Bold Ventures: Thirteen Tales of Architectural Tragedy

Charlotte Van den Broeck's Bold Ventures explores the life-or-death connection between buildings and their architects, drawing on a range of material to meditate on suicide and creativity. The result is a profoundly idiosyncratic book that breaks new ground in literary non-fiction.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 05 May 2022
Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Bold Ventures, a book by Belgian poet Charlotte Van den Broeck, delves into a captivating exploration of buildings that have tragically impacted their architects. Spanning across time and space, from a seventeenth-century French church with a twisted spire to a Washington, DC, theater that collapsed during a performance in the 1920s, and an eerie sinking swimming pool in Van den Broeck's hometown, the book uncovers a profound connection between these architectural marvels and the lives of their creators.

Through a rich tapestry of material, including references to Hegel, Charles Darwin, art history, personal anecdotes, and popular culture, Van den Broeck weaves a narrative that gradually reveals intricate patterns. She questions the enigmatic life-or-death bond between a creation and its creator, delving into the philosophical realm of suicide, a subject that Albert Camus regarded as the most profound philosophical problem.

What emerges from this profound inquiry is a profoundly idiosyncratic book that breaks new ground in literary non-fiction. It offers solace and consolation to anyone who has dared to embark on a creative journey, while also serving as a cautionary tale. Bold Ventures invites readers to contemplate the complexities of human existence, the interplay between creativity and public disgrace, and the enduring human desire to reach for the skies, even in the face of adversity.

Weight: 416g
Dimension: 145 x 223 x 33 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781784743987