| ISBN:1416903429 |  |
| LANGUAGE:English |
" This was a quick read and a little taste of the renaissance. An interesting take but a little bit slow and lacking in plot development for my taste. " Jamie Gottlieb said.
" One possible story/explanation for the Mona Lisa and the person who it is a portrait of. I appreciated the information about Leonardo's apprentice Salai, who I hadn't heard of before reading this book.A quick and engaging read. " Anne said.
" The Second Mrs Gioconda certainly gave me a knew perspective of the life of Leonardo da Vince and the events surrounding the painting of the Mona Lisa. How much of it is real I have yet to research, however, this book definitely helped bring da Vince to life in my eyes. " Cody said.
" If you've ever wondered about da Vinci or the Mona Lisa, you will find this book interesting. Even if you haven't wondered it's a wonderful book.It's slight in size and very well-written. It mostly revolves around da Vinci's apprentice, Salai, who is a character in himself. I would like to read more by this author. " Mary Montgomery said.
" I always enjoy Konigsburg‘s writing and this one doesn’t disappoint. This novel is perfect for a middle grade reader who wants to add a fun bit of historical fiction about Da Vinci or the renaissance time period. It would make a great starting point to then find out what parts are true concerning Da Vinci’s life. " BewareTheWildAnimals said.
" This is a book that's been on my shelf since middle school, but I've never got around to reading. When you're trying to rush and meet your Goodreads quota, however, middle grade books are ripe for the reading. Here we learn the fictionalized backstory behind the Mona Lisa, and while not a super exciting book, I enjoyed the characters nonetheless. I don't know if I would have liked it in middle school, but as a quick read for an adult, I enjoyed it just fine. " Matthew Huff said.
"A diamond in the ruff! I happened to pick this up at the library. What a gem of a book. This is about Salai, apprenticed to Leonardo Da Vinci. E. L. Konigsburg brings this history story alive and fleshes it out. The dialogue sparkles and it feels like this is an autobiography. Anyone in art history would do well to read this amazing book about the famous painting of Mona Lisa. A lot of details are in this little quick read. E. L. did her homework. I had never heard of it, you probably haven't either. This is worth picking up and reading if you have any interest in art or history or both." Calista said.
"After reading some the disappointed reviews, I had to add my two cents. This is a fabulous book...but not if you are expecting an entire story about Da Vinci's most famous painting. Rather, this is a subtle, but well-told, fictionalized story that makes Leonardo Da Vinci (and his supporting cast) come alive. The story is told from the eyes of Da Vinci's servant and apprentice, Salai (mentioned in Da Vinci's journals). Konigsburg's writing is subtle, and occasionally I think her point might be over the heads of the upper elementary students that she was trying to reach. But, the vivacity of the characters makes you feel as if you are inhabiting 15th century Italy. Her words allow you to step into the Renaissance. If you are an art lover, or just interested in Da Vinci, I would highly recommend this book. You may want to find the old version: mine has a sketch of a woman, so I was not expecting an entire book about the Mona Lisa (who is only briefly mentioned in the last chapter). " Liz said.
