margaretkearney's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
acstoppelreads's review against another edition
I didn't read the synopsis and it wasn't what I thought it was.
pieter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
annieb123's review
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle is an erudite survey of the social history of needlework written by Clare Hunter. Released 15th Oct 2019 by Abrams, it's 320 pages and available in hardcover format.
These disparate essays cover shared emotional human themes from loss and frailty, captivity, value, artistic merit, and having a voice. There are 16 different thematic chapters along with a foreword and conclusion. The author has a very precise but soulful writing voice and connects emotionally with the reader. I was drawn in and touched and emotionally invested in the stories she conveys. Many of them had an immediacy and relevance despite the intervening years (sometimes centuries).
The writing feels academic, though there are no annotations directly in the text. The book does include a fairly extensive bibliography and links list with online resources for further reading. I am emphatically not a historian (big bionerd here), but when spot checking some of the facts listed, I found no glaring errors.
The writing and spelling are British standard, but it shouldn't be distracting or intrusive for most readers. The biggest drawback in my opinion was the lack of illustrations. The author has included an extensive links list for online searches of many of the pieces which are covered in the text. I think that might also be one of the reasons that it felt like a more academic treatise to me.
The history of needlework is tied in many places to gender history, and as such, this would make a good support text for art history, gender studies, textile studies and the like. It also made for an interesting (sometimes touchingly sad) and captivating read for non-academics as well. Just don't expect illustrations.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle is an erudite survey of the social history of needlework written by Clare Hunter. Released 15th Oct 2019 by Abrams, it's 320 pages and available in hardcover format.
These disparate essays cover shared emotional human themes from loss and frailty, captivity, value, artistic merit, and having a voice. There are 16 different thematic chapters along with a foreword and conclusion. The author has a very precise but soulful writing voice and connects emotionally with the reader. I was drawn in and touched and emotionally invested in the stories she conveys. Many of them had an immediacy and relevance despite the intervening years (sometimes centuries).
The writing feels academic, though there are no annotations directly in the text. The book does include a fairly extensive bibliography and links list with online resources for further reading. I am emphatically not a historian (big bionerd here), but when spot checking some of the facts listed, I found no glaring errors.
The writing and spelling are British standard, but it shouldn't be distracting or intrusive for most readers. The biggest drawback in my opinion was the lack of illustrations. The author has included an extensive links list for online searches of many of the pieces which are covered in the text. I think that might also be one of the reasons that it felt like a more academic treatise to me.
The history of needlework is tied in many places to gender history, and as such, this would make a good support text for art history, gender studies, textile studies and the like. It also made for an interesting (sometimes touchingly sad) and captivating read for non-academics as well. Just don't expect illustrations.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
kathrynlol's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this so much. I could hardly put it down and it made me want to do nothing more than sew to my hearts content. Gave me an appreciation and understanding of so much textile art and the worlds that surround it.
cathydavies's review
5.0
I have some minor quibbles especially around tourism/travel as resistance. That aside this book is excellent. While I wish it had pictures of some of the art the descriptions more than make up for it. I love the way the book is laid out into different themes that sewing can be used to represent.
On a personal note I am fascinated about how sewing could reconnect us with the land we have lost. It fits with my own writing on food science-food systems.
Definitely recommend if you are interested in community organizing, sewing, resistance, protest in anyway.
On a personal note I am fascinated about how sewing could reconnect us with the land we have lost. It fits with my own writing on food science-food systems.
Definitely recommend if you are interested in community organizing, sewing, resistance, protest in anyway.
katherinejayne's review against another edition
Shelving this for now and moving onto some fiction.
I’m finding the blend of this poetic style nonfiction difficult to get into. There seems to be a bit of lack of focus, moving from one thought to the next and my brain at the moment isn’t able to comprehend it well enough.
I started this on holiday in September and loved it but since going home and back into my routines it’s been harder!
I’m finding the blend of this poetic style nonfiction difficult to get into. There seems to be a bit of lack of focus, moving from one thought to the next and my brain at the moment isn’t able to comprehend it well enough.
I started this on holiday in September and loved it but since going home and back into my routines it’s been harder!