The Agony and the Ecstasy--Book Review

I am frankly a little disappointed with myself. Because this is the longest I have taken to finish a book. And so this is the longest I have kept my readers waiting for a new post from me.

This, however, is not a book that you can hope to get over with in a day or two. You need to savour it, live in the moments that the author creates, sit back and let yourself be immersed in the Renaissance art and come out feeling humbled.

"The Agony and the Ecstasy" written by Irving Stone is the biography of Michelangelo Buonarroti, more popularly known as Michelangelo, the creator of David, the Sistine Chapel Frescoes, Madonna and the Child, the architect of St. Peters dome. A Perfectionist, a Passionate lover and above all a Brilliant artist who was honest to his trade.

The novel traces Michelangelo's life from the time he was 13 and was apprenticed to learn painting in Florence till the time of his death.

The author maintains a steady pace throughout the book, falters not even once and takes the readers on a journey through the turbulent Renaissance period.

The highlights of this book are the sequences where Michelangelo envisions and thereon proceeds to create some of his finest masterpieces -- Madonna of the Stairs, Battle of the Centaurs, David, and the Sistine Ceiling; also worth a mention is the description of his rivalry with Leonardo Da Vinci and Raphael.

So deep is the impact of this book that unknowingly, you feel the inner turmoil of Michelangelo when he had to waste years quarrying for the finest of marble that was never used, you feel his anger at being called a "Stone Laborer", his agony when a splinter of marble enters his eye and renders him sightless for days and his ecstasy when his fellow countrymen tell him that his David gave them back their self respect.

My Verdict: "The Agony and the Ecstasy" is a must read for all the serious Bookworms who want to read something offbeat, insightful and profound. Casual readers will want to abandon the book within the first 50 pages or so. Art and History enthusiasts will find it to be a priceless treasure.

Last words: Make sure that you have an internet connection at hand, because you will want to Google and see the artworks and sculptures mentioned in the book.

Word of Thanks: To Mr. Bookworm. Though it was a date, I still could not keep myself away from Landmark and I pleaded that I be allowed just 10 minutes to rush inside and buy a book. This was the first one on the racks near the bill counter and ultimately I ended up buying one of the most beautiful books that I have read so far :)