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BKMT READING GUIDES
- 42 members reading this now
- 5 clubs reading this now
- 5 members told 8 friends about this book.
- 5 members have read this book
by 1 of 1 members.
Florence, April 1478: The handsome Giuliano de’ Medici...
Clubs who read this book also discussed:
Introduction
Florence, April 1478: The handsome Giuliano de’ Medici is brutally assassinated in Florence’s magnificent Duomo. The shock of the murder ripples throughout the great city, from the most renowned artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, to a wealthy wool merchant and his extraordinarily beautiful daughter, Madonna Lisa.
Excerpt
My name is Lisa di Antonio Gherardini, though to acquaintances I am known simply as Madonna Lisa, and to those of the common class, Monna Lisa.
My likeness has been recorded on wood, with boiled linseed oil and pigments dug from earth or crushed from semiprecious stones and applied with brushes made from the feathers of birds and the silken fur of animals.
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view entire excerpt...
Discussion Questions
From the publisher:
1. Few works of art are as romanticized, celebrated, and reproduced as the Mona Lisa. How did reading this book teach you about——or change your impression of——the art world’s most famous face? Has anyone in the group ever seen it in person?
2. Beautiful, enigmatic, sly, foreboding...many adjectives have been used to describe Lisa’s portrait. But what words would you use to describe Lisa’s character? Also, take a moment to talk about her role——as an only daughter, married woman, and member of the upper class——in Florentine society. How was Lisa different from other women of her era? Do you think she was a woman ahead of her time?
3. Lisa is told by her astrologer that she is “caught in a cycle of violence, of blood, and deceit.” To what extent does Lisa let fate dictate her actions? Do you believe in fate? Discuss the themes of prophecy in I, Mona Lisa.
4. In addition to being religious, many of those we meet in the book become fanatic——and commit acts of violence to justify their beliefs. What was it that led Antonio, Baroncelli, and Savonarola to behave the way they did? Do you condone any of their actions? Do you have any sympathy for them?
5. Who do you think bears the true responsibility for the deaths of Giuliano the Elder and Anna Lucrezia? How do the various characters——from Lisa to Antonio to Lorenzo——deal with the guilt, trauma, and mystery surrounding the deaths of those they love?
6. What is significant about the third man involved in Giuliano’s murder? How does this element of mystery drive the narrative?
7. I, Mona Lisa is a novel about truth and beauty, art and artifice. It is also about family——in all its glory and bloodshed. How important is the notion of family to each of the main characters? Which relationships are the most “real” to you in this book?
8. Do you believe that a picture is worth a thousand words? Can a work of art—a painting, a book——ever truly capture a person’s essence? Did Leonardo’s portrait of Lisa capture hers?
9. When Lisa views her cartoon she remarks that Leonardo’s “recall of [her] features is astonishing...more sacred, more profound than any image rendered by [a] mirror.” Why do you think she feels this way? Does Leonardo see himself in Lisa? What personality traits do you think they both share?
10. Leonardo is more than just an artist: He doesn’t just view society from a distance; he is a member of a powerful inner circle. What does I, Mona Lisa suggest about the role and function of art during the Florentine era?
Was it more or less political than it is now?
11. What, do you think, is the meaning of the last sentence of the book?
Weblinks
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Publisher's Book Info |
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St. Martin's Reading Group Gold Selection |
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Author Q&A from the publisher |
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Additional Historical Information and Reading from the Author |
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Publisher's Reading Guide |
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Member Reviews
Overall rating:
How would you rate this book? Member ratings:
"Excellent!! Wonderful!!"by phacht (see profile) 01/25/07
I had a bit of a difficult time in the beginning of the book w/the names of some of the characters -- some were too similar and I got them mixed up. The story developed beautifully. What a wonderful... (read more)
"Great Story"by lerafox1 (see profile) 03/05/07
If you like Phillipa Gregory or other historical fiction, you'll enjoy this as well. The start is a bit slow but you are drawn to the main character, Mona Lisa. ENJOY!!
"Vivid images and riveting story"by clcizik (see profile) 04/29/07
Our group loved this book. Although it starts out slow and descriptive, it is an exciting story told with detail that makes you feel like you're there.
