Invisible

by Hugues de Montalembert

Book Overview

A spare, poetic memoir of an artist who was blinded in a sudden act of violence, leading to a profound meditation on what it means to see and be seen: "Invisible puts questions of life and suffering into sharp focus, without sanctimony or sentimentality" (Newsweek).

"You live in a city like New York. You read the papers. You look at the television. But you never think it will happen to you. It happened to me one evening."...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0078XPFD4
• ISBN13: 9781416593676
• Release Date: September 2011
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 4.9" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

Created Deeper Understanding

This is one of the most powerful books I have read. It is about what is life really about after all, personal strength, the reality of discouragement, facing very challenging change, and the critical importance about believing in one's ability to lead a rewarding life. I have only just finished it, and will wait a little while before returning to read it again. Although the author doesn't gloss over the extraordinary difficulties he has encountered in his thinking about living without sight, I am uplifted and encouraged by him. This is a tremendous little volume, and one I recommend to anyone who is interested in how people summon courage and intelligence to thrive despite life's most difficult suprises.

Visceral moving memoir similar to Styron's Darkness Visible

This is an amazing memoir about a painter who was blinded many years ago when burglars attacked him in his New York City apartment. Since then he's traveled the world alone trying to maintain his independence despite his blindness. His writing is very visceral and moving and leaves quite an impact. It reminded me of William Styron's Darkness Visible. I've heard the author on NPR before and he's a great speaker.