The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0451171357 ISBN 13: 9780451171351

Publisher: Berkley, 1987

Irving Stone’s classic biographical novel of Michelangelo—the #1 New York Times bestseller in which both the artist and the man are brought to vivid, captivating life.

His time—the turbulent Renaissance, the years of poisoning princes, warring Popes, and the all-powerful de'Medici family...

His loves—the frail and lovely daughter of Lorenzo de'Medici, the ardent mistress of Marco Aldovrandi, and his last love, his greatest love—the beautiful, unhappy Vittoria Colonna...

His genius—a God-driven fury from which he wrested brilliant work that made a grasp for heaven unmatched in half a millennium...

His name—Michelangelo Buonarroti. Creator of the David, painter of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, architect of the dome of St. Peter's, Michelangelo lives once more in the tempestuous, powerful pages of Irving Stone's towering triumph. A masterpiece in its own right, this biographical novel offers a compelling portrait of one of the greatest artists the world has ever known.

About the Author:

Irving Stone (1903-1989) was born in San Francisco. He wrote several books in a genre that he coined the “biographical novel,” which recounted the lives of well-known historical figures. In these novels, Stone interspersed biography with fictional narrative on the psychology and private lives of his subjects. He also wrote biographies of Clarence Darrow and Earl Warren, and short biographies of men who lost presidential elections.

Review:

"[Stone] has painted the portrait of a supreme craftsman who was also one of the most versatile artists of all time."