Short Review: 'Love is Enough: Poetry Threaded with Love' by Andrea Zanatelli

Confession time: I was first pulled to Love is Enough because of the way the cover reminded me of the hearts Florence Welch so often features in her album covers and merchandise. Colour me surprised (and a little proud) when I realised she had written the introduction to this book. With this recommendation I happily sunk into Zanatelli's art. Thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay.

Pub. Date: 1/11/2022
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

In this truly beautiful book, Andrea Zanatelli combines his extraordinary artworks with a selection of classical love poetry by Anne Brontë, William Blake, Christina Rossetti, Elizabeth Dickinson, Percy Shelley, and many more.

Drawing its inspiration from the past, Love is Enough references the decorative arts of a bygone era, and is a combination of romantic imagery, antique fabrics, and allegorical illustrations mixed with poems and mottos. Often mistaken for real embroidery pieces, the artworks are in fact very detailed and intricate digital collages, made to look and feel like handcrafted works.

What really kept me intrigued in this book was the mixed-media art and how it worked together with the featured poems. Zanatelli brings his favourite themes, fabrics, and inspirations into Love Is Enough, from romantic imagery, fabrics, miniatures, and allegories. While his art looks like "real" embroidery, his pieces are actually very detailed, digital collages meant to give the idea that you could reach out and touch them. His pieces feel old, like they've been passed down for generations, been added on by different people, and as such I could keep looking at them for a long time. They are really beautiful and each brings its own twist on the theme of love.

I must admit that the selection of poetry for Love is Enough didn't feel exactly inspired, which kind of let the book down for me. Aside from the genius selection of Anne Bronte, the rest was very much what you would expect from a love-themed poetry collection with Rosetti, Blake and Shelley making their appearance. I would have loved to see some more modern poets included, perhaps even songs, considering his working relationship with Florence Welch. It would have fleshed out the idea of love a little more, although I appreciate that these poets very much echo the old romantic atmosphere of love that his artwork also evokes.

The book design worked together really well with the art and showed a real attention to detail, such as the page colours adjusting to the art themselves. I spent quite a long time looking at each art piece, finding the little details and leting the whole of it wash over me. I did have to read it in burst though, rather than in one go. At a certain point the poems and art would blend together for me and I would have to step away. I'm not such a romantic at heart after all, perhaps. Love is Enough is therefore very much a kind of coffee-table book that you occasionally pick up, sink in to, and then put aside again. It's a small point of relief and beauty in a hectic day.

I give this book...

3 Universes!

Love is Enough is stunning to look at and the poems selected also fit the theme beautifully. For me the highlight was definitely Zanatelli's art and perhaps I'd rather have had a book dedicated fully to that.