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Customer Reviews of Lust for Life

A fascinating study of a great man
Irving Stone's biography of Vincent Van Gogh is a thoroughly absorbing story. Taking him from London to the Netherlands to Belgium and the South of France, the book takes you on a trip through Vincent's arduous yet fascinating life. What makes the story so fulfilling is that you're there with Van Gogh all the way, through his hard times as well as his brief successes. One of the most fascinating sections of the book is the period he spends in a coal mine in Belgium, living and working in utter poverty. His meetings with famous artists like Gaugin are also quite interesting. Sadly, his slow descent into madness is also chronicled here.

You don't have to be a fan of Van Goh's work to appreciate this intense story (but it helps). Highly recommended for anyone who's interested in the lives of people who have led truly unique lives.

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Curious what the definition of an "amazing life story" is?
This may sound (in this context) like a million time overused cliche (which it is) but I'd just like to say one thing: READ THIS BOOK. If you'd like to know what defines an amazing life story, read this book. If you have any kind of interest/appreciation for art, or would like to develop one, read this book. If you can appreciate what a being a real person is all about, read this book. If you can appreciate what it means to have guts, read this book. If you just like to read good books, read this book. And if you are a Van Gogh fan DEVOUR this book.

So what I am trying to say here is READ THIS BOOK. It's a very good book, I promise you. Its a very true book, and a very touching book. And its a book that is capable of completely transforming the way you look at Van Gogh and his work. What can I say, knowing what a person felt and thought when he painted a particular painting adds a lot to the way you look at his work. This is especially true with someone like Van Gogh, whose work is initially very difficult to understand and appreciate. So do yourself a big favor:

Read This Great Book!!!!!

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Lust for Stone
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 biographocal 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 Ecstacy, 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.