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Alex Jordan: Architect of His Own Dream
No date of publishing given
Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 27, 2011
Poorly written & edited ("wait, didn't I just read that paragraph? Why yes I did, it's printed twice"), but answered many of the basic questions I had about Alex Jordan & the creation of the House on the Rock. It's definitely my favorite place on earth, so it was nice to get a better understanding of the teamwork and craftsmanship that went into it.
Whether or not the bio is "too flattering" to Jordan, I couldn't care less. He wasn't a monster, and he put his soul into one of the most wonderful places in the world; that's what matters.
Whether or not the bio is "too flattering" to Jordan, I couldn't care less. He wasn't a monster, and he put his soul into one of the most wonderful places in the world; that's what matters.
May 9, 2013
A decent read about a fascinating place. Definitely visit it first before reading! I would've liked more in-depth discussion on what went into each exhibit and assembling these incredible collections. Could've done with better proof-reading and font selection, too.
Overall, a nice look at the life of Alex Jordan and one of the little-known wonders of the world, The House on the Rock.
Overall, a nice look at the life of Alex Jordan and one of the little-known wonders of the world, The House on the Rock.
August 28, 2022
I ordered this out-of-print book after touring The House on the Rock, and after reading the more recent biography by Jordan’s longtime friend and employee/sculptor, Tom Kupsh, “Never Enough: The Creative Life of Alex Jordan”. I found the HotR to be such an enthralling and captivating experience that I wanted to preserve the magic for as long as possible by reading both of these biographies.
Unfortunately, I think the experience of reading this book suffered due to the order in which I read them, and frankly, this book was unnecessary to have read in comparison to the Kupsh book. On its own, it’s an okay summary of the life of Alex Jordan and his accomplishments…but it felt vastly incomplete compared to “Never Enough”.
This book tends to jump around a bit, failing to maintain much consistency, and it feels really surface level as a result. It just didn’t capture the magic of the experience. I also encountered some editing issues, including a repeat paragraph, word-for-word, a mere page apart.
That said, I didn’t think the experience of reading was a total waste. There were details in “Architect of His Own Dream” that “Never Enough” didn’t capture, so it presented a fuller picture in combination, but only slightly. Kupsh credits Moe with providing resources and inspiration for his own project, and so I am grateful that Moe undertook this work.
My advice is to seek out “Never Enough”, and give it a read-through. Despite being plagued with poor writing and editing (much worse than this book, admittedly), the firsthand knowledge that Kupsh had in working with Alex really came through in the storytelling. There is much more magic and character in that book than this one. But read neither until you experience The House on the Rock in person, if you can make it out to rural Wisconsin. Walking through that fever-dream attraction without any expectations of what you might encounter is by far and away the best way to experience the creative vision and work carried out by the famed genius-madman, Alex Jordan.
Unfortunately, I think the experience of reading this book suffered due to the order in which I read them, and frankly, this book was unnecessary to have read in comparison to the Kupsh book. On its own, it’s an okay summary of the life of Alex Jordan and his accomplishments…but it felt vastly incomplete compared to “Never Enough”.
This book tends to jump around a bit, failing to maintain much consistency, and it feels really surface level as a result. It just didn’t capture the magic of the experience. I also encountered some editing issues, including a repeat paragraph, word-for-word, a mere page apart.
That said, I didn’t think the experience of reading was a total waste. There were details in “Architect of His Own Dream” that “Never Enough” didn’t capture, so it presented a fuller picture in combination, but only slightly. Kupsh credits Moe with providing resources and inspiration for his own project, and so I am grateful that Moe undertook this work.
My advice is to seek out “Never Enough”, and give it a read-through. Despite being plagued with poor writing and editing (much worse than this book, admittedly), the firsthand knowledge that Kupsh had in working with Alex really came through in the storytelling. There is much more magic and character in that book than this one. But read neither until you experience The House on the Rock in person, if you can make it out to rural Wisconsin. Walking through that fever-dream attraction without any expectations of what you might encounter is by far and away the best way to experience the creative vision and work carried out by the famed genius-madman, Alex Jordan.
July 13, 2019
I grew up, and since 2013 live once again, in southern Wisconsin, maybe an hour and a half from Alex Jordan's fabled "The House on the Rock", Wisconsin's premier spectacle - or tourist trap, depending on your point of view. Though it's rather expensive if one considers it a museum - which it pretends to be at times but clearly isn't - and rather dull if one thinks of it as an "amusement", and architecturally more eccentric and cranky than brilliant, it still holds a place in my heart, and I've been back to visit a few times as an adult, each time noting that it's still expanding and morphing into something ever-new, now decades after its original designer and owner's death.
This is the authorized biography of Alex Jordan (1914-89), the builder of the House, a lifelong Wisconsin resident born into a relatively wealthy family and inheritor of architectural pretensions. To hear this book tell of it, Jordan and his father Alex Sr., an architect of some ability who had started out in a meatpacking family, always felt a rivalry with Frank Lloyd Wright - and despite their attempts to learn from the great genius living in Spring Green - quite close to Deer Shelter Rock where Jordan's House was eventually built - were always rebuffed in a small-minded, arrogant way. Well, it's no secret that Wright wasn't the nicest human being the planet has ever produced, but it's symptomatic of this book that it always takes the Jordans' point of view as victims or as unfairly maligned in their own efforts.
In any case as Alex was nearing middle age at the end of the 1940s, he conceived of the idea of his house - and tourist attraction, as he always planned it - and went to work, eventually creating a monstrous structure with many rooms, some warehouse-sized and housing enormous exhibits like a life-sized whale fighting a giant squid in plaster. The book is filled with photos (all black and white) and some maps and reproductions of Jordan's original notes, and gives a fairly detailed account of the early constructions. Jordan's deeper psychology, competetiveness, and rather intense rivalry with Wright (who probably paid him no attention at all) are barely touched on. There are other, non-authorized and unofficial works for that; as it is, this is still worth taking a look at for fans of the work and Wisconsonia in general.
This is the authorized biography of Alex Jordan (1914-89), the builder of the House, a lifelong Wisconsin resident born into a relatively wealthy family and inheritor of architectural pretensions. To hear this book tell of it, Jordan and his father Alex Sr., an architect of some ability who had started out in a meatpacking family, always felt a rivalry with Frank Lloyd Wright - and despite their attempts to learn from the great genius living in Spring Green - quite close to Deer Shelter Rock where Jordan's House was eventually built - were always rebuffed in a small-minded, arrogant way. Well, it's no secret that Wright wasn't the nicest human being the planet has ever produced, but it's symptomatic of this book that it always takes the Jordans' point of view as victims or as unfairly maligned in their own efforts.
In any case as Alex was nearing middle age at the end of the 1940s, he conceived of the idea of his house - and tourist attraction, as he always planned it - and went to work, eventually creating a monstrous structure with many rooms, some warehouse-sized and housing enormous exhibits like a life-sized whale fighting a giant squid in plaster. The book is filled with photos (all black and white) and some maps and reproductions of Jordan's original notes, and gives a fairly detailed account of the early constructions. Jordan's deeper psychology, competetiveness, and rather intense rivalry with Wright (who probably paid him no attention at all) are barely touched on. There are other, non-authorized and unofficial works for that; as it is, this is still worth taking a look at for fans of the work and Wisconsonia in general.
April 6, 2008
I've been known to call the House on the Rock the "8th wonder of the world" & while that's a somewhat overblown compliment I still mean it anyway! Go there, pay the high admission, spend alotof money inside. The place deserves it.
When I originally wrote this review I forgot that I'd read 2 bios of Jordan so I accidentally thought this was the UNAUTHORIZED one, wch it isn't, it's the AUTHORIZED ONE. SO, I've rewritten that review w/ that in mind. The unauthorized bio is, as one wd expect, not as flattering to Jordan as this one is but, no matter. Both are worth reading. All in all, I recommend going to the HOTR & then reading this bk AND the unathorized one for its remarkable history.
A part of the tale is that the place was created by Jordan partially to get back at Frank Lloyd Wright for insulting Jordan's father's abilities as an architect. &, I have to say, if you're in Spring Green, go to the HOTR if you've only got time for one architectural trip & SKIP Wright.
When I originally wrote this review I forgot that I'd read 2 bios of Jordan so I accidentally thought this was the UNAUTHORIZED one, wch it isn't, it's the AUTHORIZED ONE. SO, I've rewritten that review w/ that in mind. The unauthorized bio is, as one wd expect, not as flattering to Jordan as this one is but, no matter. Both are worth reading. All in all, I recommend going to the HOTR & then reading this bk AND the unathorized one for its remarkable history.
A part of the tale is that the place was created by Jordan partially to get back at Frank Lloyd Wright for insulting Jordan's father's abilities as an architect. &, I have to say, if you're in Spring Green, go to the HOTR if you've only got time for one architectural trip & SKIP Wright.
January 7, 2015
I know this book was written kind of as a rebuttal to a more salacious one (that I have yet to read, but will). So I wasn't expecting much, but still, it's really good. Alex Jordan... he was a genius (for sure), and an asshole (probably), but nobody will EVER create anything near what he's created. The World's Largest Carousel is the most well-known thing, so it's a good example. I've spent my time staring at it, but really, IT'S INSANE. It's not like he just purchased it somewhere and plopped it in a room. It was created... many of the 250+ animals (none of them a horse!) sculpted BY HAND. So many extra animals in the end that he plastered them to the walls all around. TWENTY THOUSAND LIGHTS. It took years... and why? A main quote that stuck with me: "Don't educate people. Entertain them." I loved reading about the people who worked at the house, and who worked on all the crazy projects, and who became closest to him. I'm looking forward to reading the other two existing books. I'm just a little obsessed with this place.
June 3, 2016
I have been fascinated with the House on the Rock after stumbling on it in Neil Gaiman's American Gods. If he hadn't had a note in the book that said it was a real place, I never could imagine the House on the Rock could really exist. This book is a short biography on the creator, Alex Jordon, who envisioned this amazing place and somehow made it a reality, really starting with no money at all. Jordon invested money from the visitors back into the place, to keep building. This is full of interesting information and photos. I can only hope to visit one day. It's amazing to think that a car crash that almost killed Jordon late in life would have prevented more of the fascinating exhibits from being created. I was thinking of George Orwell getting shot in the Spanish Civil War before he had written his books. I wish there was a fictional book that focused on Alex Jordan. Also, the poem Jordan wrote envisioning the House is worth reading the book alone.
August 14, 2016
Genius. I read this book and I think of my ASD kiddos who walked through this house and intuitively knew what this amazing architect was trying to express. Most of us will not know the passion this man has, but some will be able to navigate the unique path of his mind, expressed in physical space. I'm envious of those who can make that connection.
October 15, 2007
About as good as you could expect a large-print, "authorized biography" of the creator of the House on the Rock to be.
December 30, 2018
I heard this book paints a rosier picture of Jordan’s life, but it’s worth hearing from the people who loved him. I’m curious why Jennie had no quotes.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews