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A review by thefussyreader
Leonardo Da Vinci: The Renaissance of the World by Marwan Kahil
2.0
The moment I saw a Leonardo Da Vinci graphic novel, I had to read it. He is a person who has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. I've read many books on him and visited many museums. Obsessed is an understatement.
This graphic novel was okay, but not much more than okay, unfortunately. I wanted to really like it, because it's Da Vinci, but I just couldn't get into it.
Everything about it felt so rushed and sloppy. So many big events happen over a single page and are only brushed over.
Leonardo's release from prison and Simonette's death are also both explored through all of one page and neither are explained. The fact that both are shown on the same page makes the two events seem connected, which they aren't. And then Giuliano's assassination is completely brushed over. I know this is a story about Leo, but these were important Florentine events.
The dialogue isn't the clearest. I'd have to read some pieces several times and still found it unclear.
The art style was bizarre, to say the least. The characters would be talking, but the images shown would be random objects in the room, or random insects eating each other. Was this somehow to depict how observant Leo was? If so, I get what the artist was trying to achieve, but I don't think the outcome is effective.
The art also gave me big 90s childrens' book vibes. As a 90s kid, it felt really reminiscent of the books I read as a kid. In other words, the art styles felt very dated. (If such a thing is possible, but this is the only way I can think to describe it.)
I'm left a little confused as to the purpose of this book. There wasn't enough information in enough detail to make it educational. More page time was given to trivial things like Salai's drinking and gambling then it was to, say, Leo's arrest, or his flying machine, or his work for the Borgias as a military engineer. It was just so rushed, and lacked focus.
Leo Da Vinci was a genius with one of the most fascinating lives in history and that just isn't displayed to its fullest potential in this book. The possibilities are endless with Da Vinci, but this was so surface level.
I feel this book would have benefitted from focusing on a single period in Leo's life and exploring it in detail, instead of trying to rush through his entire life.
Digital copy provided by Netgalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This graphic novel was okay, but not much more than okay, unfortunately. I wanted to really like it, because it's Da Vinci, but I just couldn't get into it.
Everything about it felt so rushed and sloppy. So many big events happen over a single page and are only brushed over.
Leonardo's release from prison and Simonette's death are also both explored through all of one page and neither are explained. The fact that both are shown on the same page makes the two events seem connected, which they aren't. And then Giuliano's assassination is completely brushed over. I know this is a story about Leo, but these were important Florentine events.
The dialogue isn't the clearest. I'd have to read some pieces several times and still found it unclear.
The art style was bizarre, to say the least. The characters would be talking, but the images shown would be random objects in the room, or random insects eating each other. Was this somehow to depict how observant Leo was? If so, I get what the artist was trying to achieve, but I don't think the outcome is effective.
The art also gave me big 90s childrens' book vibes. As a 90s kid, it felt really reminiscent of the books I read as a kid. In other words, the art styles felt very dated. (If such a thing is possible, but this is the only way I can think to describe it.)
I'm left a little confused as to the purpose of this book. There wasn't enough information in enough detail to make it educational. More page time was given to trivial things like Salai's drinking and gambling then it was to, say, Leo's arrest, or his flying machine, or his work for the Borgias as a military engineer. It was just so rushed, and lacked focus.
Leo Da Vinci was a genius with one of the most fascinating lives in history and that just isn't displayed to its fullest potential in this book. The possibilities are endless with Da Vinci, but this was so surface level.
I feel this book would have benefitted from focusing on a single period in Leo's life and exploring it in detail, instead of trying to rush through his entire life.
Digital copy provided by Netgalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.