Reviews
Heaven Has a Face is one of the most beautiful books I have worked with, intelligently laid out, and beautifully printed--and, of course, photographed; clearly, this is a publisher everyone interested in aesthetics should know about. The book is such a generous gift to all of us who want to understand or even just appreciate Noh, Japanese aesthetics, world theater, and the mysteries of the human heart and their physical manifestations that every collector will want a copy, every student of aesthetics will want to take a look, and every serious library should make it available. , Chiding the laziness of Western scholars and the insularity of experts in Japan who have studied Noh masks before, Stephen Marvin promises readers deeper knowledge of this topic. His exhaustive and beautifully produced two-volume study more than succeeds in doing this, becoming the definitive reference to Noh masks ...Readers who purchase this book solely for its superb illustrations will not be disappointed, because the reproductions are spectacular and Marvin is generous in his explanations about the masks, providing the names and technical terminology in Japanese both in the text and index., Heaven Has a Face is one of the most beautiful books I have worked with, intelligently laid out, and beautifully printed--and, of course, photographed; clearly, this is a publisher everyone interested in aesthetics should know about. The book is such a generous gift to all of us who want to understand or even just appreciate Noh, Japanese aesthetics, world theater, and the mysteries of the human heart and their physical manifestations that every collector will want a copy, every student of aesthetics will want to take a look, and every serious library should make it available., This sumptuously produced, two-volume set is not only a work of art in its own right; it is a Golconda of information that literally puts a face on a recondite subject. . . . The author writes with lucid energy, and the set stands as a landmark in the study of the Noh mask and its contexts. The volumes feel good in the hand; the fine details, down to the iridescent bronze-colored ribbon used for marking the page, speak of meticulous attention. Bravi to Stephen Marvin and to Floating World Editions for this surpassing accomplishment. Melinda Takeuchi Impressions: The Journal of the Japanese Art Society of America, This sumptuously produced, two-volume set is not only a work of art in its own right; it is a Golconda of information that literally puts a face on a recondite subject. . . . The author writes with lucid energy, and the set stands as a landmark in the study of the Noh mask and its contexts. The volumes feel good in the hand; the fine details, down to the iridescent bronze-colored ribbon used for marking the page, speak of meticulous attention. Bravi to Stephen Marvin and to Floating World Editions for this surpassing accomplishment.Melinda TakeuchiImpressions: The Journal of the Japanese Art Society of America, Chiding the laziness of Western scholars and the insularity of experts in Japan who have studied Noh masks before, Stephen Marvin promises readers deeper knowledge of this topic. His exhaustive and beautifully produced two-volume study more than succeeds in doing this, becoming the definitive reference to Noh masks . . . Readers who purchase this book solely for its superb illustrations will not be disappointed, because the reproductions are spectacular and Marvin is generous in his explanations about the masks, providing the names and technical terminology in Japanese both in the text and index. Eric Rath, University of KansasAsian Theater Journal
