Rating: 
Summary: Ottimo! (Excellent)
Review: As one of Michelangelo's biggest fans, I can truly say that Irving Stone did an incredible job on this biographical novel. Although Michelangelo was known as a sculptor, painter and architect, his greatest love was the marble, and this book shows it. I just returned from a two week vacation through Italy where I stayed in Florence for about a week. The streets and piazzas where Michelangelo and Granacci walked has been captured by Stone in true detail. San Marco and Santa Maria Novella are extactly as Stone describes. I have also seen most of Michelangelo's works and it is wonderful to see the personal "story" behind each of the works. Not only does this book walk with you though Michelangelo's life, but it also gives the reader a piece of Italian history with the Medici family and the Pope. This book gives me another justification why Michelangelo is God sent. No one should judge his work until they have stood in front of David and the Pieta or looked up at the Sistine Chapel. It is one of the most incredible experiences of my life. This book may not be an easy read to some because the Italian names may be hard to follow. Some of the historical conflicts among the Medici family, the Pope and Savonarola may be a bit confusing if the reader is not familiar with the attitudes of that time. There are also a minutia of Italian phrases which may be confusing to those who do not understand Italian. But if you are looking for a great book that not only gives you the history, but the emotion, then this is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Work, Fitting Tribute
Review: Irving Stone has captured the soul of the artist/creator in "Agony and Ecstasy." Not only that, he brought to life historical figures of the 15th & 16th Centuries, weaving them through the story of the life of Michelangelo with such clarity that it seemed as if it could have only happened yesterday. One of the most moving works of "biographical" fiction I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: A Real Life Renaissance Journey of an Artist
Review: Even though this book is depicted as a biographical novel, the word novel can be eliminated with justification. Most of the information in the book is true to its day. The generous historical facts depict the life and times of one of the greatist artists History has known. It is a must read for anyone interested in what it was like to be a artist in that day.
Rating:
Summary: MONUMENTAL
Review: read "the a. and the e." coupla years ago. still can't forget it. a remarkable accomplishment when you consider stone encapsulates michelangelo's entire life -- and a long life at that -- beautifully and with great passion.
Rating:
Summary: A book that should be celebrated
Review: I have never read such a book as this before. Every page kept me so interested and excited. I have been to Italy and I have seen most of Michelangelo's work. This book put so much emotion behind the beautiful art I was able to see. Irving Stone should be celebrated for what he has accomplished here. He makes you feel as though you are there, standing next to the greatest artist of all times, just watching his life unfold. Splendido!
Rating:
Summary: If you like art and history , this is one of the greatest
Review: Books around , SOME reviews will give a boring rating , those persons made a mistake , this is no James Bond reading and history requires a mind that is open to learn and absorb , not just a plot ! , so if you want to be transported to the mind and soul of the greatest artist aver known to man , get ready , don't do the mistake of paying attention to people that have no idea what history is about , and that probably never came to Italy . GO FOR IT ...
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This is an incredible book. I enjoyed every page of it. I visited Italy last summer and plan to return in 2001 armed with new insight into the mind of one of the greatest artists in history. I only wish I had read this before my last trip. Don't watch the film that was made in the 60's. It doesn't do the book justice.
Rating:
Summary: Magnifico!
Review: As a portrait artist trained in the Renaissance techniques of painting, this book is literally a Bible for me. To wrestle along with Il Divino as he chooses theme, composition, presentation, gives an insight into what we artists go through daily in our work. Whenever I need a boost, I always turn to this book for inspiration. For the non-artist, this novel is not only a peek into the mind of a working artist but also a realistic look at the lives and times of the greatest artists humankind has produced. To understand the politics of Italy, the Church, and how both affected an artist's work is to understand that art does indeed reflect life. Thank you, Signor Stone, for giving us this look into the working methods of The Master of Masters.
Rating:
Summary: Magnifico!
Review: As a portrait artist trained in the Renaissance style of painting, I've read this book 24 times in two languages. To wrestle along with Il Divino as he chooses theme, composition, presentation, gives the reader a whole new perspective on the creation of a work of art. Whenever I need a boost in my own work, I turn back to Michelangelo, via Irving Stone, for guidance. For the non-artist, this book is a small glimpse into what we artists are faced with in our work as well as a fantastically accurate historical look at Italy in the 16th century. Bravo, Mr Stone!
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely banal
Review: This must be one of the least interesting works of literature I've ever read. Who would have thought you could produce 700 pages surrounding a totally unconflicted character? "I want to carve the marble. I carve the marble. My avuncular patron lavishes me with gifts and praise. But, uh oh, something bad happens and I have to switch patrons." That's the whole novel. Rinse and repeat seven or eight times. And by the way, kids, Michelangelo was gay, which might shed light on the fact that every 'romantic' scene rings amazingly untrue. It's just such a shame that an author put so much time and research into a book that is ultimately gushy and artless.
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