Genre: Fiction—Historical Fiction & Biographical Novel
Completed: 31 December 2015
Summary & Review:
The life and work of Michelangelo are followed from his early days as an apprentice in the studio of Ghirlandaio through his struggles and triumphs in Rome, culminating with the design for the dome of St. Peter’s just before his death at the age of 88. Blessed with prodigious talent but lacking in charm, Michelangelo’s career is often beset by difficulties and controversies, but the artistic drive within him spurs him to create some of the most magnificent masterpieces in history.
This was a fascinating book and I really enjoyed reading it. For a long time, I took Michelangelo for granted and favored the work of Leonardo da Vinci, a contemporary of Michelangelo. However, as I’ve been able to see his work in person I’ve learned to more fully appreciate what Michelangelo was able to accomplish. What was fun about this book was knowing before hand the works that the young Michelangelo would eventually produce, e.g. the Pieta, David, Sistine Chapel frescoes, etc., and looking forward to reading about the process of how each work came into being. I would constantly be anticipating reading about what went into the next masterpiece and reading about each process was incredibly interesting.
Rating: 8.5
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