Why this book: Recommended to me by my friend Francine, which I convinced my book club to select, since it was a shorter and a relatively easier read than our last selection, which was One Hundred Years of Solitude. 

Summary in 3 Sentences: Written as a personal memoir of a brief period in the author’s life, when he worked as a guard at the Metropolitan Musuem of Art.  After college he worked briefly at the New Yorker, then after caring for his brother dying of pancreatic cancer, he left the New Yorker and opted for a quieter, more contemplative job as a guard at the NYC MET. From his narrative we learn about the culture of the guards at the MET, background and his impressions on the art in the various sections of the Met, his impressions and interactions with the many visitors, and ultimately how the 10 years he spent there positively shaped his growth and quality of life. 

My Impressions: Loved this book!  Through his experience and perspectives, the author treats us to a meditation on the intersection of life and art as seen through the lens of a thoughtful  and well educated layman. He is writing for laymen like me – who know enough about art to superficially appreciate it, but don’t really understand it.  He describes his impressions of a number of pieces of art, some great masterpieces, others less well known,  and shares his reflection on what the artist may have been thinking, feeling, trying to convey, and what a particular painting, sculpture or other objet d’art says about the author’s as well as our life and times. 

There is no action or plot – it is not a page-turner – it would appeal to someone sympathetic to a Buddhist perspective on life and the universe (I am) but that said, it held my attention and I always looked forward to opportunities to listen to it.  The author himself reads it, so his voice and inflection add to the depth and sincerity of his text.  The writing is superb. 

To help me appreciate this book, I purchased a coffee-table book The Masterpieces of the MET which my wife and I have enjoyed.  A nice addition, but not necessary to appreciate the book, but a pleasant and informative reminder of how spectacular and diverse the collection of art is in the MET. But a friend subsequently send me a link which incldes pictures of many of the pieces discussed in the book   It is at https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/all-the-beauty-in-the-world/

Super Summaries does well at summarizing the main themes of  All the Beauty in the World.  They list 3 main themes below with my comments impressions: 

1. The ineffable nature of art – how words are poor tools to describe and evoke the experience of art – whether it be looking at, listening to, or touching, tasting whatever.  Describing it is a poor substitute, though it can augment, the experience of art is ineffable. One quote from the book that makes this point:  “… I experienced the great beauty of the picture even as I had no idea what to do with that beauty. I couldn’t discharge the feeling by talking about it—there was nothing much to say. What was beautiful in the painting was not like words, it was like paint—silent, direct, and concrete, resisting translation even into thought. As such, my response to the picture was trapped inside me, a bird fluttering in my chest.”
2. Art and Mortality. The paintings, sculptures, pottery, etc that we experience in the MET or anywhere, are like the footprints left by humans who are long dead.  In contemplating each piece, his mind goes to the person who created it, to his/her life and times, long past, reminding us that our  experience of this persons art is  also an ephemeral moment in our lives, in time.   His experience of his brothers death was a constant reminder to him and us of the privilege we have of being able to enjoy life and art. A quote: “The frenzy of the day has passed and only the death remains, the blunt fact, the impenetrable mystery, the immense and immovable finality. As a watchman I can use this picture in something like the way it was intended to be used, and for that I am grateful.”
3. Museum as Sanctuary Life and routine in the museum are apart from the hustle and bustle of what goes on outside the museum.  He takes us outside to the street during his breaks, to a pub with his fellow guards, to home with his wife and child – all of which contrast sharply with the calm and stable experience  of being inside the MET.  It is indeed a sanctuary from the tensions and conflicts which we face in our daily lives. 

To conclude – All the Beauty in the World is a great read to ground the reader in a quieter, more spiritual retreat from the many trivial as well as important and critical issues we deal with in our daily lives. It is short – 6 hours to listen to -which was satisfying to me; only 200 pages to read.  I echo my friend Francine who recommended the book to me, when she told me she now really looks forward to going to NYC and visiting the MET.  I will re-read the book before I do.