A book review of The Illustrated History of the Snowman by Bob Eckstein
Stars: ****
Globe Pequot (2018)
Art History
210 pages
Disclosure: This review contains affiliate links.
Summary: A thoroughly entertaining exploration, this book travels back in time to shed light on the snowman’s enigmatic past — from the present day, in which the snowman reigns as the King of Kitsch, to the Dark Ages, with the creation of the very first snowman. Eckstein’s curiosity began playfully enough, but soon snowballed into a (mostly) earnest quest of chasing Frosty around the world, into museums and libraries, and seeking out the advice of leading historians and scholars. The result is a riveting history that reaches back through centuries and across cultures — sweeping from fifteenth-century Italian snowballs to eighteenth-century Russian ice sculptures to the regrettable “white-trash years” (1975-2000). The snowman is not just part of our childhood memories, but is an integral part of our world culture, appearing — much like a frozen Forrest Gump — alongside dignitaries and celebrities during momentous events. Again and again, the snowman pops up in rare prints, paintings, early movies, advertising and, over the past century, in every art form imaginable. And the jolly snowman — ostensibly as pure as the driven snow — also harbors a dark past full of political intrigue, sex, and violence.
With over two hundred illustrations, The Illustrated History of the Snowman is a truly original winter classic — smart, surprisingly enlightening, and quite simply the coolest book ever.
The Illustrated History of the Snowman
I love “mini history” books which are history books that focus on one specific thing… like the snowman. I’ve read lots of mini histories. This mini history is different because it’s heavily illustrated with over 200 photos or illustrations.
I liked this book a lot which I will lay out next but the reason it’s not a full 5 stars is because I feel like the book missed something very important. How can you talk about snowmen without mentioning Olaf from Frozen? I checked this book was published 5 years after Frozen came out. I think something important was missed here.
Otherwise I really enjoyed the book and all the interesting facts I did not know about snowmen. I must take a moment to give a warning. Although snowmen are definitely thought of as a kid thing are things in here that are not for kids so this is adult nonfiction, not for kids. Although you could definitely share some things FROM this book with kids, don’t just hand it to them to read. I’m sure you’re confused now but there are killer snowmen, blowing up snowmen and snowmen who flirt with women, smoke and drink.
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