Cellophane Bricks - A Life in Visual Culture by Jonathan Lethem is a stunning account of art in our daily lives

As an example of the quality of insight and pieces included, Oranges on Fire really caught my eye. Maybe because it was as old as I am, maybe because the imagery was so poignant, maybe because it was on a billboard in an unkempt sidewalk. However you see art, or imagery, there are always insightful perspectives to consider and either reflect upon or disagree with and one of the most enjoyable voices I have come across is Jonathan Lethem

Excuse me fangirling for a second as I was thrilled to be granted an arc of this book and I have been savouring it over the last four weeks. One of the reasons I really like Lethem, is that he writes as if he is conversing with a friend, with humility and no pretence. The choice of pieces in the book are varied across a litany of mediums and themes and this adds layer upon layer to how much you as a reader can glean from it

In the art field, there are a lot of people who will tell you how things are and that is that. Lethem will give the viewer insight into the background of the piece, maybe a couple of opinions or perspective and yet leave it open, ready for your input and reflections. (Not literally of course, but this is the joy of the book. It is not telling you this is this and that is that. It is saying, this is how they made it, this is what I know about them and this is what I think of it BUT...)

This is what makes Lethem's writing so utterly fascinating and very, very engaging. I am a huge art lover and it's always a pleasure to hear the back stories. However, hearing them from someone so immersed in and revered by the art world, who remains down to earth and looking in from all angles, is a lot more enjoyable than most contemporary art professionals

Thank you very much to Netgalley, ZE Books and Jonathan Lethem for this utterly fascinating ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own