Theodore Khoury

This book fills an important niche. It is a useful compendium of Orthodox icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have read it through and use it as a reference. It focuses mostly on Russian icons, but was compiled entirely from English sources. It includes fifty icons. A picture of each icon is reproduced, beneath which is the icon's title, feast day, and a short prayer. On the facing page is a short history of the icon.

Unfortunately, the book could be better in many respects. The pictures are quite small -- each are about half a page. They are shown only in black and white (an understandable, cost-saving move). The short descriptions (which do not directly cite sources), are short, mostly legendary histories. These histories are in general incomplete. For example, it is not dangerous ecumenism to state that the Kazan Icon was stolen from the Kazan Cathedral during the Russian Revolution and is presently in Catholic hands in Portugal -- but it is incomplete not to say so. Parts of the book could use an editor. Most of the errors are minor (like the misspelling on the front cover), but misspelling Cypress for Cyprus might lead to misunderstandings. It would also be very nice to see more discussion of the icons' symbolic imagery.

In short, this is a good book to have, because to my knowledge there is no substitute. But I would love to see a second edition with larger, color images (I for one would be willing to pay for that), and more detailed histories and descriptions of the icons.… (mais)