I am a bit of a fan of John Higgs, having read two of his previous books The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned One Million Pounds and The Future Starts Here: An Optimistic Guide to What Comes Next.
I loved reading these books as his works often takes many turns that often bamboozle me but always had me interested in the topics he was covering. I find that Higgs seems to be a Humanist at heart and he gets to the heart of the matter and the core questions we all ask; what is our purpose and how does this affect the narrative we tell ourselves? In the case of the KLF biography, Higgs took us on the journey through the framing device of the burning of the £1 million. It was a strange and magical journey through philosophical ideas that influenced band mates Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty including quantum physics, religion, conspiracy theories, art, magic and Doctor Who.
With The Future Starts Here, Higgs looked at how dystopian futures are now the norm in science fiction and actually many 'real-world' stories now read like the Walking Dead, with self interest at the heart of a lot of what we do. The optimism of the 60s and early 70s, shown in Star Trek, Space 1999 and The Jetsons gave way to Blade Runner, Back to the Future 2 and Terminator. The default position is that the world is doomed and we are going to hell in a handcart merrily. He believed that we created a circumambient (self-fulfilling) narrative that we are all doomed but we can also change the narrative and by changing it, alter our destiny.
Using this same multi-disciplinary, tangential yet weirdly enjoyable rambling approach- looking at science, religion, history, philosophy and culture- Higgs sets about explaining the works and beliefs of poet, artist and general renaissance man, William Blake. Now, I didn’t know much about Blake except for the fact that he wrote the Prom’s flag-flapping fan-favourite Jerusalem and drew a couple of paintings I knew that were kinda creepy and unsettling (Newton and Neduchadnezzar). However, after reading this book I feel like I know Blake pretty well… well, as well as you can know a genius ahead of his time who had visions of angels in his childhood that affected him for the rest of his life!
Part-biography and part-philosophical/historical jazzy noodling, William Blake vs. the World is a fascinating look into a singular artist whose work still resonates with the country the creator so loved. Higg’s examines Blake’s Reality Tunnel; the idea that his perceptions of the world effected the narrative he told himself, and how this led him to be considered an eccentric in the 18th and 19th century. Higg’s also discusses how this reality tunnel had a profound and long-lasting effects on his work, including placing God at the centre of the world but also a periphery filled with different characters (including Albion) which have entered into our national mythology and identity. The main thrust of the book is in consideration of how his works may have had deeper and hidden meanings which have been misinterpreted or misunderstood by many over the years.
Higgs takes the multidisciplinary approach to show us how to interpret and appreciate the works of Blake, and unlike conspiracy theorists or pseudo-scientists, who manipulate information and cherry pick information to fit their Machiavellian narrative, Higgs seems to be on the side of good trying to help us view askew and gain a deeper understanding of something complex; appreciating an artist who was not appreciated in their time. It’s all very life affirming and positive and doesn’t gaze into the abyss at all but rather reaches for the light and grace of God.
This book is an immersive and engaging read and I would highly recommend it to anyone with even the slightest interest in Blake or Higgs.
LINK- The Future Starts Here: An Optimistic Guide to What Comes Next- Book Review
LINK- Utopia for Realists- Book Review
LINK- Natives: Race and Class in the Ruin of Empire- Book Review