anyone else who doesn't know her, she is Van Gogh's sister in law and when he and his brother died she made it her mission to get his art out there and he is the reason we know him as famously as we do today.

This was my first Graphic Biography and I liked it, a lot. Having never read a graphic novel, I wasn’t sure what to expect and was therefore intrigued by the concept. The layout and illustrations added so much to the story. I found that Vincent’s life came across in a new and refreshing way. I see this appealing to a wide range of age groups from young to old. I would definitely read this one again.

I am not a biographies expert, but Vincent from his sister-in-law in color sounded more promising, it was still interesting but I couldnt find so much on these pages.

Vincent van Gogh's entire life from birth to death, his love affair and career, his mental health and family in pictures, although I think the illustrations could be less simple, for sure its contents aren't for young readers, so I expect the arts weren't too.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group via Netgalley for ARC, I have given my honest review. The publication date is 6 August 2024.

The perspective of this being from Vincent's sister-in-law was very unique, although I don't know that there is much else to set it apart from the many other biographies of Van Gogh. It reads more like a clunky picture book than a graphic novel.

I just read this amazing biography of Vincent Van Gogh by Simon Elliott. As someone with a mental health condition and a fan of Van Gogh, this brought Vincent's entire life to light. I especially enjoyed the way the story was told and learning about what happened after Vincent died. I will be buying this when it comes out.

I found the content of this book interesting and it was fun getting to learn more about Vincent Van Gogh. I liked that this book covered his entire life from birth to death and didn't shy away from discussing his mental health. Some of the illustrations were beautiful, particularly the ones which are based on Van Gogh's paintings and art style.

However, some of the illustrations were done in a more cartoonish style which didn't work for me and didn't feel like they added any thing to my enjoyment or understanding of the story being told. Furthermore, at times it felt like there was a lot of text on the page and it was presented in large chunks of text which was very uninviting to read. I think as this book is advertised as being a graphic biography I expected less text and more images to tell the story for example in a story board type format.

Overall I thought this was interesting and very detailed. I really liked some of the illustrations however in general the art style wasn't for me.

A quick read full of information about Vincent van Gogh's life, accompanied by nice illustrations. I particularly liked the illustrated versions of van Gogh's art; those were better than most of the other illustrations imo. Overall, this is a short, educational read that does the job well: provide an overview of Vincent van Gogh from birth to death.

I’m not an artist, although my daughter-in-law is, and I’ve had several friends throughout my life who are also artists, but ever since I was very young I was obsessed with art. My mother and her mother were both artists, although not anything close to artists like Vincent van Gogh.

My freshman year in school, those of us who chose to take art classes were blessed with a wonderful art teacher who encouraged us to look beyond the ‘real’ and paint beyond the proverbial lines with our heart as well as our eyes.

This shares the life of Vincent van Gogh, his struggles with sadness and depression, and how that affected him as an artist. And his internal struggles with being misunderstood as an artist, as well as just a man wanting to be seen and accepted, which, unbelievable from our perspective, he was not. This lack of acceptance added to his depression which worsened over time. He struggled to find a balance in his life, and was plagued by his own demons, but through the blessing of his family, he was also given love. And that love carried on when his sister-in-law decided the world needed to see, to know, and to feel the emotions, the beauty that is there in his art.

Vincent: A Graphic Biography is written and illustrated by Simon Elliott, shares the lives of both Vincent van Gogh, his brother, Theo, as well as the woman who made sure that they would be remembered.


Pub Date: 06 Aug 2024


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion / Frances Lincoln

Gorgeous illustrations bring famed artist Vincent Van Gogh to stunning life! I enjoyed the graphic format and found that I learned a great deal about this often misunderstood artistic genius. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed this book a lot. I think it would make a great addition to a school library. It is very informative and beautiful, and highlights Vincent and Theo’s relationship and mental illness. It also highlights Jo Van Gogh, Theo’s widow, who played an Eliza Hamilton style role in promoting Vincent’s art posthumously. Told from her perspective, we see the complexity of not just the man, but his relationships and challenges, both external and internal. And it is fascinating to hear that people especially hated The Starry Night, one of his most celebrated works!!