Rating: 
Summary: A true masterpiece...beautiful and sad
Review: This beautifully written book chronicling the life of Vincent Van Gogh is a wonderful introduction to this remarkable painter, and his painful life. Stone has meticulously researched Van Gogh's life through letters the painter had written. He then uses fiction to fill in the blank spaces, and add dialogue. What makes this book so powerful is that it adds new life to the Van Gogh masterpieces that most of us have seen. The Potato Eaters for example is a masterpiece, but this book details the life of those who appear on the canvas, and Vincent's interaction with them. This book is truly a masterpiece of writing about one of the great creators of masterpieces. If you are an art connoisseur, your will love this book. If you are not an art connoisseur...you will still love this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A Monument to the Artist within
Review: This book speaks to the artist within each of us. We all possess that passionate, mad lust to create. Vincent was one of the few that was true to his lust. Sadly his brutal honesty did not fit into our utilitarian world and his story is a tragedy of epic proportions. As the book says: " Vincent knew that to attain the yellow note which dominated the Arlesian canvases he had to be on edge, strung up, throbbingly excited, passionately sensitive, his nerves rasped raw. If he allowed himself to get into that state, he could paint again as brilliantly as before. But the road led to destruction. 'An artist is a man with his work to do," he murmured to himself. ' How stupid for me to remain alive if I can't paint the way I want to paint.'"
Rating:
Summary: Lust for Stone
Review: 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.
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Summary: Curious what the definition of an "amazing life story" is?
Review: 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!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: a must read
Review: This was probably the most spellbinding book I've ever read. From the moment Vincent arrived at the Barinage, I became absored completely in the story of this man and couldn't put the book down. The 500 pages that span a 10 year period are dense with some of the best story telling I've seen, of a life that was truly fascinating.
Rating:
Summary: Good One!
Review: This was the second irving stone I read. And I must say that this book was brilliant and far surpassed the other, 'The Agony and the Ecstasy'. Reading this book made me realise that lives of men are more interesting than that of people in fiction. A must read!
Rating: 
Summary: But it's not real
Review: Though this fairly well-written book tells A story about the possibilities in the life of Vincent Van Gogh, it's not what actually happened. There are real events and words from the painter, but it's strung together in the writer's imagination. I was left feeling empty, missing a real connection to what might have motivated Vincent Van Gogh during his life. Readers are left without the means to consider Van Gogh's actual life because this is just one person's guess-though an educated one-as to what happened.
Rating:
Summary: Incredible Incredible Incredible !
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting and insighful.
Review: What a revalation presented by Irving Stone into the life of Van Gogh. The reader is allowed entry into the depth of a man's life and soul to understand the commonly misunderstood artist. The greatest commedation goes to Van Gogh's brother, Theo, who never faltered in believing in his brother and financially supported him for so many years. For anyone to have someone love and believe in them when the rest of the world could not is the greatest gift a man can behold. A great insight into the other now famous artists of this time who were so misunderstood then.
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