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Redesigning the World

William Morris, the 1880s and the Arts and Crafts

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Redesigning the World

By: Peter Stansky
Narrated by: Michael Bonner
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About this listen

Socialist, philosopher, and poet William Morris (1834 - 1896) was at the center of the design renaissance of the 1880s, not only because of his celebrated hostility to aspects of machine culture, but because of his success as a designer and businessman whose work had enormous influence on the next generation of artists, craftsmen, and designers.

"A very readable and enjoyable book. It is not so much a biography of William Morris as a consideration of him as a political and esthetic phenomenon and as the founder of a number of organizations - the Century Guild, the Arts Workers Guild, and the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society. Dr. Stansky examines them with a learning that is never pedantic, frequently humorous and always intelligent." (The New York Times book review)

Peter Stansky is professor of history at Stanford University and the author of numerous works on British history.

©1985 Peter Stansky (P)2020 Peter Stansky Art & Literature Artists, Architects & Photographers Entertainment & Celebrities Witty
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The text is good, there are some weak spots (esp. about the Morris wallpaper) but what made it hard to listen to was the reading. When he does German authors, in translation, mind you, he puts on a Monty Python type German voice. When he does English voices, he sounds prissy, supercilious, and affected. Simpler would have been better.

Fine Story, but Self-Conscious Reading

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the narrator takes away from the ability to reach its audience, constantly throwing ridiculous accents that make it difficult to take in the material. seriously thinking of abandoning an hour in, and leaving my William Morris reading to hard copies, I have E.P Thompson waiting.

frustrating

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