The author wears his erudition heavily. I found his leaps and links often interesting, often pretentious.

Two interests intersected for me with this book. I’m a fan of Nicholas Hoare and his writings about whales and the sea, and was just re-introduced to Durer in an art class I’m taking.

So, I was delighted to discover that Hoare wrote Albert and the Whale, which is not only a recounting of the journey Durer made in vain, attempting to see a beached whale, but also about the influence Durer had on German novelist Thomas Mann and the New York City-based poet Marianne Moore (and her mother), as well as W.H. Auden and others, like Durer biographer Erwin Panofsky and his son Wolfgang, who helped build the first atomic bomb.

And, because the book is written by Hoare, it is also replete with whales, the sea, and himself. The book can feel a bit confusing if you don’t know what you’re in for (I read a review after I started the book, which helped frame it for me), as Hoare moves from time frame to time frame.

I could have spent less time (much less time) with Mann, but mostly the book works incredibly well and I walked away feeling like the connections between Durer and others in the book were, in a way, timeless.

The book concludes on a deeply personal note that links the author back to his subject, Durer, in a way that resonates and feels both personal and universal. A rich and rewarding book that I greatly appreciated (and would benefit from re-reading).

I read this book a couple months after viewing a touring exhibit of Dürer's woodcuts at a local art museum.

As I read it, I tried to imagine what it would be like to tour such an exhibit with Hoare.

His enthusiasm would be a little off-putting. His isn't a merely intellectual attraction to the artist and the whale that enticed Dürer on a road trip down the Flemish coast. Roare is passionate about whales. He sees them everywhere--not just in Dürer's art.

His intellect would be enthralling. Dürer was an incredibly detailed artist--despite the medium of woodcuts, his works are populated with characters and flourishes. But Hoare is so invested in the art, that he can pull details out of details. Insights out of hidden flourishes. It would take all day to go through the exhibit at this rate, but the learning would be intense.

Roare's free associating would be hit or miss. He draws on so many sources: science, poetry, literature. The erudition is off the charts.

I'd recommend this book for those who already have explored an interest in Dürer--not enough in the English-speaking world, I'm afraid, more focused on French, English, and even Dutch art than Germany. Without at least some background, this would be a confusing read.

I can see why the reviews are so varied for this book. Its very difficult to define. And initially hard to work out what it was from the hardback blurb. Its not fiction. Its not a biography of Durer, nor is it a memoirs of the author. It isn't just about art or whales or even the influence of Durer. But rather a stream of consciousness that encompasses some biographical details on Durer and Thomas Mann, some of the authors views on Durer, 1930s literary figures and the natural world and brings it together by having the author visit Nuremberg the various highlights of Durer's oevre.

Devolves into a whole bunch of junk that’s like “he takes opium, he looks at whale, I walk on the beach and think are they really so far away these medieval mystics”