If I were a student of architecture, I might find merit in this wordy disquisition about tea houses and follies and other quaint little structures. But Im not. Im just a schlep who is deeply curious about the EXPERIENCE of building and living in a hut. The subtitle, *On Life Lived outside the Bounds of Architecture,* led me to believe thats what the book would actually be about. Mea culpa, for having brought such intensely passionate expectations to what is a perfectly innocent but drab little book.
Space is at a premium in my tiny apartment, but there will always be room on my bookshelf for "A Hut of Ones Own." Ann Clines meditation on architecture, art, and culture is fragmented in places, and doesnt deliver big glossy visuals or a knockout blow to the senses. Rather, its a quiet book that unfolds with fresh opinions, and acute observations. Its thought-provoking reading for artists, architects, and intellectuals of all stripes. Ive had the book for years, and still find myself returning to it.
The title gives the impression that you are going to be whisked away into that world everyone dreams about - your secret place. But in reality it doesnt quite do that. The photography is poor and the diagrams are not labeled adequately. Shame as I really wanted to enjoy this book.
