Journal Entry 1 by Lucinda from Ventura, California USA on Saturday, September 03, 2005

A fascinating and readable account of the creation of one of Western civilization's greatest masterpieces.

Bookring order:

Nell-lu --Scotland
Whitehorsy -- Belgium
dagett -- Austria
katayoun -- Iran
cestmoi -- Canada
Ilios -- FL
wyldewomin -- MA
buffra -- W. VA
evenstar1217 -- PA
wolfprincess -- OH<-- here 1/13/07
topgun39743 -- MS
Suefitz -- CA
and back to Lucinda, CA

Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 2 by Lucinda from Ventura, California USA on Sunday, September 25, 2005

Sending off to Nell-Lu. Happy travelling! 

Journal Entry 3 by Nell-Lu from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Thursday, September 29, 2005

This just arrived in the late post - and made my day (it's been a bad one, so I needed cheering up). Thanks, Lucinda, for sharing. I'm two-thirds through a book at the moment, so will start this tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 4 by Nell-Lu from Edinburgh, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Wow! I really enjoyed this. I'm amazed at how much information is available - both about the process of painting, the social and political situation, and about Michelangelo and his fellow artists. It turns out Michelangelo was a prolific letter-writer (and poet) and a lot of these letters have survived. He mostly seems to have been complaining...the contrast between his temperament and that of Raphael is interesting.

The book is well written and the level of detail about the paintings and the painters' lives is enthralling. Thanks very much, Lucina, for starting this ring.

I'll package this up to go to Whitehorsy now, and take it to the Post Office tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 5 by whitehorsy from Hasselt, Limburg / Limbourg Belgium on Tuesday, October 18, 2005

I've been at my parent's house for a week, that's why I'm a little late with journaling this book... sorry about that! I've received it last week Tuesday and I've already started reading... it seems to be very interesting, although I need to put it down every now and then, it's not something I can read for hours... but I really like it so far!

Thanks Lucinda for organising this ring and thanks to Nell-Lu for sending it along so quickly! :-) 

Journal Entry 6 by whitehorsy from Hasselt, Limburg / Limbourg Belgium on Monday, November 14, 2005

I've finally finished this book last Friday... it took me a bit longer than usual, I guess I'm just not used to non-fiction anymore! I've really enjoyed the book, eventhough I couldn't read it for long stretches of time. It was fascinating to get to know "the man" behind "the name" Michelangelo.

Thanks for sharing Lucinda!!! I'll be sending it off to dagett in Austria tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 7 by dagett from Wien - irgendwo / Vienna - somewhere, Wien Austria on Thursday, December 01, 2005

The book arrived in Vienna today! Thanks to Lucinda for the bookring and many thanks to whitehorsy for passing it on, wrapped in a specially decorated envelope and equipped with a sweet postcard and a Gromit-Bookmark! :)) That really made me smile!
I'll start reading it in a couple of days, I just have to finish my current read first. 

Journal Entry 8 by dagett from Wien - irgendwo / Vienna - somewhere, Wien Austria on Monday, January 02, 2006

Thanks for sharing this interesting book with me! With all the holiday- festivities I could not concentrate on this book as much as I wanted to, so I decided that I need a copy for myself to reread and for further reference. Ross King is definitely an author I'll keep an eye on.
The parcel for katayoun is ready and I'm heading for the post office in a minute. 

Journal Entry 9 by katayoun from Tehran, Tehran Iran on Monday, February 06, 2006

here!! thanks. got a couple of rings before this, though will probably be reading this on the side. will hopefully be back soon to update 

Journal Entry 10 by katayoun from Tehran, Tehran Iran on Tuesday, February 14, 2006

thanks all, the book is on it's way to cestmoi and should be there in a month at most (touch wood! touch wood!) 

Journal Entry 11 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, May 23, 2006

This arrived on Friday and I didn't have a chance to journal it until today. It was a long month katayoun :) I'll start reading it at the end of this week and will try to have it moving asap.

Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 12 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Sunday, June 04, 2006

On it's way to Ilios.

I didn't finish this because a few years ago I read "The Agony and The Ecstasy" and loved it. It's a more fictionlized biography of Michelangelo but covered much of the same information, so I didn't see the point of re-reading what I already knew.

I did enjoy what I did read though and found it written in an easy to follow pace and language. 

Journal Entry 13 by cestmoi from Hamilton, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, July 19, 2006

This was just returned to me today by Canada Post. The package was mangled but thankfully the book is completely undamaged, so I am going to resend out to Ilios. 

Journal Entry 14 by Ilios from Tampa, Florida USA on Friday, August 11, 2006

I received this book a few days ago and started reading it this morning. I love history and art, so this book looks really interesting. I will update this entry as soon as I am done. Thanks for sharing!

UPDATE 8/21/06
I am halfway through the book and enjoying it very much. wyldewomin stated on her shelf that she wants to be skipped form rings, so I'll be contacting the next BXer in line to get this book moving ASAP.

UPDATE 9/11/06
I finished reading this book about a week ago and loved it through the end. I enjoyed the seamless switch between the story of the ceiling and Michelangelo's work and the political and historical parts that accompanied it. Michelangelo is depicted as a real person, with equal parts of genius, grouch and narcisist in him. The book is very well researched and there is a plethora of references for those of us who woul like to learn more about the topic. I will definitely want to read other books by this author. I am sending this book out today. Thank you so much for sharing this! 

Journal Entry 15 by Ilios at US Post in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, September 11, 2006

Released 5 yrs ago (9/11/2006 UTC) at US Post in Book Ring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

mailing out today! 

Journal Entry 16 by buffra from Columbus, Ohio USA on Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Caught it! It may have come a bit ago and gotten lost in a shuffle of papers while I was on vacation -- where do they all come from? -- but it is safe and on my immediate TBR stack.

Thank you!

:) 

Journal Entry 17 by buffra from Columbus, Ohio USA on Friday, January 05, 2007

I've finally gotten to sit down and read this book. Once I had some time, it was a quick and easy read.

I found it interesting to learn more about Michelangelo, Pope Julius, and all the other historical figures of the time. I had no idea that Michelangelo was such a difficult, morose fellow, nor that there was such drama and collusion surrounding his painting of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling.

King did a decent job describing the political situation, the ecclesiastical and social upheaval, and the artistic developments that took place around the time that Michelangelo was doing his work. He also explained the interplays between various characters in both researched and anecdotal ways. I wish that he had relied a bit less on Vasari and Condivi, as many of their writings are (as he admits) rather biased. He also left several questions unanswered -- about Michelangelo's personal life, about his family relationships, and others. However, it seems that there is a distinct lack of appropriate sources, especially regarding exact happenings and Michelangelo's personal life and thoughts. (I just recently read Dava Sobel's Galileo's Daughter and the difference in available details, because Galileo was a man of letters, is very pronounced!) This may also be due to the artist's difficult temperament.

I thought at times that King's narrative was lacking in smooth transitions. Occasionally, he jumped from one point to the next too abruptly. Lack of relevant information seemed to fuel these jumps, but they did make the narrative read less smoothly in some parts and at times seemed almost contradictory. The most obvious example (to me) is that of Michelangelo's choosing of assistants. He was particular to the extreme and required personal guarantees and knowledge of four of the assistants. However, when Michi asked to be another one, Michelangelo seems to have accepted without hesitation -- a move that makes little sense as it concludes King's description of Michelangelo's suspicious and distrustful nature!

My biggest complaint is that I frequently found myself wishing for a few more pictures of the chapel ceiling and of the other artworks mentioned. (Especially the chapel and the drawings described in detail hard to make out in the small photos!)

Despite these minor details, the book was very interesting and gave me new knowledge of the world of the Renaissance and the still-famous artists who populated it. 

Journal Entry 18 by buffra from Columbus, Ohio USA on Monday, January 08, 2007

Mailed out this morning! 

Journal Entry 19 by wolfprincess from Newton Falls, Ohio USA on Saturday, January 13, 2007

The book arrived today! I have to finish the one i am reading now and this will be next on the list. 

Journal Entry 20 by wolfprincess from Newton Falls, Ohio USA on Saturday, March 31, 2007

I am so sorry that i have had this book for so long but things have been very crazy in my life right now I did not have my computer for sometime becasue it was getting worked on and a lot of other family issues were going on. I am will get the book out as soon as I get topguns address. The book was very good and i really enjoyed it. 

Journal Entry 21 by wolfprincess from Newton Falls, Ohio USA on Friday, April 06, 2007

I sent the book out today by media mail. 

Journal Entry 22 by topgun39743 from Crawford, Mississippi USA on Monday, April 09, 2007

I just received this book and can't wait to read it. 

Journal Entry 23 by topgun39743 from Crawford, Mississippi USA on Saturday, May 12, 2007

It was insightful and interesting.Sending on shortly to Suefitz. 

Journal Entry 24 by Suefitz from Saratoga, California USA on Thursday, May 31, 2007

Don't recall signing up for this but it does look interesting.