Reviews
Deborah Solomon's beautiful, complex life of Norman Rockwell shows how his beloved pictures--many of which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post-- expressed Americans' hopes for the nation, even though they did not often show the real America., "Vivid and touching...This is the definitive biography of an American master who came in through the back door." -- Steve Martin "Solomon offers something new, entertaining, and disturbing....[ American Mirror ] is a revelation." -- John Wilmerding, The New York Times "Every American who cherishes the traditions that make this country great should acquire a copy of American Mirror , Deborah Solomon's brilliantly insightful chronicle of the life of illustrator Norman Rockwell." -- Jonathan Lopez, The Wall Street Journal "A masterpiece of the biographer's art." -- Lee Siegel, The New Yorker "Deborah Solomon has created a biography as vivid and touching as a Rockwell interior. This is the definitive biography of an American master who came in through the back door." -- Steve Martin, author of An Object of Beauty " American Mirror is a masterpiece--vivid, forthright and insightful. Through superb research and keen interpretation, Deborah Solomon tells the story of an artist so many thought they knew well, and perhaps did not know at all. An epic achievement." -- Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Norman Rockwell Museum "Norman Rockwell turns out not to have lived in the America he invented, the republic of station wagons, Santa Claus, and good citizenship. Deborah Solomon offers up a textured portrait of the man who carried no pictures of his family and never met a therapist he didn't like. Solomon masters foreground, background, and middle ground in this taut, beautifully written biography." -- Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra: A Life and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography "Norman Rockwell remains our country's most beloved, most reviled, and most misunderstood painter. In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon tells his remarkable story with uncommon intelligence and grace." -- Roz Chast, New Yorker cartoonist "Deborah Solomon has done the culture a huge favor by placing Norman Rockwell among the most important American artists of the twentieth century. She reveals Rockwell in all his contradictions--celebrant of family values but indifferent husband, self-professed New Englander but restless traveler, apolitical for most of his life but by the end a passionate believer in civil rights. This is a great biography of a singular American genius, who has long deserved it." -- Bruce McCall, New Yorker illustrator "In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon has set herself, pointillist detail by detail, to unraveling the mystery of Norman Rockwell--the friendliest of painters who turns out to be the most complex of men. This is that rarest of books: the biography as page-turner, leading you effortlessly onwards." -- Daphne Merkin, author of Enchantment "Deborah Solomon's beautiful, complex life of Norman Rockwell shows how his beloved pictures--many of which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post-- expressed Americans' hopes for the nation, even though they did not often show the real America." -- Alan Brinkley, author of The Publisher: Henry Luce and His American Century "Esteemed art critic and biographer Solomon turns our perception of Norman Rockwell inside out in this fast-paced yet richly interpretative inquiry...Solomon's penetrating and commanding biography is brimming with surprising details and provocative juxtapositions." -- Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review), In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon has set herself, pointillist detail by detail, to unraveling the mystery of Norman Rockwell--the friendliest of painters who turns out to be the most complex of men. This is that rarest of books: the biography as page-turner, leading you effortlessly onwards., Deborah Solomon has done the culture a huge favor by placing Norman Rockwell among the most important American artists of the twentieth century. She reveals Rockwell in all his contradictions--celebrant of family values but indifferent husband, self-professed New Englander but restless traveler, apolitical for most of his life but by the end a passionate believer in civil rights. This is a great biography of a singular American genius, who has long deserved it., Every American who cherishes the traditions that make this country great should acquire a copy of American Mirror , Deborah Solomon's brilliantly insightful chronicle of the life of illustrator Norman Rockwell., Norman Rockwell turns out not to have lived in the America he invented, the republic of station wagons, Santa Claus, and good citizenship. Deborah Solomon offers up a textured portrait of the man who carried no pictures of his family and never met a therapist he didn't like. Solomon masters foreground, background, and middle ground in this taut, beautifully written biography., Vivid and touching...This is the definitive biography of an American master who came in through the back door., "Solomon offers something new, entertaining, and disturbing [ American Mirror ] is a revelation."-John Wilmerding, The New York Times "Solomon is blessedly free of art-world blather or snobbery, writing in a style that balances elegance, irony and straightforward storytelling."-Anna Puente, USA Today "Solomons book is deeply researched, vigorously argued, and very well written."-Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, Deborah Solomon has created a biography as vivid and touching as a Rockwell interior. This is the definitive biography of an American master who came in through the back door., Esteemed art critic and biographer Solomon turns our perception of Norman Rockwell inside out in this fast-paced yet richly interpretative inquiry...Solomon's penetrating and commanding biography is brimming with surprising details and provocative juxtapositions., "Vivid and touching...This is the definitive biography of an American master who came in through the back door."-Steve Martin "Solomon offers something new, entertaining, and disturbing....[ American Mirror ] is a revelation."-John Wilmerding, The New York Times "Every American who cherishes the traditions that make this country great should acquire a copy of American Mirror , Deborah Solomon's brilliantly insightful chronicle of the life of illustrator Norman Rockwell."-Jonathan Lopez, The Wall Street Journal "A masterpiece of the biographer's art."-Lee Siegel, The New Yorker "Deborah Solomon has created a biography as vivid and touching as a Rockwell interior. This is the definitive biography of an American master who came in through the back door."-Steve Martin, author of An Object of Beauty " American Mirror is a masterpiece-vivid, forthright and insightful. Through superb research and keen interpretation, Deborah Solomon tells the story of an artist so many thought they knew well, and perhaps did not know at all. An epic achievement."-Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Norman Rockwell Museum "Norman Rockwell turns out not to have lived in the America he invented, the republic of station wagons, Santa Claus, and good citizenship. Deborah Solomon offers up a textured portrait of the man who carried no pictures of his family and never met a therapist he didn't like. Solomon masters foreground, background, and middle ground in this taut, beautifully written biography."-Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra: A Life and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography "Norman Rockwell remains our country's most beloved, most reviled, and most misunderstood painter. In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon tells his remarkable story with uncommon intelligence and grace."-Roz Chast, New Yorker cartoonist "Deborah Solomon has done the culture a huge favor by placing Norman Rockwell among the most important American artists of the twentieth century. She reveals Rockwell in all his contradictions-celebrant of family values but indifferent husband, self-professed New Englander but restless traveler, apolitical for most of his life but by the end a passionate believer in civil rights. This is a great biography of a singular American genius, who has long deserved it."-Bruce McCall, New Yorker illustrator "In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon has set herself, pointillist detail by detail, to unraveling the mystery of Norman Rockwell-the friendliest of painters who turns out to be the most complex of men. This is that rarest of books: the biography as page-turner, leading you effortlessly onwards."-Daphne Merkin, author of Enchantment "Deborah Solomon's beautiful, complex life of Norman Rockwell shows how his beloved pictures-many of which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post- expressed Americans' hopes for the nation, even though they did not often show the real America."-Alan Brinkley, author of The Publisher: Henry Luce and His American Century "Esteemed art critic and biographer Solomon turns our perception of Norman Rockwell inside out in this fast-paced yet richly interpretative inquiry...Solomon's penetrating and commanding biography is brimming with surprising details and provocative juxtapositions."-Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review), "Deborah Solomon has created a biography as vivid and touching as a Rockwell interior. This is the definitive biography of an American master who came in through the back door."-Steve Martin, author of An Object of Beauty " American Mirror is a masterpiece-vivid, forthright and insightful. Through superb research and keen interpretation, Deborah Solomon tells the story of an artist so many thought they knew well, and perhaps did not know at all. An epic achievement."-Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Norman Rockwell Museum "Norman Rockwell turns out not to have lived in the America he invented, the republic of station wagons, Santa Claus, and good citizenship. Deborah Solomon offers up a textured portrait of the man who carried no pictures of his family and never met a therapist he didn't like. Solomon masters foreground, background, and middle ground in this taut, beautifully written biography."-Stacy Schiff, author of Cleopatra: A Life and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography "Norman Rockwell remains our country's most beloved, most reviled, and most misunderstood painter. In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon tells his remarkable story with uncommon intelligence and grace."-Roz Chast, New Yorker cartoonist "Deborah Solomon has done the culture a huge favor by placing Norman Rockwell among the most important American artists of the twentieth century. She reveals Rockwell in all his contradictions-celebrant of family values but indifferent husband, self-professed New Englander but restless traveler, apolitical for most of his life but by the end a passionate believer in civil rights. This is a great biography of a singular American genius, who has long deserved it."-Bruce McCall, New Yorker illustrator "In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon has set herself, pointillist detail by detail, to unraveling the mystery of Norman Rockwell-the friendliest of painters who turns out to be the most complex of men. This is that rarest of books: the biography as page-turner, leading you effortlessly onwards."-Daphne Merkin, author of Enchantment "Deborah Solomon's beautiful, complex life of Norman Rockwell shows how his beloved pictures-many of which appeared in the Saturday Evening Post- expressed Americans' hopes for the nation, even though they did not often show the real America."-Alan Brinkley, author of The Publisher: Henry Luce and His American Century "Esteemed art critic and biographer Solomon turns our perception of Norman Rockwell inside out in this fast-paced yet richly interpretative inquiry...Solomon's penetrating and commanding biography is brimming with surprising details and provocative juxtapositions."-Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review), American Mirror is a masterpiece--vivid, forthright and insightful. Through superb research and keen interpretation, Deborah Solomon tells the story of an artist so many thought they knew well, and perhaps did not know at all. An epic achievement., Norman Rockwell remains our country's most beloved, most reviled, and most misunderstood painter. In American Mirror , Deborah Solomon tells his remarkable story with uncommon intelligence and grace.
