Book Overview
Life may imitate art...but death follows it. While studying art history at New York University, brilliant and beautiful Finn Ryan makes a startling discovery: a Michelangelo drawing of a dissected corpse-supposedly from the artist's near-mythical notebook. But that very night, someone breaks into her apartment-murdering her boyfriend and stealing the sketches she made of the drawing. Fleeing for her life, Finn heads to the address her mother had given her for emergencies, where she finds the enigmatic antiquarian book dealer, Michael Valentine. Together, they embark on a desperate race through the city-and through the pages of history itself-to expose an electrifying secret from the final days of World War II-a secret that lies in the dark labyrinthine heart of the Vatican.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0451411862
ISBN13:9780451411860
Release Date:June 2005
Publisher:Berkley Books
Length:368 Pages
Weight:0.43 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 4.3" x 6.8"
Age Range:18 years and up
Grade Range:Postsecondary and higher
Customer Reviews
5 ratings
Michelangelo's Notebook
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
How often do you read negative reviews of a movie, BUT go see it anyway, and LOVE it?! Well, I read the negative reviews on this site, then read the book anyway and, you guessed it--I LOVED it!!! While not always convincing, neither was it "over the top"--You feel things COULD have happened as described!! (After all, it is FICTION, and, for those who care, it had only two brief sex scenes!!) This was almost as good a fast-paced page-turner as Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons" (which I rate a 5-star plus!!). I believe most readers will find it an enjoyable read.
Better than Da Vinci Code
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I hate to see this book equated with the Da Vinci Code. It's better in terms of plot and writing. By contrast, "The Code" is poorly written and derivative - certainly derived in concept from "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" (which I read when it was first published), but in novel form follows more closely Lewis Perdue's (far better) "Da Vinci Legacy." Although Michelangelo's Notebook is not a great book, it is an entertaining who-done-it that concentrates on Nazi art theft - one of my favorite topics for escapism.
Like The da Vinci Code
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
This is a great modern day mystery novel. This, in my opinion, has big screen potential just like Da Vinci Code. I like how this one guys has flashbacks to a significant event during World War II. Something about art. Also, I find it kind of funny when they mention The Da Vinci Code. "It sounds like we are moving into Dan Brown territory here: weird cults, Catholic conspiracies, Leonardo da Vinci painting in code. Sounds like a lot of white supremacist David Duke twaddle to me."
Decent summer novel, but no masterpiece
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
If you like Dan Brown's books, or Niel Stephenson, this is a decent book to wast an afternoon on, but its not a masterpiece. Interesting story background, but fairl boring characters. Way too many pop-culture references are going to date this book quickly, including a reference to "how much this situation is like da Vinci' code" - at least he admits his source material. Uninteresting twist thrown in on the last two pages, to tie the two plots together.
Great mystery thriller!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
This is definately the best book of the summer. Christopher delivers an impressive page-turner about a young art historian who stumbles across an original Michelangelo drawing, unwittingly making herself a target. If you like the Dan Brown books, don't miss this. Paul Christopher has a big future!
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