Marbelous Heart

A heart and flesh from marble, yet pounding and alive. This is the first association that hits the mind when thinking of "The agony and the ecstasy" of Irving Stone. It is amazing how a writer can transform mere facts about a sculptor of Renaissance into a beautifully woven piece of writing. At some point you forget what boils a fascination in your blood more, the life of Michelangelo or the story of Irving Stone. Then you realise, it is rather the PASSION that pulls you in. The passion, the love and the ecstasy of both Michelangelo and Irving. The passion that is contagious...

My fingers are brushing through a keyboard waiting for signals or emotions to flow so that I could write this review. This weird yet exciting feeling I have now, this bittersweet flavour from the book. I picture Michelangelo circling around the Duccio Block, thinking passionately about his Giant, drafting the contours of his signature. I picture Irving sauntering in the direction of Palazzo Signoria after hours of exploring David the Giant pondering how well he could pass this Michelangelic passion to his readers. Finally, it is myself that has to reflect and come up with proper and beautiful words to anyone who would stumble upon this marbelous post.

When you take "The agony and the ecstasy" in your hands, it looks like a piece of fine white marble. Reading this book is like carving the marble yourself, bit by bit, page by page. Only when you reach the end, an astonishing feeling sweeps all over you that it wasn't the stone you were holding, it was a sculpture, it was a fresco, it is the full and complete image of one man, one genius. So take this marble and carve it till the end. Learn from Michelangelo. Learn from Irving.

The lessons:

- The stone is not as cold as I thought, some humans are colder...
- You carve your own life bearing in mind that life is as tough as the rocks of Carrara.
- Agonies outweigh ecstasy, immortality is not a solution.
- Religions are corrupted, faith is subjective.
- Families are precious, take care of them.
- We all need friends like Granacci. Friends that lift us up, friends that inspire and motivate, friends that criticise, care, love, laugh with us and get us drunk.
- We all have our own Pope Julius II as a demon and he will stalk us if we don't learn to say no.
- Sadly, love can be late. Too late, sometimes.
- Beauty is immortal, action is attractive, jealousy is fatal.
- Be rebellious, be different, chances being hated are high, but respect is guaranteed.
- You are not the master of your destiny, people will interfere, plans will go wrong, destinations will change.
- Money is a security, save it.