lgiegerich's review
4.0
Absolutely fascinating, if somewhat incomplete due to feelings about homosexuality in 1961 when it was written, telling of Michelangelo’s hard knock life. The 250 pages after the Sistine Chapel somewhat dragged- all those Pope arguments were not quite as entertaining. Still, incredible look into his mind/creative endeavors.
cbreid95's review
One of my all time favorites- so descriptive I feel like I'm following Michelangelo's journey through life right beside him
booksandchicks's review
3.0
I'm glad I read the book in preparation to going to actually see the works of Michelangelo. I think i'll have a greater appreciation for the David, sistene ceiling and dome, and even the smaller pieces of art scattered here and there. I found the book dragged a bit. I mean it was 750 pages. It brought up a lot of names that ultimately I got all mixed up. I wanted to learn about his death. I wanted to hear more about what the people in his time thought of him. I wanted more detail and history behind the large commissions. I heard a lot about his "feelings" for the art. I'm really looking forward to seeing the David and sistene ceiling.
Would I recommend this? Yes. It was a good read. But not totally captivating.
Would I recommend this? Yes. It was a good read. But not totally captivating.
guinness74's review against another edition
3.0
I read this for extra credit in high school. Only later did I learn there was a film which might have helped me more...but it was a decent book. It dragged in parts, but there was quite a bit of drama between Michelangelo and the various popes. Frustrated and demanding artist vs. even more demanding and egomaniacal religious figures.
monetlilypads's review
5.0
Wow. Truly an incredible read. The detail is amazing, and Michelangelo's passion for carving statues is portrayed brilliantly. It was written well enough to evoke feelings of joy, frustration, irritation, desperation, and amusement. It's inspiring to walk through the life of one of the greatest artists of all time, especially when it's told so well. Fantastic read!
chaeopteryx's review
5.0
OK, now that its NOT like 1:00 AM I will leave a slightly more eloquent review.
The way Irving Stone describes marbel makes me foam at the mouth. Like, never before have I seen - love, admiration, desire, how do you even describe it? - portrayed so well. Michealangelo is so obsesssed and engrossed with his work, I love it. I'm always down for the self-destructive tendencies that comes with love for an activity. And the background issue of the political/religious climate really helps set the scene and provides for interesting issues.
Might count as a spoiler but I don't know hwoo ti coudl becasue Michealangelo is like;;; a real person? But when he disects the bodies I was literally nauseous. It was described so well I felt like I was gonna be sick. Fucking amazing, Irving Stone.
5/5, in love, such good description, made me wanna engage with marbel in way I will not say.
The way Irving Stone describes marbel makes me foam at the mouth. Like, never before have I seen - love, admiration, desire, how do you even describe it? - portrayed so well. Michealangelo is so obsesssed and engrossed with his work, I love it. I'm always down for the self-destructive tendencies that comes with love for an activity. And the background issue of the political/religious climate really helps set the scene and provides for interesting issues.
Might count as a spoiler but I don't know hwoo ti coudl becasue Michealangelo is like;;; a real person? But when he disects the bodies I was literally nauseous. It was described so well I felt like I was gonna be sick. Fucking amazing, Irving Stone.
5/5, in love, such good description, made me wanna engage with marbel in way I will not say.
koylosreads's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
stein's review
5.0
Loved this book. You really get into Michelangelo’s head amidst the tumultuous period of Italy during the Renaissance.
merricatct's review
3.0
This was my choice for the "book about an artist" prompt on this year's Popsugar challenge. It's also a book I've had on my shelf/TBR for a very long time, so I was glad for the opportunity to read it. It's exactly what it appears to be - a long, heavy historical fiction tome about Michelangelo, his cities, and his contemporaries. Definitely not exciting, and I did think that the there should have been a little more equilibrium between "describing every detail of entire days in real time" and "flying through five years like nothing happened", but in the end it gets the job done. As I get older, I'm drawn to these types of books less frequently, but they are a comforting read when I feel the itch for a solid, grounding read.
kristianspring's review
5.0
This book was great. It was so long, (36 hours of audio book) but engaging the whole time. I loved hearing about the environment around Michaelangelo's great works and thinking more deeply about creating art.