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Lust for Life (Paperback)
by Irving Stone
| Category:
Art, Biography |
| Market price: ¥ 178.00
MSL price:
¥ 148.00
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Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
An amazing story that is very well-written, this book is about a profound journey of lonely but gifted soul. |
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Author: Irving Stone
Publisher: Plume; 50th Anniversary edition
Pub. in: June, 1984
ISBN: 0452262496
Pages: 512
Measurements: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BA00597
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- Awards & Credential -
First written by Irving Stone over 60 years ago, this definitive biography of Van Gogh is now regarded as a classic. |
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- MSL Picks -
Irving Stone is not a "great" biographer. He doesn't provide copious bibliographic details or even pretend particularly to serious scholarship. But he does do his research. What Stone is is a very good storyteller. And the stories he tells, whether about Jack London, Heinrich Schleimann, Michelangelo or Freud, have always entertained and (yes) enriched me. Van Gogh's biography, and its companion-piece, Dear Theo, are particularly moving accounts of that great, tragic painter. I doubt if any artist ever despaired as deeply or more profoundly than Vincent. Stone captures the pathos of Van Gogh's few moments of exhilaration, followed always by days of disillusionment and depression. Van Gogh was the saint and prototype of all struggling artists. The penury and neglect he suffered through shouldn't have to be endured by the mangiest stray animal. It's one of God's great ironies (Faulkner's cosmic jester?) that Van Gogh's works are bought by Japanese investors and museum collections for untold millions, whereas their creator, having climbed down to the last rung of despair, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. If you enjoy this book as much as I did, read Dear Theo. It reveals the extraordinarily tender love the two Van Gogh brothers had for each other. Theo was basically Vincent's sole means of support during the artists' latter years. Unfortunately, Theo was living in borderline poverty himself, had a family, and thus couldn't give much to Vincent save for a little bit of money and a great deal of moral encouragement. Both of these books are infinitely sad, yet the redeeming aspect is that Vincent didn't live his life in vain, as he thought, and that the body of work which has survived ( many paintings were painted over - canvas was a luxury) is a testament to his genius. (Bruce Kendall, USA)
Target readers:
General readers
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Irving Stone (Irving Stone was born in San Francisco on July 14, 1903. He wrote several books in a genre that he coined the "biographical novel," which recounted the lives of well-known historical figures. In these novels, Stone interspersed biography with fictional narrative on the psychology and private lives of his subjects. He also wrote biographies of Clarence Darrow and Earl Warren, and short biographies of men who lost presidential elections. He died on August 26, 1989.
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From the Publisher:
Lust for Life is a fictionalized biography of the Dutch painter, Vincent Van Gogh and is based primarily on Van Gogh's three volumes of letters to his brother, Theo. Van Gogh was a violent, clumsy and passionate man who was driven to the extremity of exhaustion by his fervor to get life - the essence of it - into paint. Irving Stone treats the artist with great compassion and gives us a portrait that is sympathetic but fair.
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| View all 8 comments |
Proma Ray (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
Very few books have influenced me deep down as has Lust for Life, the classic biography of Van Gogh, arguably the greatest impressionist of all times.
Gogh, led a life in extreme poverty till his death, partly because his impressionist style was not accepted as a ''style'' until much later, and partly because he refused to give in however difficult it got.
The life:
Van Gogh led a remarkable life. And a very painful one. Despite being one from a well placed family, he led himself from one occupation to another - unable to find himself suited to any one of them. Misunderstood by everyone except his dear brother Theo, Gogh was forever alone. His sensitivity, especially to the pain felt by other people often led him to put himself through punishing tasks and challenges.
An episode from his life that was particularly touching was when he was serving as a preacher in an impoverished mining town named Borinage. In an attempt to save men from dying from the mercilessly cold winter plus dangling unemployment, Gogh gives away all his clothes, wrapping himself with grocery bags and utility box wrappers.
In another episode, Gogh walks for days without food and proper shoes, ultimately leading himself to a breakdown.
The author brings Gogh in front of our eyes. We could see him. We could feel him. And of course, we cried as well.
The artist :
During the course of his life, Gogh discovers his relationship with the (sketch and charcoal) pen and later colors. He painted as he saw things, and anyone who has seen his paintings knows that they speak volumes.
The author very effectively delves into the psyche of Gogh through his experiences. Gogh's involvement with the people around him made way for his intense portrayals in form of sketches and paintings. If you have seen ''the potato eaters'' you know what I mean.
The book tells the stories behind many of his now greatly acclaimed paintings; from potato eaters, to self portrait, to the painting on ''Pigeon'' the prostitute, to starry nights… each one now seems to throb with life when I see them.
The greatness:
Is in the fact that the human face of Gogh neither diminished nor tired throughout his life. The dazzling brilliance shined though the darkest nights. Creativity never gave in. In the end, the body gave in, the spirit did not.
The writer:
Brings life into sentences, paragraphs and pages. It seems I've known Gogh all my life.
Read it once to check for yourself. |
An American reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
Stone takes the reader on a fascinating journey recapping Vincent Van Gogh's life of hardships and triumphs in his biographical novel Lust for Life. Beginning in London, the author reveals Vincent's inner core as a young man of twenty-one working as a clerk for European art dealers while falling madly in love with a vivacious nineteen-year-old kindergarten teacher. Vincent's reaction to this unrequited relationship establishes a pattern of behavior and insight into his personality, which makes him more empathetic as a character. Vincent leaves London and embarks on journey in search of his "true calling" and ends up as a minister living in abject poverty in a Belgium miners' village. This situation strengthens his character and weakens his faith, but out of that grows a passion for art and drawing. The obsession begins and so does his real journey. This book is well worth reading. |
Z. Blume (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
This is a beautiful novel. It is extremely well written, the story flows smoothly and the characters are all life like. Of course, it is a biographical novel, so most of the events and characters are drawn from real life, which makes the task of creating the story easier, but Stone breathes incredible vitality into Van Gogh and those surrounding him. It would be hard to recreate van Gogh's intensity and passion (as well as his descent into madness), but Stone does an admirable job of it. Also, through incredible research Stone takes the reader to the settings of many of Van Gogh's landscapes and introduces many of the subjects of his portraits, which helps someone as ignorant about art as me understand his vision and motivations. I don't see a problem with Stone making up dialogue and some of the scenes in the book, because they make it a richer story and even in authentic biographies, no one has perfect recall of exactly what took place.
I would say this book is not as good as The Agony and The Ecstasy, which is an absolute must read for anyone, but it is a brilliant novel and I will recommend it to everyone, even if you know nothing about art or no particular interest in Van Gogh. You will not be disappointed after reading this book. |
G. Mainez (MSL quote), Mexico
<2007-01-04 00:00>
The accomplishment refers to the writing of Irving Stone. Starting from the collected letters Vincent sent to his younger brother Theo during his life, Stone does something very good: he writes a fictionalized biography without, at the same time, tampering with history. This is a novel as much as a biography. Stone invents dialogues, but they do not become fantasy. Anyway, the book is really moving, I read it 18 years ago and I still remember details of it, much more than some books I read last year. The most important thing about this book is that you get to be inside a great artist's life, being witness to his transformation, from a troubled but well-to-do art merchant (his uncles were among the most important in Europe, his father being a religious man), to his stay at the Netherlands trying to find his soul, to Belgium living in the midst of the terrible poverty of the coal-mine workers (and starting to draw), to Paris, where he dives into artistic life, learning very much in the way; to Arles and days with Gauguin, where his mind starts to go astray, to Auvers. [...] this book is very good indeed. Give it a try and you'll find a life you'll never forget. |
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