Rating: 
Summary: Magnificent,Superb,Great
Review: The book is so beautifully written that it will make you read it again and again.It takes you back to the renaissance.It talks about Michelangelo's agonies & ecstasies.His troubled times with the popes.His life under the patronage of Lorenzo de Medici.The troubles he had making his masterpieces,such as,the Sistine ceiling,David,the dome of St.Peters.It also talks about his life love,the plagues,the wars,the arts and the artists of his time.Over all this book Fanstastic & out of this world.After reading this you would want to read Stone's other books.
Rating:
Summary: An enchanted journey into Renaissance Italy
Review: As a high school senior, I chose this book for a simple report. I eagerly devoured it over Christmas break, trapped inside by inclement weather.
Stone's character development is exemplary; even during Michelangelo's adolescence in the progression of the book I felt as though I knew the artist intimately. The author provides excellent, relatively-concise descriptions of Michelangelo's various artworks throughout, never lingering too long on one aspect. Stone provides just as much description to the Apostles as he does the more-famous David. Though parts of the novel do become a bit repetitious after 700 pages of reading; I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. Stone did an excellent job balancing Michelangelo's personal and public lives, though the two were often closely intertwined.
Though it is easy to lose count of various supporting roles (especially the numerous popes of the period) without careful attention, when this book is read as a serious literary work and not a fluff piece for perusing on an airplane it is quite exciting and anything but boring.
A bit heavy for the less-than-precocious student, but a fine read for most educated adults or studious teens such as myself.
Rating: 
Summary: An Aptly Named Novel
Review: In the over 700 small print pages that comprise this novel, the reader truly feels they have lived through every moment of Michelangelo's ninety-year lifespan. On one hand he spent his entire life as an artist; the one thing he wanted to do. But he also spent painful years struggling against the bureaucracies of his day. And his determination to create art left room for little else. His devotion even tended to preclude the basic amenities of food and rest. By the end, it seems his life really was a confusing mixture of glory and calamity. The man seems to have enjoyed hardly a moment's respite in all his life and I felt beaten up along with him in some parts, especially when he paints his frescoes on a high scaffold in the sistine chapel on the orders of the Pope.
Also of interest was the painstaking historical detail, which truly gave me an idea of how tumultuous and warlike Michelangelo's time was. Sometimes the narrative will quit altogether and go into a list of historical events for awhile. These passages usually add nicely to the flavor of the story, but some detours, especially those detailing the exact processes of cutting of marble blocks from mountains are a bit long.
Perhaps the strongest aspect of the book was Irving Stone's well-informed guesses as to what might have gone through Michelangelo's head as he created each of his works.This book can be a somewhat heavy read, but I was also eager to read about Michelangelo's next project. Finally, I suggest having a book or website with Michelangelo's works so you can see each of his creations as you read through.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, I didn't want it to end
Review: This book had me hooked from the first page. Stone's descriptions of the cities, artists and their works made me feel like I was in Italy again - walking the stone streets of Florence, gazing up at The David, craning my neck at the Sistine Chapel ceiling in Rome. The book made me want to go back and visit all these things again, with renewed appreciation for the intense passion that went into each one, and the politics around them. Stone gave Michelangelo a face and personna that you can't get from museum and history book descriptions. As I read this book I would continually follow along by looking up pictures of the works, cities, streets, and buildings the artist would visit and some of the history around the Popes and other artists of the era - for more context. The book was much more wonderful than I had anticipated and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Italian Renaissance and/or Michelangelo's work - Magnifico!
Rating:
Summary: Iriving Stone's Biography on Michalangelo is amazing!
Review: I must first say that I was very skeptical when I first started reading this book (having seem the movie and loving it, I was afraid that it would be poorly written); however, it, i.e., The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone turned out be a real gem. In fact, I wish that more modern authors could write with the eloquence that Mr. Stone shows thought this book. The book itself can be said to easy to read and its, i.e., The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone descriptions are so vivid and alive that one could have thought that one had known or been acquainted with all of these characters in previous life. Irving Stone also makes the reader experience the wild mood swings that Michelangelo experiences during the creation of his pieces and one truly understands the title of the book since Michangelo's life was truly filled with Agony and the Ecstasy.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Italian Guide Book!
Review: We read "The Agony and the Ecstasy" on a trip through Italy following someone else's recommendation and found it to be the best guide book we could have picked up, especially as artists! We felt as though we were following in the footsteps of Michelangelo from Florence through Tuscany, Rome, Venice, and on, amazed at the vast body of his awe-inspiring work spread all over the country, hidden in small nooks and crannies everywhere. What an incredible history lesson! A must read for everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Short and Sweet
Review: I'm going to keep this short and sweet, because I know you just want to get on with your purchasing. The first time I saw a picture of one of Michelangelo's works... I fell in love. It was less than a year ago when I was 17. I am a senior in high school, and decided to read this for my own pleasure. It took me almost four months to read, but that was because I am juggling a full load of classes, college applications, and extracurricular activities. I was sad when I reached the end of this book, because it was just amazing. I loved it so much, and it is my favorite novel. I am now reading King's Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling, just ordered two more informational books, and continue to 'collect' other books concerning this wonderful artist. I definitely reccommend this book to lovers of Michelangelo.
Rating:
Summary: Good Read!
Review: Even within the morality in 1961 (apparently forbidding the mention of sexual preference in an acknowledged hero, which resulting in omission of what must have been a major formative issue in his life) this is a compelling story of the rise of one of the few peole in the art world whose work is as vibrant today as when it was produced over 500 years ago. Michelangelo was constantly under pressure to comply with the whims of others, Medici or Pope, and even the works he had no interest in, his creative ability shone through. His fear of being caught in his forbidden studies of cadavers, suffering through those terrible winter months, dealing with the arbitray whims of his patrons, his genius shone through despite himself. This book was a page turner, which is not what one often finds in a biography.
Rating: 
Summary: Much too complicated for students
Review: I was forced to read this book as a senior in high school and I find it horrible that people force students to read books like this when they are cleary not interested in them. There is a plethora of characters in this book, each with more than one name. I don't want to bash this book because I am sure that if i was older and more mature or was planning a trip to Italy i would enjoy this book much more than i have. However I am writing this review in protest to schools forcing us to read this kind of book. It really is sad that a book with as much historical value as this is being given a bad rap because people like me are being forced to read it. I'm sorry to Irving Stone becuase I believe his book should only be read by those who want to read it and will enjoy it. To me, this book was a pure agony and not much else.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Passionate but Meandering
Review: This book was awesome, don't get me wrong, but the only things keeping me from absolutely loving it were the parts where Stone strayed from the most interesting areas (to me). The most interesting areas of this book were the inner workings of Michelangelo himself, the artist and the spurned son and lover and citizen of the magnificent Florence. I wish it had more of what went on inside his head instead of just colorful accounts of the wars of the Renaissance. I loved looking into his mind and his obsession with art. Being an aspiring art history buff, I was taking a sculpture class while reading this book, which is both a curse and a blessing, wanting to love it as much as he did but finding it difficult as a beginner. Another side I enjoyed was the love affair he had with the Medici family, most importantly Lorenzo and Contessina. Heartbreaking to say the least!
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