I was reminded last month, by a flurry of activity on Twitter around the time of his birthday, that I hadn’t read anything by John Berger for a little while. He’s featured regularly on the Ramblings but he was a very prolific author and I still have a number of books unread on the TBR (let alone all of those I *don’t* have!). I was impelled, after a bit of rummaging, to pick up a collection of his essays, and they turned out to be a wonderful and very stimulating read.
Unusually for me, I can remember where and when and why I picked up this book; it was in Leicester, in August 2019, during those happy pre-pandemic times when I could travel and had gone off on a visit to the Offspring. There’s a nice little bookshop in the centre of the city called Maynard and Bradley, which I always make a point of popping into when I’m over there. Their vintage Penguin and associated section is not always the cheapest, but I was tempted by the cover of a Berger book I hadn’t seen before, “Selected Essays and Articles: The Look of Things”. When I opened it and saw it contained a piece on another of my favourite authors, Victor Serge (whose Notebooks I was deeply into reading at the time), I was sold and it came home with me. So it’s taken a couple of years for its time to come but this was definitely it!
“Look” was published in 1972, and it brings together essays from the period 1959 to 1971. As I said above, Berger was a prolific author and as well as full length works obviously produced an impressive amount of essays and reviews in his lifetime. The ones in this collection are an intriguing mix; although Berger started out writing about art and artists, his net spread much further than that, and the pieces chosen here cover a wider range than you might expect. He discusses figures as diverse as Guevara and Benjamin, Serge and Le Corbusier; and also explores topics such as photography, mass demonstrations, and artistic techniques.
Was (the world) ever more tolerable? you may ask. Was there ever less suffering, less injustice, less exploitation? There can be no such audits. It is necessary to recognise that the intolerability of the world is, in a certain sense, an historical achievement.
You might wonder whether such a varied selection of topics would cohere into a collection, but it’s clear that these essays have been selected carefully to reflect the political stance behind Berger’s work. He was always a champion of the left, ready to stand up for those in need and challenge those in power, and that tendency is strongly on display here. A repeated theme is the dreadful state of world under late capitalism, and how the condition of the West impinges upon and affects less developed countries. Injustice and inequality are on display everywhere and, sadly, reading this in 2021 it doesn’t appear that much has changed.
Photographs bear witness to a human choice being exercised in a given situation. A photograph is the result of the photographer’s decision that it is worth recording that this particular event or this particular object has been seen. If everything that existed were continually being photographed, every photograph would become meaningless.
However, the essays are not simply exercises in political rhetoric. Berger brings his intellect to bear on a fascinating range of subjects, and his opinions about art and its future are fascinating. His discussion of Cubism and its effect on the world is trenchant, his empathy with people suffering is palpable and his humanity never in doubt. His discussions of photography are pertinent and prescient. And reading his writing about art is an illuminating experience, and certainly always alters my visual viewpoint…
“Look…” turned out to be the perfect read for me during November; I dipped into it, taking my time between essays so as to allow the contents to settle in my mind. Berger is a rigorous analyst and deserves the attention his writing demands; but if you want a fascinating and stimulating collection of writings which look at art and politics and the terrible state of the world then you need look no further than his essays. If this collection reflects the standard of all of his shorter writings, I shall definitely have to seek out more! 😀
Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings 
Dec 08, 2021 @ 07:22:14
Thank you for telling us about this, I hadn’t heard of it and I’d like to read it.
I’ve read ‘A Fortunate Man’ and ‘And Our Faces, My Heart…’ and loved them both. As you say, they’re not easy reads, but so rewarding. I requested the latter from the library – a battered little copy eventually arrived. When he handed it to me the young guy on the counter told me it was one of the best books he’d read.
I’ve been meaning to read ‘Ways of Seeing’ too – arty daughter recommended it. Have you read it?
I also saw a TV programme about Berger’s life in the mountains; there was so much vitality and kindness about him.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 07:24:53
Ways of Seeing is wonderful!
Dec 08, 2021 @ 10:11:57
It’s on the TBR and to watch list!
Dec 08, 2021 @ 10:22:34
It’s an excellent collection and so thought-provoking. I’ve read a number of his books, including “And Our Faces…” and I just think he was such a unique thinker. Not always easy, but his works repay the effort they demand.
I do have “Ways of Seeing” in book form and also the TV series pending. I’ve seen documentary films about Berger too – such an interesting, compassionate and very human man.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 07:23:11
I discovered Berger in my economic anthropology class at Cambridge, believe it or not. We read Pig Earth for its description of poor rural communities and peasant culture. So, yes, I was always aware of his political stance. I need to read more.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 10:12:33
It’s particularly fascinating seeing the art and the subjects he writes about through the prism of his left-wing thinking. I need to read more too!
Dec 08, 2021 @ 08:43:44
A fascinating man, and very influential too…
Dec 08, 2021 @ 10:11:43
Very much so – his ideas are stunning.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 12:13:03
He was brilliant and his work so interesting — and he teaches us a lot continually especially about how we experience art in our social worlds. Art cannot reach us outside a distribution mechanism and that mechanism is shaped by others’ perspectives and interests.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 12:24:33
He was – and you hit on one element he highlights a lot, the commercial aspect of art. It doesn’t exist in a void, and market forces have always had such an influence.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 15:29:24
I’m afraid I didn’t know anything about John Berger, but he sounds fascinating, there’s a lot to think about just from your review and these comments.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 15:52:30
He’s probably best know for his groundbreaking “Ways of Seeing” TV show, but he’s also a writer of many and varied works; all of the ones I’ve read have been marvellous and intriguing!
Dec 08, 2021 @ 22:12:26
What a lovely reminder of a pre pandemic visit to Leicester. This sounds like a good, wide ranging collection. Berger clearly using his talent to talk about those aspects of unfairness in his society.
Dec 09, 2021 @ 08:33:21
Yes, I do miss those visits… But at least I can be reminded of it, and the reading of this book was a wonderful experience too – he’s a vigorous champion of those who need help.
Dec 08, 2021 @ 22:26:51
I rarely read essay collections, but I’m not really sure why. This sounds a really stimulating collection – what an impressive thinker! You’ve definitely encouraged me to read more Berger Kaggsy, I think I’d enjoy him.
Dec 09, 2021 @ 08:32:39
I’m increasingly fond of essays the older I get! And this is a really profoundly interesting selection. Berger is an author I really do recommend!
Dec 09, 2021 @ 00:51:51
Anything by Berger is going to catch my attention, but your mention of the piece on Serge had me hooked! Certainly a collection with much to explore.
Dec 09, 2021 @ 08:32:05
Yes, the Serge was the clincher for me! Any excuse to read Berger, really – such a great writer!
Dec 09, 2021 @ 08:51:15
A fascinating collection! It sounds ideal for dipping into now and again, almost as a plate cleanser between other books. Going forward, I feel I need to find a ‘better’ way of reading this type of non-fiction collection, something that leads to a decent appreciation of each individual essay or article. It’s tempting, especially if you’re thinking of reviewing it, to read the whole book in a couple of sittings to avoid too much ‘drift’ or ‘fade’ over time. But that’s often far from ideal for individual pieces as some of them get lost or crowded out by other, more impactful vignettes. I’m not sure what the answer is, but any thoughts you have would be interesting to hear…
Dec 09, 2021 @ 11:40:49
I totally agree, Jacqui – it’s a difficult balance, because I often feel you get into the way of thinking a writer has, and if you switch to another book midway you can lose where you were with the non-fiction pieces. Having said that, I did read this over quite a period and interspersed short things which I’ll be reviewing out of order. Maybe essays or non fiction pieces are best read when there is no pressure to finish – I’m currently reading some of Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky’s non fiction work in an excellent collection, and am really taking my time and letting each piece sink in. Because I have material enough for the blog until after Christmas and because the book is not out until next year I don’t have to hurry with it. But not all non-fiction works can be read like this, so maybe e.g. alongside a collection of short stories so you can alternate would be an option.
As for this collection, it’s really excellent in my view, and there’s a lot to take in, so either over a long period or alternating with something completely different was the best way to read it for me!
Dec 10, 2021 @ 09:22:20
Yes, sometimes I read a short story collection alongside a novel, but not with any other volumes of short works (fiction or otherwise) as there might not be enough ‘separation’ between the two – for me at least. My biggest concern with spreading my reading over a month or two is the feeling that I’ll have forgotten the earlier stories/essays in a collection by the time I come to write about them. That’s probably not very well worded, but I’m struggling to type at the moment, particularly on WP, so I’m hoping you’ll know what I mean!
Dec 10, 2021 @ 10:06:18
No, I know exactly what you mean. There’s often a theme with essays or stories, and I have the same fear of losing the thread or not picking up underlying meanings. I read two Penguin Moderns whilst reading this, and that worked perfectly as they’re self-contained and short. But it *is* difficult…
Dec 09, 2021 @ 21:37:10
Lovely, and a super Pelican, too!
Dec 10, 2021 @ 10:07:26
Oh yes – I love a vintage Penguin or Pelican or indeed Puffin!!
Dec 31, 2021 @ 07:02:24