The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

 Michelangelo Buonarroti was born to an old but financially endangered family in Florence in 1475.  Stone's novel about his life is highly fictionalized, but interesting and insightful.  It recounts his life from his childhood in the hills above Florence, through his apprenticeship, and then his time in the household of Lorenzo de Medici.  Stone portrays his lean years trying to establish himself, and then the period when he was forced into projects he didn't want by a long list of corrupt popes and cardinals. Stone particularly focuses on the periods when Michelangelo was working on his most famous pieces, the David, the Sistine Chapel, the de Medici tomb and finally the dome of St Peter's. 

You may have been wondering why I haven't posted in a while.  It is because this recorded book is 34 hrs long! Someone recommended I read it before my trip to Italy next week, and I am glad I did.  I had read it before, years ago, maybe when I was in college*, but it was good to refresh my memory about the time period and all the social pressures that influenced Michelangelo's work. The reader of the audiobook does a good job (even at 125% speed) and the writing style is very readable, if a little sentimental.  I wonder how similar Michelangelo was to Stone's portrayal?  Stone quotes from Michelangelo's letters and poems, and refers to contracts and deeds, suggesting that these were the primary sources he used in writing the book, but that might have just been a literary device.  I was very impressed with Stone's ability to describe and interpret the motivations behind each of the principle art works.  Mostly, I am just excited to actually get to see some of these amazing works next week in person! (776 p. 1961)

*When I read the book those many years ago, I think I was too naive to pick up on a lot of the sexual imagery the justified the book's title. It is subtle, but everywhere :)