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John Betjeman's delightful evocation in verse and prose, of the church and church life, is gracefully rendered in 80 watercolor paintings. No one has captured as completely that intimate world, with its clergy, congregation, architecture, and ritual, than the late poet laureate.
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Review Summary: Buy it today
Review: This is a wonderful collection of poems and paintings with some history thrown in for good measure. The poems are a great collection. Some amuse, some inspire, and some evoke introspection. The book is a volume of great material for the church lover. We have had the opportunity to incorporate some of the poems into worship services with much success.
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Review Summary: amazing artistic book
Review: This book definitely could not be a best seller as popular fictions, but it's good for all artists---if you were an architect, painter, or poet...you'll love it. It birngs together poems, prose and painting in a way that will delight, surprise and enthuse all of us. I am happy to find this book from Amazon. Two years ago, I bought a book "Graham Green Country" which is the travelling sketchbook of Paul Hogarth, I found Hogarth is a wonderful watecolour artist, I like his painting with exceptionally free style but sometimes with very neat details. So, I traced his illustrated book " In praise of Churches", in which, his 80 water colour paintings are so impressive , vivid and delight. The author John Betjeman is famous in poem and prose. I am surprised that he is also so keen on architecture. Don't be boring about the old churches, ---in this book, it's all concerning the churches of 500 years ago---the author's life was infused by deep and very personal love of the churches. he said " I know no greater pleaseure than church crawling" ----when we are reading his note and illustrations, we will feel great fun and enjoyment and following his crawling. sometimes about the details of churches, sometimes you can find the wonderful prose, verse, poems and hymns. I particularly like the author's notes on the architectural side of churches. First, he can vision the environment, the stone paving, the church yard, the graves,...and then about the detail artistic fittings such as door knocker, stonework,the gargoyles, altar,doorhinges,the bell, the sun dial,the lectem, the calligraphy.... even the notice board!!---all those, with Hogarth's fascinating paintings! When you are entering the church, please don't forget to find out are there any artwork of your church?.....please enjoy the peaceful life with art.