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David
Michelangelo's statue, David, is famous around the world. Millions flock to Italy every year to admire the physical perfection of the young man captured within the marble. But the identity of the model has never been known . . . until now.
In this epic tale, acclaimed author Mary Hoffman imagines the story of Gabriele, a naive but incredibly handsome young man who is hired as Michelangelo's model, only to find himself drawn into a world of spies, political treachery, and murder. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Florence in its most turbulent times, this rich, colorful, thrilling tale gives life to one of the world's greatest masterpieces.
In this epic tale, acclaimed author Mary Hoffman imagines the story of Gabriele, a naive but incredibly handsome young man who is hired as Michelangelo's model, only to find himself drawn into a world of spies, political treachery, and murder. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Florence in its most turbulent times, this rich, colorful, thrilling tale gives life to one of the world's greatest masterpieces.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Mary Hoffman
256 books589 followersSee also works published under Mary Lassiter
Mary Hoffman is a bestselling British author and reviewer, born in 1945. She is a true enthusiast of Italy and spends a lot of her time there, which shows in her Stravaganza novels: a series currently in publication. In total, she has written over 80 books, including the aforementioned Stravaganza series and the bestselling picture book, Amazing Grace. Mary is also the editor of a review magazine Armadillo for kids.
Watch the book trailer for David, Mary Hoffman's most recent novel
Mary Hoffman is a bestselling British author and reviewer, born in 1945. She is a true enthusiast of Italy and spends a lot of her time there, which shows in her Stravaganza novels: a series currently in publication. In total, she has written over 80 books, including the aforementioned Stravaganza series and the bestselling picture book, Amazing Grace. Mary is also the editor of a review magazine Armadillo for kids.
Watch the book trailer for David, Mary Hoffman's most recent novel
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
July 4, 2011
David is a vivid historical novel; it is both a coming of age story and an exploration of the Florentine politics of the sixteenth century. It is a wonder of a book and refreshingly different.
David is actually the story of Gabriele, the milk-brother of the famous artist and sculptor Michelangelo. Gabriele is eighteen when he leaves his home, Settignano, a small village, and arrives in the city of Florence in search of work as a stone-cutter. Gabriele is a naive young man who lacks a practical understanding of the wider world. He is easily led and also rather fickle with his affections. He left his fifteen year old sweetheart, Rosalia, in the village and he does not remain faithful to her. In fact, on his first night in Florence after being robbed, he is taken in by an aristocratic lady, Clarice, and is seduced by her. Michelangelo is away with his work but eventually he returns to Florence and Gabriele takes residence with him and his brothers.
Angelo, as Gabriele calls him, is an intriguing character. The author gives us an interpretation of the man as being highly protective of his creative work and also involved in it to the point of obsession. Angelo is renowned for his abilities and this novel is also partly his visualisation of the statue of David. Angelo takes an abandoned piece of marble and turns it into a mighty symbol of the Florentine republic. The two years it takes to complete the statue take Gabriele on a journey. He sets out an innocent, uneducated boy, embarrassed by his own beauty and unworldly in matters of the heart. As he poses for Angelo and becomes the face of David, he learns to be comfortable in his naked form and learns the true nature of love – in many forms – love of fine art, parental love, faithful love, brotherly love and love of a cause. Gabriele learns to act with the courage of David.
Before reading David, I had heard of course of the statue. But being rather a Neanderthal where art is concerned, I actually had no idea that it represents the biblical David conquering the giant Goliath. I felt like this book educated me about the beauty of fine art and the incredible meaning behind it. Hoffman communicated the moment of connection with a piece of art so evocatively that I feel inspired to try to see the story hidden inside. I would now also love to go to Florence and see the statue. I feel as if I have already walked those streets and seen stone-cutters covered in the fine powder of their craft such is the author’s power to transport you to the very heart and place of the story.
David is a complex and challenging novel. Its themes are more in tune with older teens than younger. I think it would make an excellent adult crossover as there are so many layers here to enjoy. Those who are questioning the establishment and revelling in revolutionary ideals will find a solace and honest reflection in David. Written with an exceptional sense of setting and with an artist’s passion, David will move and enchant you.
David is actually the story of Gabriele, the milk-brother of the famous artist and sculptor Michelangelo. Gabriele is eighteen when he leaves his home, Settignano, a small village, and arrives in the city of Florence in search of work as a stone-cutter. Gabriele is a naive young man who lacks a practical understanding of the wider world. He is easily led and also rather fickle with his affections. He left his fifteen year old sweetheart, Rosalia, in the village and he does not remain faithful to her. In fact, on his first night in Florence after being robbed, he is taken in by an aristocratic lady, Clarice, and is seduced by her. Michelangelo is away with his work but eventually he returns to Florence and Gabriele takes residence with him and his brothers.
Angelo, as Gabriele calls him, is an intriguing character. The author gives us an interpretation of the man as being highly protective of his creative work and also involved in it to the point of obsession. Angelo is renowned for his abilities and this novel is also partly his visualisation of the statue of David. Angelo takes an abandoned piece of marble and turns it into a mighty symbol of the Florentine republic. The two years it takes to complete the statue take Gabriele on a journey. He sets out an innocent, uneducated boy, embarrassed by his own beauty and unworldly in matters of the heart. As he poses for Angelo and becomes the face of David, he learns to be comfortable in his naked form and learns the true nature of love – in many forms – love of fine art, parental love, faithful love, brotherly love and love of a cause. Gabriele learns to act with the courage of David.
Before reading David, I had heard of course of the statue. But being rather a Neanderthal where art is concerned, I actually had no idea that it represents the biblical David conquering the giant Goliath. I felt like this book educated me about the beauty of fine art and the incredible meaning behind it. Hoffman communicated the moment of connection with a piece of art so evocatively that I feel inspired to try to see the story hidden inside. I would now also love to go to Florence and see the statue. I feel as if I have already walked those streets and seen stone-cutters covered in the fine powder of their craft such is the author’s power to transport you to the very heart and place of the story.
David is a complex and challenging novel. Its themes are more in tune with older teens than younger. I think it would make an excellent adult crossover as there are so many layers here to enjoy. Those who are questioning the establishment and revelling in revolutionary ideals will find a solace and honest reflection in David. Written with an exceptional sense of setting and with an artist’s passion, David will move and enchant you.
October 22, 2014
This book is probably considered an edgy read, and it is certainly not without its content. Gabriele is an all-out womanizer and sleep-around. He's in Florence for one day and he's already found his way into a woman's bed, and she isn't the last. Thankfully, his interests stop at women, but there are plenty of men to make googly-eyes at him, as well, and the Author doesn't shy away from stating that fact. One patron specifically asks a painter to use Gabriele as his nude model because he (the patron) likes to look at Gabriele. And of course, there are lots of references to nudity - it's pretty unavoidable, honestly; David is about Michelangelo's famous statue, who wears not a stitch. But don't be alarmed, Readers - while the book is certainly abounding with sexual references, the Author handles it all with remarkable discretion, hinting and describing in the fewest words possible, therefore making it a book which is readable rather than just downright trashy. Mary Hoffman never gets explicit. There is an underlying wrongness, as with the movie The Talented Mr. Ripley, but it's fairly easy to ignore.
What's probably most remarkable is despite all of Gabriele's shortcomings, he still manages to be a somewhat likable character. This is probably because he actually expresses regret over his actions as a young man, and when one of the ladies becomes heavy with his child, Gabriele shows genuine care and concern for his son. In any case, this is a book you read not for the characters, but for the story itself. My above paragraph has probably led you to believe that this book is about nothing but various peoples finding Gabriele attractive, but David, in fact, has a very complicated political storyline, seeing as Florance was positively turbulent with warring family factions in that era, and while some of the Florentine politics are confusing at first, it makes the book well worth reading, as Gabriele becomes embroiled in the city's tensed state, and an artist's work becomes more than just something pretty to look at, but a political statement.
David is certainly not a book for everyone because if its sexual alludements, and if there hadn't been the political-upheaval storyline, the fact that Gabriele does in fact regret his actions, and the Author never becomes explicit, I probably would not have finished it. But for those people who can appreciate a book merely for its story, and be okay with not really having any likable characters, you'll enjoy David.
What's probably most remarkable is despite all of Gabriele's shortcomings, he still manages to be a somewhat likable character. This is probably because he actually expresses regret over his actions as a young man, and when one of the ladies becomes heavy with his child, Gabriele shows genuine care and concern for his son. In any case, this is a book you read not for the characters, but for the story itself. My above paragraph has probably led you to believe that this book is about nothing but various peoples finding Gabriele attractive, but David, in fact, has a very complicated political storyline, seeing as Florance was positively turbulent with warring family factions in that era, and while some of the Florentine politics are confusing at first, it makes the book well worth reading, as Gabriele becomes embroiled in the city's tensed state, and an artist's work becomes more than just something pretty to look at, but a political statement.
David is certainly not a book for everyone because if its sexual alludements, and if there hadn't been the political-upheaval storyline, the fact that Gabriele does in fact regret his actions, and the Author never becomes explicit, I probably would not have finished it. But for those people who can appreciate a book merely for its story, and be okay with not really having any likable characters, you'll enjoy David.
July 3, 2011
This book combines beautiful imagery, vivid descriptions and sensuous detail. 'David' by Mary Hoffman vividly recreates the sense of what Italy and Florence in particular must have been like in 1501 when the city was split by two warring factions: the pro-Republicans and the pro-Medici supporters. Hoffman uses this period in time as a backdrop for her novel which combines historical detail with fictional imaginings. I'm a massive fan of historical fiction and Mary Hoffman is the queen of this genre. It did take me a little while to get all the names of the characters straight in my head and to acquaint myself with this particular period but once I had, I was literally swept away.
The book is centred around the story behind the famous statue of David. Mary Hoffman explores the character on which the statue could have been modeled and provides an insight into why it was so significant at the time.
Real life figures such as the great sculptor Michelangelo and the painter Leonardo da Vinci feature in the story, as well as fictional characters like Gabriele del Lauro, a stonecutter from Settignano, who arrives in the city to find work but soon becomes embroiled in romantic entanglements and political rivalries and whose life becomes full of intrigue and deceit. I love books which visualise historical figures and breathe new life into them so this was something which really appealed to me. Plus, for lovers of fine works of art, there's also a glimpse at the very famous portrait of the Mona Lisa with a story about who sat for the painting. I found all these additional elements of the story absolutely fascinating and totally engrossing.
The historical detail in the novel is informative, educational and incredibly interesting. You can easily see how much research has gone into the book. I kept jotting things down as I was reading, so that I could go and look them up later. The people and the places were fascinating and I now have such a longing to go and visit Florence and see the famous statue of David for myself.
Magical storytelling, a strong narrative pace and an intriguing plot combine to make this a really enjoyable read. Fans of K.M Grant will love this book, as will historical fiction lovers. No one does it as well as Mary Hoffman!
The book is centred around the story behind the famous statue of David. Mary Hoffman explores the character on which the statue could have been modeled and provides an insight into why it was so significant at the time.
Real life figures such as the great sculptor Michelangelo and the painter Leonardo da Vinci feature in the story, as well as fictional characters like Gabriele del Lauro, a stonecutter from Settignano, who arrives in the city to find work but soon becomes embroiled in romantic entanglements and political rivalries and whose life becomes full of intrigue and deceit. I love books which visualise historical figures and breathe new life into them so this was something which really appealed to me. Plus, for lovers of fine works of art, there's also a glimpse at the very famous portrait of the Mona Lisa with a story about who sat for the painting. I found all these additional elements of the story absolutely fascinating and totally engrossing.
The historical detail in the novel is informative, educational and incredibly interesting. You can easily see how much research has gone into the book. I kept jotting things down as I was reading, so that I could go and look them up later. The people and the places were fascinating and I now have such a longing to go and visit Florence and see the famous statue of David for myself.
Magical storytelling, a strong narrative pace and an intriguing plot combine to make this a really enjoyable read. Fans of K.M Grant will love this book, as will historical fiction lovers. No one does it as well as Mary Hoffman!
June 5, 2011
As a past inhabitant of Italy and lover of historical fiction, I was thrilled to see this title at BEA. It was on of the first ARCs I picked up at the expo and I am so glad I did. Hoffman does a great job of keeping the language modern enough for YA readers yet old enough to keep with the period in the book. I also love that Hoffman came up with such a great idea. I have never once thought about who the David could be. I enjoyed the story and the history in this novel.
July 27, 2011
I really like historical fiction. I mean, love it. Especially when fictional characters are used to bring actual historical events to life. So I was enormously happy to realise that Mary Hoffman employs her fictional narrator Gabriele to showcase this volatile period in Florence's history. For me, this enables real empathy with the situation, and I can identify with the motives of the actual personages who peopled the time.
Here we have a Florence that is being overcome by the rifts between the Republicans and the De Medici supporters, who want the city to remain in the hands of one particular family. Hoffman writes elegantly about the historical reasons why Florence is suffering so, and manages - with great talent - to people both sides of the conflict with likeable characters, so that the reader is conflicted as to which is the "right" side. Which, inevitably, is how the people of Florence must have felt at the time.
I would say that this is most definitely YA fiction - in that there are a few scenes unsuitable for younger readers, involving sex and/or violence. But it easily transcends being a book for a particular sex of reader - boys and girls would both find much to enjoy within its pages.
One aspect that I felt was missing was humour. This feels like quite a serious book and, although it presents a serious period in history, Gabriele and Michaelangelo are both young man, and yet come across as far too po-faced. I would have expected more light-heartedness from men like this and it was absent.
This lack of humour is replaced with a genuine love and appreciation for art, which suffuses every page. Hoffman has quite clearly researched her topic but, beyond that, she shows real warmth and affections for the pieces she describes - not least the eponymous David.
Honestly, for anyone who enjoys art, it is rather a thrill to read about the behemoths of the art world Michaelangelo and Leonardo de Vinci - their slight enmity, but respect, for each other; their rather casual attitudes to commissions received; the element of competition between them. It was awesome seeing them brought to life by Hoffman's lively prose.
This is a fairly slight novel by the standards of YA these days, but it is worth the cover price for a real glimpse into a very turbulent part of Italian history. It is thrilling and thoughtful by turn, and is peopled by charismatic characters. Very enjoyable.
Here we have a Florence that is being overcome by the rifts between the Republicans and the De Medici supporters, who want the city to remain in the hands of one particular family. Hoffman writes elegantly about the historical reasons why Florence is suffering so, and manages - with great talent - to people both sides of the conflict with likeable characters, so that the reader is conflicted as to which is the "right" side. Which, inevitably, is how the people of Florence must have felt at the time.
I would say that this is most definitely YA fiction - in that there are a few scenes unsuitable for younger readers, involving sex and/or violence. But it easily transcends being a book for a particular sex of reader - boys and girls would both find much to enjoy within its pages.
One aspect that I felt was missing was humour. This feels like quite a serious book and, although it presents a serious period in history, Gabriele and Michaelangelo are both young man, and yet come across as far too po-faced. I would have expected more light-heartedness from men like this and it was absent.
This lack of humour is replaced with a genuine love and appreciation for art, which suffuses every page. Hoffman has quite clearly researched her topic but, beyond that, she shows real warmth and affections for the pieces she describes - not least the eponymous David.
Honestly, for anyone who enjoys art, it is rather a thrill to read about the behemoths of the art world Michaelangelo and Leonardo de Vinci - their slight enmity, but respect, for each other; their rather casual attitudes to commissions received; the element of competition between them. It was awesome seeing them brought to life by Hoffman's lively prose.
This is a fairly slight novel by the standards of YA these days, but it is worth the cover price for a real glimpse into a very turbulent part of Italian history. It is thrilling and thoughtful by turn, and is peopled by charismatic characters. Very enjoyable.
August 14, 2012
In lieu of a review, allow me to share a chat transcript wherein I discuss this book:
March 10, 2016
This seemed like the kind of book I would like, but I didn't like it at all. It was boring. I lost interest about a quarter of the way through this book. The best thing I can say about this book is that I finished it.
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April 30, 2019Wasn't gay enough
August 3, 2011
This review was originally posted on Fluttering Butterflies
David by Mary Hoffman is the first book of hers that I've read, but it certainly won't be the last.
This book really just felt very different from anything I've read lately. It isn't just that it's historical, which is a genre that I don't often read, but the combination of political intrigue, scandal, art and descriptions of an Italy I'd be desperate to see made this book hugely exciting and fascinating. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened, but at the same time I felt inspired to learn more about the different political factions in Florence, and about art and sculpture. It isn't often that an author can pull that off so successfully.
David is the fictionalised story of what it might have been like for the artist's model of Michaelangelo's now-famous sculpture of David. Gabriele has come to the city in order to visit his milk-brother, the famous artist he refers to simply as 'Angelo.' Whilst in Florence, Gabriele has an affair with a wealthy widow, becomes an artist's model and finds himself dangerously involved in the different political parties of the time.
It seems so obvious now, but I hadn't realised that the David being referred to with this piece of art is from the David versus the Goliath story. And of course that David and the story seems to mirror some of the politcal turmoil at the time. I think at first, Gabriele's dabbling in politics is done without any real forethought into what could possibly happen and he allows himself to get drawn in further and further. And much can also be said about his romantic entanglements! Gabriele really isn't the usual YA hero. He makes lots of mistakes and is quite lazy in his choices. In some ways, I felt a little detached from him as a character, but never from the story, which I feel was more important anyway.
David by Mary Hoffman was such an enjoyable and interesting read, I'm really quite glad to have read it. Mary Hoffman fans, which book of hers shall I read next?
David by Mary Hoffman is the first book of hers that I've read, but it certainly won't be the last.
This book really just felt very different from anything I've read lately. It isn't just that it's historical, which is a genre that I don't often read, but the combination of political intrigue, scandal, art and descriptions of an Italy I'd be desperate to see made this book hugely exciting and fascinating. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened, but at the same time I felt inspired to learn more about the different political factions in Florence, and about art and sculpture. It isn't often that an author can pull that off so successfully.
David is the fictionalised story of what it might have been like for the artist's model of Michaelangelo's now-famous sculpture of David. Gabriele has come to the city in order to visit his milk-brother, the famous artist he refers to simply as 'Angelo.' Whilst in Florence, Gabriele has an affair with a wealthy widow, becomes an artist's model and finds himself dangerously involved in the different political parties of the time.
It seems so obvious now, but I hadn't realised that the David being referred to with this piece of art is from the David versus the Goliath story. And of course that David and the story seems to mirror some of the politcal turmoil at the time. I think at first, Gabriele's dabbling in politics is done without any real forethought into what could possibly happen and he allows himself to get drawn in further and further. And much can also be said about his romantic entanglements! Gabriele really isn't the usual YA hero. He makes lots of mistakes and is quite lazy in his choices. In some ways, I felt a little detached from him as a character, but never from the story, which I feel was more important anyway.
David by Mary Hoffman was such an enjoyable and interesting read, I'm really quite glad to have read it. Mary Hoffman fans, which book of hers shall I read next?
July 18, 2011
Original review at http://inkscratchers.blogspot.com
I requested this book as I am a massive fan of Hoffman's Stravaganza series and was so excited to see how she dealt with recreating Italian history. I was intrigued by this book because she wasn't writing about a different world based off Italy, she was writing about Italy and with that she had to deal with actual historical events, which obviously involved a whole lot of research.
I was very impressed with the depth of knowledge that Hoffman displayed, it's obvious from this book and her others that she is passionate about Italy and it is shown so well and so vividly in David. While Gabriele was not a real person, his interaction with characters who did once exist makes him seem so real, as is his voice, and the realism of his actions. We see Gabriele as a young boy, new to Florence who gives in to the temptation and passion of the rich and aristocratic people, his story becomes so complicated that at some points even he doesn't know what is going on in his life anymore.
Which is a bit of a problem for the reader, I loved the story and the depth and everything that went on, as I said before, it was so believable, but I also had trouble following it, at some points it got so complicated that I couldn't grasp who was who and what was what and that detracted from the novel as a whole. I advise people to refer to the end of the book, where there is a glossary of people and who they are.
Overall, David is a great book, which, albeit sometimes complicated is also detailed and fantastic but real enough the believe. It's a book that has fantastic crossover appeal, from me, as an eighteen year old reader, to my mother, who loves books with romance and deceit to my grandmother, a massive Italy fanatic.
Rating: B-
I requested this book as I am a massive fan of Hoffman's Stravaganza series and was so excited to see how she dealt with recreating Italian history. I was intrigued by this book because she wasn't writing about a different world based off Italy, she was writing about Italy and with that she had to deal with actual historical events, which obviously involved a whole lot of research.
I was very impressed with the depth of knowledge that Hoffman displayed, it's obvious from this book and her others that she is passionate about Italy and it is shown so well and so vividly in David. While Gabriele was not a real person, his interaction with characters who did once exist makes him seem so real, as is his voice, and the realism of his actions. We see Gabriele as a young boy, new to Florence who gives in to the temptation and passion of the rich and aristocratic people, his story becomes so complicated that at some points even he doesn't know what is going on in his life anymore.
Which is a bit of a problem for the reader, I loved the story and the depth and everything that went on, as I said before, it was so believable, but I also had trouble following it, at some points it got so complicated that I couldn't grasp who was who and what was what and that detracted from the novel as a whole. I advise people to refer to the end of the book, where there is a glossary of people and who they are.
Overall, David is a great book, which, albeit sometimes complicated is also detailed and fantastic but real enough the believe. It's a book that has fantastic crossover appeal, from me, as an eighteen year old reader, to my mother, who loves books with romance and deceit to my grandmother, a massive Italy fanatic.
Rating: B-
December 17, 2017
I tried, I really tried with this book. It seemed to tick all the boxes, but based on other reading I had done I found the relationship between 'David' and his milk brother Michelangelo unconvincing. Also, the central character did not really resonate like a young man, certainly not a young man who was country bred.
The politics of Florence, which I really wanted to understand were not presented in a way that I really enjoyed. It might just be that I was not in the mood for YA -because it is very YA- or that the topic was more suited to an adult book.
Might try again one day, when I have been off the YA wagon for a while.
The politics of Florence, which I really wanted to understand were not presented in a way that I really enjoyed. It might just be that I was not in the mood for YA -because it is very YA- or that the topic was more suited to an adult book.
Might try again one day, when I have been off the YA wagon for a while.
October 3, 2011
Great fictional account of the making of the statue of David with it's fictional model as the main character. This book does a great job of depicting the political turmoil of 15th/16th century Florence as well as the artistic energy and relevance that pervaded the city at the time. The artists that are weaved into this story as regular working men will later become the legends that would help lay the foundation for establishing Florence as a city of masterpieces that is visited by millions today.
February 3, 2015
This is one of those books that starts slowly but packs a major punch at the end. I was literally racing through the last chapters. A wonderful book at about the man who could have been David.
January 13, 2017
In the book, David, the author portrays the value behind social status during the European Renaissance, and how arts and politics impact it. Mary Hoffman starts her novel off, as having a young boy, Gabriele, out in the city to earn money for life back home. Yet he earns the name, David, after becoming a famous model, for a sculptor, Michelangelo. Set in Florence, in the 16th Century, politics play a huge role in this novel, highlighting what sides, or factions whom were on, and what that meant for their “social status”. Before Gabriele came into the city, art pieces were publicly destroyed, where all artwork, was practically frowned upon at the time. But despite this fact, Gabriele’s stonemason, Michelangelo, still puts out his piece, David. But the author still puts out that even through such a different time of political status and views, a statement can still turn things around, and make a point. It is shown throughout the book, that the story of David and Goliath, is a good example to point out how even though you may think something is in the way, there is always a way to defeat and push through. Like, David’s hardships of both politics and arts.
January 15, 2018
dnf @ p91
I was really really looking forward to reading this, ever since I got a used copy at a book sale last spring. But it was just generally awful??
I suppose the writing itself wasn't bad, but the narrative frame -- setting this up as something the narrator is telling in retrospect -- didn't work for me. It divorced the reader from the presence of the action & the story. (Like, if this had been told to me orally, it would have been pretty good! But it's a novel, not a story.)
In that vein, the setting didn't feel very present to me either. If I'm gonna be reading a book about Florence in the 1500s, I want to feel like I'm in Florence in the 1500s!! I want to see & smell & hear it! And I've had plenty of other historical novels deliver with that.
I was really really looking forward to reading this, ever since I got a used copy at a book sale last spring. But it was just generally awful??
I suppose the writing itself wasn't bad, but the narrative frame -- setting this up as something the narrator is telling in retrospect -- didn't work for me. It divorced the reader from the presence of the action & the story. (Like, if this had been told to me orally, it would have been pretty good! But it's a novel, not a story.)
In that vein, the setting didn't feel very present to me either. If I'm gonna be reading a book about Florence in the 1500s, I want to feel like I'm in Florence in the 1500s!! I want to see & smell & hear it! And I've had plenty of other historical novels deliver with that.
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January 13, 2016Mixed Times, Mixed Emotions
The renaissance age was a wonderful but also hard time in the world. Art and culture started to begin to establish and grow. It was also more accepted by the public. More and more artist were getting commissions each day. The artist from this time are looked upon as being some of the most influental artist in history today. Their art is still looked at today all over the world. But in exchange, you have to take the good with the bad. As much as the renaissance was a time of art and culture, it was also a time of political conflict. Florence, Italy was very divided at the time. This caused huge issues and even started wars. In the novel David by Mary Hoffman, she portrays the renaissance area as flourishing with culture and harsh in an excellent way.
To begin with, the renaissance was an area that was lively with culture. Most of today's wonders of the world were created in this time period. Many well know artist today were alive and just starting their craft during this time. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci was a painter who was not new to the art world but not yet well known during this age. Today, he is well known worldwide. In this time he traveled around the world painting different sceneries and portraits. By far the Mona Lisa is his most famous and most valuable. Mona Lisa del Giocondo was a silk merchant's wife. Her husband was very fond of her beauty and wanted to have a portrait of her for everyone to see, present her true beauty and show off their wealth. Wealth was very important in the renaissance society as in any society today. The wealthy persons in Florence showed off in many ways. Buying, selling and collecting art was one of them. Giocondo paid Leonardo a great amount of money to paint his wife. This trend became very popular. More and more artist would rejoice when they found out they had new work. “I have a new commission!” (190) said Michael Angelo. Painting was very popular but so was sculpting. Michael Angelo was a very talented sculptor who was quite know at the time and studied with the greats before him. He is even more worldly know today. His most famous works were the “David” and the “Madonna” which live in Italy today. At the start of the renaissance, it was hard for artist to get commissions. You had to be the best of the best. As time went on and art was in high demand, there were more artist who got new work. Because of this, the job industry was flourishing. Everyone wanted art (tapestries, silks, paintings, sculptures, etc.). Selling and trading also became very popular because a lot of the art works were “one of a kind”. This caused the citizens to crave art culture and let it blossom. Hoffman, did a great job of making the Renaissance time come to life in your head.
In addition to culture flourishing there was also rough conditions. Due to the many political conflicts between the Compagnucci and Frateschi, this age was show and brought off as harsh and in some cases dangerous. “If you are going to walk the streets at night, you’d better know whose side you're on.” (14) The country was very divided. The different political parties even wore different color clothes. The Compagnucci supporters wore all black and the Frateschi supporters wore colourful silks such as purples or greens with feathered caps. If you had not yet established your political ranking to the public society or were a newcomer to the city, you often had to be very careful at night. The streets were not safe during the late hours in the day. Many men would carry knifes and hide their money while walking down the streets. There was a lot of theft. Most women were not allowed out into the streets at night to protect their safety. This was just the beginning. Eventually the heat between the two political parties grew so hot they had a full blown war. As much as it affected the country as a whole, this divide also affected the art culture. “it is a great work of art, he said, not bothering to lower his voice, ‘but it pains me to see such a stout supporter of the de’ Medici and our exiled princes posing like a republican firebrand’.”(171) Some citizens purposely made comments like this to impose the divide and start a beef. Most of the artist avoided creating political based art for this reason. Still, the people continued to make inferences. This did not help the showing of the artist piece on display. If one person made a comment like so, that was most often dis facing to the art in any way it would cause many issues. The person could spread rumors to his other fellow supporters and less people would support the showing of the art work. From this everything went down hill like a domino effect. If the rumors spread, there was less support by the public. If there was less support the artist would get short of showing off his painting of ever worse getting lesser commission depending on the circumstances. This was more of the difficult time in the renaissance.
In conclusion there renaissance had many sides. It was a great time for art and sparked an art revolution with amazing work that is still looked at today. It was also a time of political conflicts, hardship and war. This helped shape Italy to what it is today. Hoffman, portrayed the renaissance age nicely by showing the good times and the bad. She represented and showed the flourishing of art and culture plus the harsh political conflicts. I think Mary Hoffman portrayed the renaissance time was well. She used sensory details to create an real life image in the readers mind. I would recommend this novel.
The renaissance age was a wonderful but also hard time in the world. Art and culture started to begin to establish and grow. It was also more accepted by the public. More and more artist were getting commissions each day. The artist from this time are looked upon as being some of the most influental artist in history today. Their art is still looked at today all over the world. But in exchange, you have to take the good with the bad. As much as the renaissance was a time of art and culture, it was also a time of political conflict. Florence, Italy was very divided at the time. This caused huge issues and even started wars. In the novel David by Mary Hoffman, she portrays the renaissance area as flourishing with culture and harsh in an excellent way.
To begin with, the renaissance was an area that was lively with culture. Most of today's wonders of the world were created in this time period. Many well know artist today were alive and just starting their craft during this time. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci was a painter who was not new to the art world but not yet well known during this age. Today, he is well known worldwide. In this time he traveled around the world painting different sceneries and portraits. By far the Mona Lisa is his most famous and most valuable. Mona Lisa del Giocondo was a silk merchant's wife. Her husband was very fond of her beauty and wanted to have a portrait of her for everyone to see, present her true beauty and show off their wealth. Wealth was very important in the renaissance society as in any society today. The wealthy persons in Florence showed off in many ways. Buying, selling and collecting art was one of them. Giocondo paid Leonardo a great amount of money to paint his wife. This trend became very popular. More and more artist would rejoice when they found out they had new work. “I have a new commission!” (190) said Michael Angelo. Painting was very popular but so was sculpting. Michael Angelo was a very talented sculptor who was quite know at the time and studied with the greats before him. He is even more worldly know today. His most famous works were the “David” and the “Madonna” which live in Italy today. At the start of the renaissance, it was hard for artist to get commissions. You had to be the best of the best. As time went on and art was in high demand, there were more artist who got new work. Because of this, the job industry was flourishing. Everyone wanted art (tapestries, silks, paintings, sculptures, etc.). Selling and trading also became very popular because a lot of the art works were “one of a kind”. This caused the citizens to crave art culture and let it blossom. Hoffman, did a great job of making the Renaissance time come to life in your head.
In addition to culture flourishing there was also rough conditions. Due to the many political conflicts between the Compagnucci and Frateschi, this age was show and brought off as harsh and in some cases dangerous. “If you are going to walk the streets at night, you’d better know whose side you're on.” (14) The country was very divided. The different political parties even wore different color clothes. The Compagnucci supporters wore all black and the Frateschi supporters wore colourful silks such as purples or greens with feathered caps. If you had not yet established your political ranking to the public society or were a newcomer to the city, you often had to be very careful at night. The streets were not safe during the late hours in the day. Many men would carry knifes and hide their money while walking down the streets. There was a lot of theft. Most women were not allowed out into the streets at night to protect their safety. This was just the beginning. Eventually the heat between the two political parties grew so hot they had a full blown war. As much as it affected the country as a whole, this divide also affected the art culture. “it is a great work of art, he said, not bothering to lower his voice, ‘but it pains me to see such a stout supporter of the de’ Medici and our exiled princes posing like a republican firebrand’.”(171) Some citizens purposely made comments like this to impose the divide and start a beef. Most of the artist avoided creating political based art for this reason. Still, the people continued to make inferences. This did not help the showing of the artist piece on display. If one person made a comment like so, that was most often dis facing to the art in any way it would cause many issues. The person could spread rumors to his other fellow supporters and less people would support the showing of the art work. From this everything went down hill like a domino effect. If the rumors spread, there was less support by the public. If there was less support the artist would get short of showing off his painting of ever worse getting lesser commission depending on the circumstances. This was more of the difficult time in the renaissance.
In conclusion there renaissance had many sides. It was a great time for art and sparked an art revolution with amazing work that is still looked at today. It was also a time of political conflicts, hardship and war. This helped shape Italy to what it is today. Hoffman, portrayed the renaissance age nicely by showing the good times and the bad. She represented and showed the flourishing of art and culture plus the harsh political conflicts. I think Mary Hoffman portrayed the renaissance time was well. She used sensory details to create an real life image in the readers mind. I would recommend this novel.
February 13, 2020
Perhaps it is unfair that I have previously loved, adored, Hoffman's Stravaganza series. David is a story about the (fictitious) man who stood for Michelangelo's sculpture by the same name. The book mostly revolves around Gabriele (otherwise known as David)'s romantic interests and fringes on the d'Medici plot to retake Florence. I would have preferred a further dive into any of these plot lines, where as they all stay semi surface level. That being said I'll definitely pick up Falconer's Knot and complete my Hoffman YA reads (she also writes picture books, I can pass on those).
June 26, 2017
It was a little bit challenging to keep track of all of the drama throughout the book. Regardless, it was wonderfully written and I really enjoyed the authors take on the story behind the statue of David.
April 8, 2016
I love Mary Hoffman's work. Troubadour is one of my all-time favourite standalones, and I've re-read the City of Masks series four times. Every book by her that I've read, I've rated 5 stars... besides David. I really, really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately, this is definitely Hoffman's weakest book.
Like City of Masks, David is set in medieval Italy, but this time in Florence, and this time is an interpretation of a true story. The book revolves around Gabriele, a young peasant boy whose mother was the wet nurse to Michelangelo; when he is 18, Gabriele moves to Florence from his village to live with 'Angelo', where he gets caught up in a web of politics, intrigue, and murder.
Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Sadly, it wasn't that great. My main problem with this book lies with David himself - Gabriele, who was the model for the famous statue. The book is told in first person, and I really didn't like being in his head. His naïveté, carelessness, selfish attitude and complete disregard for other people made him a really unlikable character. He does some incredibly stupid things and never realises until it's far too late, and for a boy living in the tumultuous world of medieval Italy, you'd expect him to grow up a little and be a bit more careful. For the first few months of his life there, his gullibility and vulnerability is understandable, but he never grows out of that stage. My least favourite of his character traits was his defining one - his womanising. It's refreshing to read about a character who isn't, let's say, totally pure, but Gabriele's lust drags him into scrape after scrape and seems to be the only thing pulling him forward. He uses women, lies to them, cheats on them, and then gets all butt-hurt when they confront him about it. I really disliked this aspect of his character and the way it was portrayed. On the plus side, he felt like a real human being; the only problem was I really disliked him. Personally, I'm fine if a character is unlikable or an anti-hero, but I want them to have some sort of redeeming quality. Gabriele has none.
The side characters were a bit better, but because we only see them through Gabriele's eyes, they feel a little flat and one-sided. The various women were all much more interesting than Gabriele himself, and I also really liked Angelo and the frateschi. Angelo's character, in particular, was interesting to watch, and his relationship with Gabriele was lovely.
My other main complaint is the writing style. It's a very cliché format - old-man-recounting-his-life - and I just thought it was a lazy way to incorporate some loose threads of the story at the very end. Old-man-Gabriele's interjections at some points were really jarring and interfered with the storytelling; it would just start to flow smoothly and then some random thought from Old-man-Gabriele would be dropped in, which would ruin it. Aside from that, the voice felt a lot more modern than it should be - some words and phrases felt really historically inaccurate; you'd expect a modern-day teenager to speak like that, not a man from 500 years ago. I get that it was done to make Gabriele feel more relatable, but it just felt out-of-place and incongruous. The writing style itself was pretty mediocre; in Troubadour and City of Masks, it flowed nicely and was really easy to read, but here it just felt so bland and dull. Overall, I think the choice of first person narrative dragged the book down; third person seems to work better for this author.
Also, I was bored. Medieval Italy during the 14-1500s is one of my favourite time periods because of the volatility, unpredictability, and excitement of life. The politics and intrigue fascinates me, and I love the atmosphere of danger that pervades life in this time. There was so much Hoffman had to work with - the layers of allegiances and loyalty, the backstabbing, the courtly plotting - and it would have been so easy to make it sound exciting, because it is exciting. But it felt really dull in this book. I couldn't find myself invested in the plot because it was so boring, the characters were flat, and I got no sense of the intricacy of politics in this time - just a bunch of very complicated names. The murder and mayhem aspect severely let me down in this book; instead of making me be on the edge of my seat, it nearly put me to sleep.
Finally I want to address the plot. Or more specifically, the lack of plot. I've finished the book and I still don't really know what the plot was. It meandered along for about 90% of the book, before it started to pick up, and I was expecting a fantastic ending. But the end was incredibly anticlimactic and I was very disappointed. It could have been great, but it was tedious.
That pretty much sums up the entire book, to be honest. It could have been great, but it was tedious. Skip this one.
Like City of Masks, David is set in medieval Italy, but this time in Florence, and this time is an interpretation of a true story. The book revolves around Gabriele, a young peasant boy whose mother was the wet nurse to Michelangelo; when he is 18, Gabriele moves to Florence from his village to live with 'Angelo', where he gets caught up in a web of politics, intrigue, and murder.
Sounds fantastic, doesn't it? Sadly, it wasn't that great. My main problem with this book lies with David himself - Gabriele, who was the model for the famous statue. The book is told in first person, and I really didn't like being in his head. His naïveté, carelessness, selfish attitude and complete disregard for other people made him a really unlikable character. He does some incredibly stupid things and never realises until it's far too late, and for a boy living in the tumultuous world of medieval Italy, you'd expect him to grow up a little and be a bit more careful. For the first few months of his life there, his gullibility and vulnerability is understandable, but he never grows out of that stage. My least favourite of his character traits was his defining one - his womanising. It's refreshing to read about a character who isn't, let's say, totally pure, but Gabriele's lust drags him into scrape after scrape and seems to be the only thing pulling him forward. He uses women, lies to them, cheats on them, and then gets all butt-hurt when they confront him about it. I really disliked this aspect of his character and the way it was portrayed. On the plus side, he felt like a real human being; the only problem was I really disliked him. Personally, I'm fine if a character is unlikable or an anti-hero, but I want them to have some sort of redeeming quality. Gabriele has none.
The side characters were a bit better, but because we only see them through Gabriele's eyes, they feel a little flat and one-sided. The various women were all much more interesting than Gabriele himself, and I also really liked Angelo and the frateschi. Angelo's character, in particular, was interesting to watch, and his relationship with Gabriele was lovely.
My other main complaint is the writing style. It's a very cliché format - old-man-recounting-his-life - and I just thought it was a lazy way to incorporate some loose threads of the story at the very end. Old-man-Gabriele's interjections at some points were really jarring and interfered with the storytelling; it would just start to flow smoothly and then some random thought from Old-man-Gabriele would be dropped in, which would ruin it. Aside from that, the voice felt a lot more modern than it should be - some words and phrases felt really historically inaccurate; you'd expect a modern-day teenager to speak like that, not a man from 500 years ago. I get that it was done to make Gabriele feel more relatable, but it just felt out-of-place and incongruous. The writing style itself was pretty mediocre; in Troubadour and City of Masks, it flowed nicely and was really easy to read, but here it just felt so bland and dull. Overall, I think the choice of first person narrative dragged the book down; third person seems to work better for this author.
Also, I was bored. Medieval Italy during the 14-1500s is one of my favourite time periods because of the volatility, unpredictability, and excitement of life. The politics and intrigue fascinates me, and I love the atmosphere of danger that pervades life in this time. There was so much Hoffman had to work with - the layers of allegiances and loyalty, the backstabbing, the courtly plotting - and it would have been so easy to make it sound exciting, because it is exciting. But it felt really dull in this book. I couldn't find myself invested in the plot because it was so boring, the characters were flat, and I got no sense of the intricacy of politics in this time - just a bunch of very complicated names. The murder and mayhem aspect severely let me down in this book; instead of making me be on the edge of my seat, it nearly put me to sleep.
Finally I want to address the plot. Or more specifically, the lack of plot. I've finished the book and I still don't really know what the plot was. It meandered along for about 90% of the book, before it started to pick up, and I was expecting a fantastic ending. But the end was incredibly anticlimactic and I was very disappointed. It could have been great, but it was tedious.
That pretty much sums up the entire book, to be honest. It could have been great, but it was tedious. Skip this one.
June 21, 2023
Interessant
November 17, 2023
Mostly politics with some romance added in but it's so worth it in the end
October 20, 2023
Class difference, religion, patronage, split loyalties, romance.
Read
January 12, 2017Taking place in the early 1500’s, David addresses many political issues and artistic viewpoints. Mary Hoffman uses the book to exaggerate the political dispute between the two factions. She also incorporated the popular style of art and how it affects people’s view on politics. This was caused by Michelangelo sculpting the statue David, which caused many disagreements between the Frateschi and the Compagnacci for many years. This was a time when people often misunderstood what the artist was trying to convey. These misunderstandings could lead to fatal consequences. Mary Hoffman explores this through the character Gabriele and how the two political factions. This book is told through the eyes of Gabriele, who is a model for several artists, including Michelangelo and posed for the statue David. The reason why this book is called David is because of the famous statue, that caused political uprisings between the two factions. In this engaging novel, Mary Hoffman portrays the Renaissance repeatedly by showing how important art is in Florence, Italy during the 1500’s, and by the conflict between the Compagnacci and the Frateschi.
June 28, 2018
Read in 2016 before and during a trip to Florence. Was really good read and made the tour around I went on round Florence more enjoyable
July 17, 2015
As I am passionately interested in the Italian Renaissance, I decided this should be an interesting read. It was, but I'm not certain whether it would appeal to many YAs, who seem to be the target audience, as there is quite a dealing with the world of Florentine politics as well as Michelangelo's art. Also, I found the language rather dry and lacking in imaginative description, seeming to rely more on just relating incidents and events. Lots of famous Renaissance artists, popes and politicians appear briefly or are mentioned as the plot unfolds. Hoffman has certainly done her homework.
Gabriele arrives in Florence to seek out his milk-brother, the sculptor Michelangelo. Almost instantly a widowed lady takes him as her lover.
Michelangelo has just begun to think about sculpting the David from a block of discarded marble and Gabriele becomes the model for the statue.
The widow becomes pregnant with Gabriele's child and takes a husband, the influential Antonello de'Altobiondi.
Gabriele becomes mixed up with Republican sympathisers, who follow the ideas of the friar, Savonarola, who was executed a few years before.
Florence is also threatened by the Borgias who hunger for power.
Gabriele becomes a model for an artist named Leone, at the home of Andrea Visdomini, a de'Medici supporter. Gabriele becomes a spy for the Republicans. And the widow gives birth to his son.
Leonardo da Vinci returns to Florence and there is tension between the two great artists. Michelangelo is convinced da Vinci denounced him for sodomy, with Gabriele, by putting the written accusation in the stone opening called the Mouth of Truth; even though the charges are dropped.
Popes die and new ones are elected and the Borgias' powers are diminished, as is their threat to Florence. A de'Medici drowns and so it seems their challenge is also failing.
Michelangelo's great statue is unveiled and there are meetings to decided where it should be sited.
Da Vinci paints Monna Lisa, the wife of one of the de'Medici followers that Gabriele has befriended in order to spy upon.
The widow has a second son who doesn't look like his brother. Her husband becomes suspicious.
As the David is moved into position and is stoned by a group of men; Michelangelo's arm is broken as he defends his statue. Gabriele has to finish and polish the statue under Michelangelo's direction.
De'Altobiondi learns the truth and is set to send his wife to a nunnery and Gabriele's son to a separate institution away from his mother.
Everything comes to a violent and fatal confrontation during riots between the Republicans and de'Medici supporters.
Gabriele escapes the city and returns to his village and the girl who has waited many year for him.
Gabriele arrives in Florence to seek out his milk-brother, the sculptor Michelangelo. Almost instantly a widowed lady takes him as her lover.
Michelangelo has just begun to think about sculpting the David from a block of discarded marble and Gabriele becomes the model for the statue.
The widow becomes pregnant with Gabriele's child and takes a husband, the influential Antonello de'Altobiondi.
Gabriele becomes mixed up with Republican sympathisers, who follow the ideas of the friar, Savonarola, who was executed a few years before.
Florence is also threatened by the Borgias who hunger for power.
Gabriele becomes a model for an artist named Leone, at the home of Andrea Visdomini, a de'Medici supporter. Gabriele becomes a spy for the Republicans. And the widow gives birth to his son.
Leonardo da Vinci returns to Florence and there is tension between the two great artists. Michelangelo is convinced da Vinci denounced him for sodomy, with Gabriele, by putting the written accusation in the stone opening called the Mouth of Truth; even though the charges are dropped.
Popes die and new ones are elected and the Borgias' powers are diminished, as is their threat to Florence. A de'Medici drowns and so it seems their challenge is also failing.
Michelangelo's great statue is unveiled and there are meetings to decided where it should be sited.
Da Vinci paints Monna Lisa, the wife of one of the de'Medici followers that Gabriele has befriended in order to spy upon.
The widow has a second son who doesn't look like his brother. Her husband becomes suspicious.
As the David is moved into position and is stoned by a group of men; Michelangelo's arm is broken as he defends his statue. Gabriele has to finish and polish the statue under Michelangelo's direction.
De'Altobiondi learns the truth and is set to send his wife to a nunnery and Gabriele's son to a separate institution away from his mother.
Everything comes to a violent and fatal confrontation during riots between the Republicans and de'Medici supporters.
Gabriele escapes the city and returns to his village and the girl who has waited many year for him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2013
As a young adult, when fridge magnets were in I bought a David set for my friends. You could dress him up in different outfits including an Elvis one. My parents visited Florence at some point and were also blown away and finally about five years ago, I finally got to go to Florence myself. After announcing to the Frog that I could live solely on Italian food FOREVER, I arrived and discovered I couldn’t eat the damn stuff for love or money. Still, the little monster growing inside of me didn’t affect my appetite for art and we visited the Ufizi, Academia and wondered the back corridors of the Medici Palace. I loved Florence, and was curious when I discovered that Mary Hoffman had written a book about quite possibly the most iconic statue in the world.
Straight away I was intrigued by who Gabriele was and how he was linked to Michaelangelo. The thing with historical novels is that they have to be steeped in just the right amount of truth to keep you reading without wanting to go and check things out on Wikipedia. Of course, I did go and check (because I’m that kind of person), but what I found allowed me to step into the rest of the book without question. I don’t know how people really spoke at that time, but I found the tone of the book to be just right. There was a lot of sex and intrigue right there at the beginning of the book, but it’s put in such a way that I think although the book is strictly YA, there’s nothing too shocking in it for a pre-teen.
The book takes place over a number of years and one of the things I really liked was that you really get a feel for how Gabriele grows during his time in Florence. At the beginning he is a naive country boy who is quite easily led astray, but as his life becomes more complicated and he becomes more intricately entwined in the dealings of the different factions in Florence, he also becomes a little wiser, less of a hot head and more thoughtful, except when it comes to women. I loved the fact that he just always got into trouble over women and he just doesn’t get why it keeps happening.
When writing about the art, Hoffman writes convincingly about transforming a spoilt block of marble into David. Her weaving of fact and fiction and her depiction of the creation of this well-known piece of art was so masterfully done that I felt as if I really did see David come to life in my imagination.
All in all, I found Gabriele’s character convincing. The plot was full of suspense to keep me wanting to turn the page and Hoffman’s way of telling a story meant I just devoured the book. Plus there was the extra that it was set in one of those magical Italian cities, which is always a bonus to me.
Straight away I was intrigued by who Gabriele was and how he was linked to Michaelangelo. The thing with historical novels is that they have to be steeped in just the right amount of truth to keep you reading without wanting to go and check things out on Wikipedia. Of course, I did go and check (because I’m that kind of person), but what I found allowed me to step into the rest of the book without question. I don’t know how people really spoke at that time, but I found the tone of the book to be just right. There was a lot of sex and intrigue right there at the beginning of the book, but it’s put in such a way that I think although the book is strictly YA, there’s nothing too shocking in it for a pre-teen.
The book takes place over a number of years and one of the things I really liked was that you really get a feel for how Gabriele grows during his time in Florence. At the beginning he is a naive country boy who is quite easily led astray, but as his life becomes more complicated and he becomes more intricately entwined in the dealings of the different factions in Florence, he also becomes a little wiser, less of a hot head and more thoughtful, except when it comes to women. I loved the fact that he just always got into trouble over women and he just doesn’t get why it keeps happening.
When writing about the art, Hoffman writes convincingly about transforming a spoilt block of marble into David. Her weaving of fact and fiction and her depiction of the creation of this well-known piece of art was so masterfully done that I felt as if I really did see David come to life in my imagination.
All in all, I found Gabriele’s character convincing. The plot was full of suspense to keep me wanting to turn the page and Hoffman’s way of telling a story meant I just devoured the book. Plus there was the extra that it was set in one of those magical Italian cities, which is always a bonus to me.
July 4, 2011
Historical fiction is very hit-and-miss with me, but David was most definitely a hit. I loved it!
I’ve always been a lover of art and artists so the chance to find out about the (fictionalised) person behind Michelangelo’s 'David', which is one of the things I have to see before I die, was a chance I couldn’t pass up. The identity of Michelangelo’s model is one of arts mysteries that will likely never be solved and that only makes Gabriele’s story all the more appealing. But this was not the only one of art’s burning questions that were answered by Mary Hoffman; she also revealed who sat for Leonardo da Vinci’s 'Mona Lisa'! This is a painting that also falls into the ‘have to see before I die’ category and so a semi-regular appearance of the man himself in David made me a very happy reader indeed.
Gabriele himself is a naive, quiet and unassuming young man when he arrives in Florence and is shocked by the attention his God-like appearance receives from both the men and women of the city. But this soon becomes his undoing as he gets himself heavily involved in the very complicated issue of Florentine politics. I have to admit that I knew nothing about the politics of Florence in the early 1500s and so I was often quite lost and it took me a long while to get to grasps with both sides of the troubles. But once I had this sorted in my mind, it became another enthralling facet of the story.
There is one aspect of this book that I didn’t like, however, how much it made me want to go to Italy! I mean, I’ve always wanted to go, but now that Florence is so perfectly evoked in my mind, I want to go more than ever! And even the sounds of the Italian that my mind created was beautiful, and gah I want to go!
Putting my inane ramblings about my love for Italy aside, I think that David has a huge crossover appeal. It doesn’t feel distinctly like a young adult novel, which as I’ve recently realised, puts a lot of adult readers off, and I know that just by mentioning the basic plot of David my mum instantly wanted to borrow it when I’d finished.
I loved David and it’s made me want to try some more of Mary Hoffman’s books even though I’ve been hesitant in the past.
I’ve always been a lover of art and artists so the chance to find out about the (fictionalised) person behind Michelangelo’s 'David', which is one of the things I have to see before I die, was a chance I couldn’t pass up. The identity of Michelangelo’s model is one of arts mysteries that will likely never be solved and that only makes Gabriele’s story all the more appealing. But this was not the only one of art’s burning questions that were answered by Mary Hoffman; she also revealed who sat for Leonardo da Vinci’s 'Mona Lisa'! This is a painting that also falls into the ‘have to see before I die’ category and so a semi-regular appearance of the man himself in David made me a very happy reader indeed.
Gabriele himself is a naive, quiet and unassuming young man when he arrives in Florence and is shocked by the attention his God-like appearance receives from both the men and women of the city. But this soon becomes his undoing as he gets himself heavily involved in the very complicated issue of Florentine politics. I have to admit that I knew nothing about the politics of Florence in the early 1500s and so I was often quite lost and it took me a long while to get to grasps with both sides of the troubles. But once I had this sorted in my mind, it became another enthralling facet of the story.
There is one aspect of this book that I didn’t like, however, how much it made me want to go to Italy! I mean, I’ve always wanted to go, but now that Florence is so perfectly evoked in my mind, I want to go more than ever! And even the sounds of the Italian that my mind created was beautiful, and gah I want to go!
Putting my inane ramblings about my love for Italy aside, I think that David has a huge crossover appeal. It doesn’t feel distinctly like a young adult novel, which as I’ve recently realised, puts a lot of adult readers off, and I know that just by mentioning the basic plot of David my mum instantly wanted to borrow it when I’d finished.
I loved David and it’s made me want to try some more of Mary Hoffman’s books even though I’ve been hesitant in the past.
January 13, 2016
David
Florence Italy was very interesting and complicated during the Renaissance. Art was becoming a prominent part of the society and so was politics. Mary Hoffman portrays Florence during the Renaissance in the book “David” as being divided and a time of rebirth for the interest in the arts. But this book was a single story and I did not find that enjoyable.
To begin with, the book “David” shows Florence as a very divided city during the Renaissance in many ways. Split into the “Frateschi”, supporters of Girolamo Savonarola, and the “Compagnacci”, supporters of the Medici clan, Florence was not the safest place to be. The narrator of the book is a young man named Gabriele who is new to Florence and is uneducated about the political factions. He learns quickly that because of the opposing sides, Florence is no place to be wandering around. “David” takes place during the time Michelangelo was sculpting his famous David, this sculpture was very controversial because it represented the republic (frateschi). But the author portrays the frateschi as the good guys, and puts the Medici family in a bad light although they helped the renaissance very much. For these reasons and many more, Florence was a very divided and dangerous city during the Renaissance.
Not only was Renaissance Florence divided, but it was also a time of rebirth for the arts. After the middle-ages, the lives of the people improved very much that they could start to focus on new aspects of their culture and in Florence, that meant the arts. The Renaissance was also the birthplace for a new idea, humanism, this idea led to many people wanting materialistic things and working for personal achievements. The new found interest in the arts and humanistic beliefs was the source of artist during the Renaissance being very busy, everyone wanted a piece of art for themselves. The reasons stated above proves that art was becoming a prominent aspect of florentine culture.
As explained, Florence was a very complicated yet majestic city. In “David”, Mary Hoffman showcased the opposing views and dangers in Florence, but also the beauty and rebirth of its culture during the Renaissance. Being a single story is the major flaw of the book “David” in my opinion.
Florence Italy was very interesting and complicated during the Renaissance. Art was becoming a prominent part of the society and so was politics. Mary Hoffman portrays Florence during the Renaissance in the book “David” as being divided and a time of rebirth for the interest in the arts. But this book was a single story and I did not find that enjoyable.
To begin with, the book “David” shows Florence as a very divided city during the Renaissance in many ways. Split into the “Frateschi”, supporters of Girolamo Savonarola, and the “Compagnacci”, supporters of the Medici clan, Florence was not the safest place to be. The narrator of the book is a young man named Gabriele who is new to Florence and is uneducated about the political factions. He learns quickly that because of the opposing sides, Florence is no place to be wandering around. “David” takes place during the time Michelangelo was sculpting his famous David, this sculpture was very controversial because it represented the republic (frateschi). But the author portrays the frateschi as the good guys, and puts the Medici family in a bad light although they helped the renaissance very much. For these reasons and many more, Florence was a very divided and dangerous city during the Renaissance.
Not only was Renaissance Florence divided, but it was also a time of rebirth for the arts. After the middle-ages, the lives of the people improved very much that they could start to focus on new aspects of their culture and in Florence, that meant the arts. The Renaissance was also the birthplace for a new idea, humanism, this idea led to many people wanting materialistic things and working for personal achievements. The new found interest in the arts and humanistic beliefs was the source of artist during the Renaissance being very busy, everyone wanted a piece of art for themselves. The reasons stated above proves that art was becoming a prominent aspect of florentine culture.
As explained, Florence was a very complicated yet majestic city. In “David”, Mary Hoffman showcased the opposing views and dangers in Florence, but also the beauty and rebirth of its culture during the Renaissance. Being a single story is the major flaw of the book “David” in my opinion.
February 14, 2017
This well-written coming-of-age novel is not for the faint of heart, or for younger readers. As other reviewers have said, the protagonist makes poor moral choices that drive much of the plot though he later regrets them and takes responsibility for his actions. Florentine culture, society and politics are vividly portrayed though the portrayal is never explicitly or gratuitous. The highlights for me are the glimpses of Michelangelo and his work and warm friendship with the protagonist. I got rather tired of the pro-Medici/Republican power struggle, though it's an important part of the setting and plot. The characters are realistic, the plot suspenseful and the story overall is solid, but I'm not sure what the take-away value is for me.
For anyone who really wants to be immersed in 15th & 16th century Florence and Italy alongside Michelangelo, I recommend The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone.
For anyone who really wants to be immersed in 15th & 16th century Florence and Italy alongside Michelangelo, I recommend The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone.
September 20, 2021
⭐️⭐️
Gabriele, the milk-brother of famed artist Michelangelo, arrives in Florence Italy only to find himself involved in art, politics, sex and bloodshed.
What initially drew me to this novel was the art historical aspect. A fictionalised retelling of how Michelangelo’s David came to fruition - sign me up!
I was let down however, in truth Mary Hoffman’s “David” focussed less on the art and more on the politics of the time. While there are moments of art appreciation it’s certainly not the dominant feature of the novel. I felt it was too disjointed and found myself interested during the art scenes and bored beyond reason during Gabriele’s foray into politics which was most often. I had to force myself to finish reading because I honestly have little interest in 15th and 16th century Florentine politics, plus trying to keep up with all of the various characters and rival parties was too exhausting.
Saying that this isn’t why I only gave it 2 stars. I’m not into 16thC Florentine politics but that’s not to say that other readers won’t be.
My two stars are a result of the underdeveloped plot. It is extremely slow moving, and then rushes to a climax (which was anticlimactic and very predictable). In fact it’s verging on not even having a plot, it’s largely just drivel from a character complaining about his situation but doing nothing to change it.
In addition our protagonist Gabriele is the most annoying, boring, self centred character I’ve read in a long time. He has little to no character development. He treats women as objects to use throughout the novel and then continuously gets irritate when women get upset about this. Although very few do, because despite being an absolute pig towards these women they still melt over his beauty and take him back with open arms.
I also had issues with the narrator (an elderly Gabriele), he was wholly unnecessary. He failed to add a wise mature reflection to the retelling and often distracted from the flow of the story.
So yeah, ⭐️⭐️
Gabriele, the milk-brother of famed artist Michelangelo, arrives in Florence Italy only to find himself involved in art, politics, sex and bloodshed.
What initially drew me to this novel was the art historical aspect. A fictionalised retelling of how Michelangelo’s David came to fruition - sign me up!
I was let down however, in truth Mary Hoffman’s “David” focussed less on the art and more on the politics of the time. While there are moments of art appreciation it’s certainly not the dominant feature of the novel. I felt it was too disjointed and found myself interested during the art scenes and bored beyond reason during Gabriele’s foray into politics which was most often. I had to force myself to finish reading because I honestly have little interest in 15th and 16th century Florentine politics, plus trying to keep up with all of the various characters and rival parties was too exhausting.
Saying that this isn’t why I only gave it 2 stars. I’m not into 16thC Florentine politics but that’s not to say that other readers won’t be.
My two stars are a result of the underdeveloped plot. It is extremely slow moving, and then rushes to a climax (which was anticlimactic and very predictable). In fact it’s verging on not even having a plot, it’s largely just drivel from a character complaining about his situation but doing nothing to change it.
In addition our protagonist Gabriele is the most annoying, boring, self centred character I’ve read in a long time. He has little to no character development. He treats women as objects to use throughout the novel and then continuously gets irritate when women get upset about this. Although very few do, because despite being an absolute pig towards these women they still melt over his beauty and take him back with open arms.
I also had issues with the narrator (an elderly Gabriele), he was wholly unnecessary. He failed to add a wise mature reflection to the retelling and often distracted from the flow of the story.
So yeah, ⭐️⭐️
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