The Giant

A Novel of Michelangelo's David

★★★★★ 529 reviews

A Tale of Art and Ambition in 16th-century Florence

As a colossal statue takes shape in Renaissance Florence, the lives of a master sculptor and a struggling painter become stunningly intertwined.

Florence, 1500. Fresco painter Jacopo Torni longs to make his mark in the world. But while his peers enjoy prestigious commissions, his meager painting jobs are all earmarked to pay down gambling debts.

When Jacopo hears of a competition to create Florence’s greatest sculpture, he pins all his hopes on a collaboration with his boyhood companion, Michelangelo Buonarroti. But will the frustrated artist ever emerge from the shadow of his singularly gifted friend?

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Gondola Maker and The Painter's Apprentice comes a gorgeously crafted, immersive tale of Renaissance Italy. Based on a true story.

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From Our Readers...

★★★★★ Compelling novel pulls us to root for Michelangelo
Joan Snyder
It was on a trip to Italy with my family when I was 13 years old that I first saw Michelangelo’s sculpture of David. The up-close image is still strong in my mind. David’s serene, serious face, the still before the storm, just before he will hurl his shepherd stones at the bully Goliath. More than 500 years since Michelangelo carved it. The physical form emits glorious beauty and grace even now. Imagine then how this historical novel is compelling, pulling us back to just before—before the statue was carved, before it was even conceived of, before Michelangelo was a master artist and sculptor. As the story unfolds, cleverly told through the eyes and experiences of a rival of Michelangelo, Jacopo Torni, we see the political backdrop, the stresses of daily living, the role artists played in 16th century Italian culture. We see how Michelangelo challenges the status of the older Da Vinci. We root for Michelangelo—and Jacopo too—to attempt to bring an idealized concept into physical form through their art. Author Morelli’s vivid world-building, enriched with careful research, brings us front and center to David’s creation. And now I must book a ticket to see David in person again!

★★★★★ Amazing
Auntie Jan
This book is like opening an art history book and meeting all the artist giants as they were, people plain people with extraordinary talents. I may never see the David again, but I know the statue David through this amazing book.

★★★★★ Fascinating glimpse at the life of an art giant
Susan H.
This well written book is based largely on Michelangelo's creation of the celebrated statue of David. While it is partly fictional, there is a great amount of detail on the lives of artists at the time, and their methods and processes. The book paints a vivid picture of life during this period in Italy using a series of characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to other books by this author.

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Product Details

Publisher: The Scriptorium

Paperback:  362 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1942467-36-6

Dimensions: 6 x 0.82 x 9 inches

Binding: Perfect

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