Product Description
Celebrating the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo's David, New American Library releases a special edition of Irving Stone's classic biographical novel-in which both the artist and the man are brought to life in full. A masterpiece in its own right, this novel offers a compelling portrait of Michelangelo's dangerous, impassioned loves, and the God-driven fury from which he wrested the greatest art the world has ever known.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 115 reviews)

agonizing prose, ecstatic intentions

I'm a high school English teacher, and I would never assign this to students to read. Nor would I recommend it to any adult except for those who are doing academic work about Michelangelo or those who are art historians. Michelangelo's artistic gifts are obviously amazing and worth knowing about. And the Renaissance time period certainly is important and interesting. However, the author exhausts his readers by seemingly including every single detail he gleaned from his obviously thorough research.
As a result, the story just goes on and on without any ongoing internal or external conflict to sustain interest. Maybe this is because as a whole, Michelangelo's life did not present an underlying, complex struggle. It was just a bunch of little struggles, each with the very same dynamic -- trying to do things his way, dealing with difficult popes and Medicis. His "great loves" are just slices of life along the way, for whatever reason: maybe the historical record does not give reason for much embellishment. I also felt like he never really conveyed an authentic, thoughtful sense of Michelangelo's inner world. It felt thin and simplistic, portrayed through the objectifying lens of Stone's reverence.
And the names! It was so frustrating to come across dozens of new people every few pages, most of whom were never mentioned again. It became impossible to figure out which ones I needed to pay attention to, which alone would have been a struggle because so many of the names are so similar to each other.
However, I guess all of the seemingly faithful details are an honor to someone worth honoring, so for this I give it two stars. Historical fiction can be so powerful. Here, though, a bit too agonizing.
August 22, 2008

Piece of Art!

The feelings and emotions of one of the greatest artists of all times is reflected in this excellent book. Take it with you on your next trip to Italy.
August 13, 2008

Not bad, but not great.

This book is fantastic if you want to immerse yourself in the daily life and culture of an artist in Italy living 500 years ago. The insight into the artistic process is very well written and you get a true sense of what artists were subjected to by way of maintaining themselves in the world. Read it to get yourself into the mind of an artist.

That said, it is a biography, so there are no shocking twists or big reveals like you will find in great fiction. I don't know why other reviewers seem to fault the book for this. Yes, it can seem rather banal compared to modern fiction, but it's not modern fiction. Is it the best written book in the world? No. It could have done with some more editing for one. It's still a good read.
May 03, 2008

A Very Good Read

If you are planning a trip to Italy, read this book before you go. Everything Michelangelo will mean so much more to you. A big, fat, thick book, but worth every minute of your time. One of those books that you tend to read more slowly near the end, because you don't want it to end.
February 08, 2008

Micheangelo

A wonderful biography of an amazing artist. Truly well written. Not only does the writer tell the story of Michelangelo but he also provides a glimpse of Italy in that period. This is a must read.
January 12, 2008

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