Irving Stone

[Dark Muse]

Formally I did not really know much about Iriving Stone and his works, his name was familiar to me but beyond that he was an author I could not tell you much more. But with my interest in historical fiction and when I was looking for books about the Renaissance, with a particular interest in the Medici who fascinate me, The Agony and the Ecstasy came highly and frequently recommended and when I found out it was about Michelangelo I just had to read it.

I am in the process of reading the book now, and I am quite enjoying it so far. Irving Stone gives a very detailed and vivid account about the life of Michelangelo and his struggles as an artist. Some of the prose and language used is also truly poetic. It paints a rather interesting portrait of the artist and his life as well as the politics and events within Italy during the period of Michelangelo's life.

So I decided to look more into Iriving Stone and his other work, and disordered that apparently he primarily does write about biographies upon famous historical figures, and I was quite excited to see he has one on the life of Van Gogh which I plan on reading after I finish Agony and the Ecstasy.

I was curious, while it seems that The Agony and the Ecstasy is one of his most popular works, has anyone read any of his other books and what have you thought? Are there any others that you would in particular recommend?

[dfloyd]

with Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison. The movie was not bad, but I've seen Heston in so many of these roles ... Harrison as the warrior Pope was quite good but understandably different from Henry Higgins.

I read the book about Van Gough. I think it's called Lust for Life. I had more interest in Van Gough than Michaelangelo. The book was extremely depressing, but Vincent led a very depressing life, then committed suicide. The movie of this one was much better than Agony et al. Van Gough was played by Kirk Douglas and his roomate, Paul Gauguin, was acted by Anthony Quinn. If you look at some of Vincent's earlier works,such as The Potato Eaters, you can see how he was affected by the poor and disinherited.

In my opinion, Stone's biographies are too wordy, and too full of the heartache experienced by his subjects. A much better approach to an artist biography was taken by W. Somerset Maugham in the Moon and Sixpence,the fictional biography of Paul Gauguin. Maugham holds back no punches, but his biograhy, albeit fictional to a certain extent, does not dwell interminably on a wasted life (Gauguin died of leprosy contracted in the south Pacific) The black and white movie of the Maugham novel was quite good, starring George Sanders, who in real life was a bounder and a cad, as Gauguin was.

[Dinkleberry2010]

I've read most of Irving Stone's works, and in my opinion Dear Theo: the autobiography and letters of Van Gogh is the best, although The Greek Treasure: Schliemann's discovery of Troy is very good also.

[neilgee]

I have to agree with floyd I thought Lust for life was even more interesting than The Agony and the Ecstasy.

The only other Stone biog I've read was Depths of Glory about the impressionist painter Camille Pissario. The best thing I liked about the novel was its ordinariness. Pissario just didn't have a very exciting life.

[Janine]

Dark Muse, Many years ago a friend gave me the novel and I loved it. I have always been fascinated with Michelangelo's work and his life. I thought that Stone's writing was marvelous. I was totally impressed and it took no time for me to get into the story and be totally captivated until the very end. Afterwards I tracked down the sonnet of Michelangelo. I found them to be wonderful. I am distressed I can't seem to locate the book now. The movie version of the book is good but the book far surpasses it. I found it extremely interesting to know that Michelangelo actually quarried his own marble and even helped build a road to bring it down the mountainside. His feats must have been engineered by God. They were so extraordinary for one man to accomplish and the obstacles he overcame were completely unreal.

I plan on reading "Lust for Life". I have always wanted to read it. I didn't find Stone's work wordy at all; but rather beautifully constructed/poetic at times. I very much enjoyed "The Agony and the Ecstasy" and it is definitely a book I plan to re-read someday.

[dfloyd]

I don't think you are the proper judge of wordiness.

[Janine]

I don't think you are the proper judge of wordiness.

....good one!

[Janine]

PS: gee......hummm.....no wonder I have been feeling 'burned out' lately.....

[DickZ]

I've read most of Irving Stone's works, and in my opinion Dear Theo: the autobiography and letters of Van Gogh is the best, although The Greek Treasure: Schliemann's discovery of Troy is very good also.

I agree wholeheartedly on the The Greek Treasure. Passions of the Mind about Sigmund Freud is also fantastic.

[Dark Muse]

I plan on reading "Lust for Life". I have always wanted to read it. I didn't find Stone's work wordy at all; but rather beautifully constructed/poetic at times. I very much enjoyed "The Agony and the Ecstasy" and it is definitely a book I plan to re-read someday.

I am enjoying the book, but I do find that it can be a bit on the verbose side.