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The Second Mrs. Gioconda
Why did Leonardo da Vinci lavish three years on painting the second wife of an unimportant merchant when all the nobles of Europe were begging for a portrait by his hand? In E. L. Konigsburg's intriguing novel, the answer lies with the complex relationship between the genius, his morally questionable young apprentice, and a young duchess whose plain features belie the sensitivity of her soul.
91 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1975
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1729 people want to read
About the author
E.L. Konigsburg
63 books1,478 followersElaine Lobl Konigsburg was an American writer and illustrator of children's books and young adult fiction. She is one of six writers to win two Newbery Medals, the venerable American Library Association award for the year's "most distinguished contribution to American children's literature."
Konigsburg submitted her first two manuscripts to editor Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Publishers in 1966, and both were published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the 1968 Newbery Medal, and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was listed as a runner-up in the same year, making Konigsburg the only author to win the Newbery Medal and have another book listed as runner-up in the same year. She won again for The View from Saturday in 1997, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
For her contribution as a children's writer Konigsburg was U.S. nominee in 2006 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available to creators of children's books.
Konigsburg submitted her first two manuscripts to editor Jean E. Karl at Atheneum Publishers in 1966, and both were published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the 1968 Newbery Medal, and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was listed as a runner-up in the same year, making Konigsburg the only author to win the Newbery Medal and have another book listed as runner-up in the same year. She won again for The View from Saturday in 1997, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
For her contribution as a children's writer Konigsburg was U.S. nominee in 2006 for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international recognition available to creators of children's books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
December 3, 2008
You know, it's tough when you're teaching a sixth grade IMG class and you read something that makes you start to tear up and you have to pretend you're not crying. :) I loved this book. I love Konigsburg in general, but this i think is one the best and littliest known works by this great author. This tale is a wonderful story with woven strands of history about Da Vinci braided into a fictional but fascinating possible account of who the Mona Lisa really is. Highly recommend it!
August 11, 2024
Some of E.L. Konigsburg's finest novels debuted in the 1970s. Featuring witty, assertive main characters and original plot ideas, these books were a cut above most of their peers, and The Second Mrs. Giaconda may be Ms. Konigsburg's most intriguing concept from that decade. It takes us back to 1490s Milan, Italy to explore perhaps the biggest mystery of the Renaissance: why did Leonardo da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa, arguably the greatest piece of art ever made? The model for it was the plain-looking wife of an ordinary Florentine merchant. Important men across Europe clamored for Leonardo to immortalize their wives on canvas, yet he saved his utmost creative passion for a portrait that offered limited profitability and notoriety. In this book, we discover a possible answer as to why.
Gian Giacomo de' Caprotti, called Salai, is a ten-year-old pickpocket when Leonardo accepts him as an apprentice. Salai shows no artistic promise, yet vaults to prominence among Leonardo's apprentices. The master loves the boy's sense of mirth and irreverence, his cleverness if not his artistic vision. When Leonardo's patron, Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza (known as Il Moro), becomes entangled in a pledge to marry the second daughter of the Duke of Ferrara, Salai meets this daughter and the two form a fast friendship. Beatrice is not physically attractive like her elder sister Isabella, but Isabella is promised to another noble, so Il Moro has to settle for Beatrice. Il Moro can't be bothered to tend to her with any regularity, but Salai finds Beatrice to be an intelligent companion whose opinions on art and philosophy equal those of any renowned critic. Leonardo, a genius of artistic and scientific advancement, turns to Beatrice as a worthy partner for conversation, and his esteem causes Il Moro to take a second look at his homely wife. Perhaps she is a spouse to be proud of after all.
Salai revels in his own relationship with Beatrice, but their time together dwindles as Il Moro grows to love his wife and treat her as a valued member of his household. Salai now only interacts with her during brief conversations on the street, little more than hasty exchanges of greeting. In the meantime, Salai secretly uses his association with Leonardo to earn extra income for his father and sister, who live in poverty. He occasionally swipes unfinished sketches by the master and sells them to artists, who then create inferior versions of Leonardo originals. The master scarcely notices, if he does at all, and Salai progresses to selling in-person meetings with Leonardo, a privilege that Italy's richest pay good money for. Salai's family won't go hungry as long as he's capitalizing on Leonardo's reputation. In those rare moments over the years when Salai is able to visit Beatrice, he learns she hasn't lost her mischievous humor and knack for appraising art, and her commentary on Leonardo's new pieces provide Salai a fresh take on his master's work. Beatrice has had a decent life as Il Moro's wife, but his original tepidness returns when another woman captures his fancy, and Beatrice's declining years are not destined to be happy. Salai cherishes her, as does Leonardo, but the master won't express his feelings in any way common to man. He has a grander tribute in store for Beatrice, seizing his opportunity to link her to his legacy as a demigod among artists. Even Salai will agree the master has done justice to their friend.
The creative zeal and wide-ranging erudition of the Renaissance coalesce in Beatrice, whose mind is wondrous even as her face excites no suitor. She is not ugly, merely plain, which may be worse for attracting a man of prestige to seek her hand in marriage. Compared to Isabella's comeliness, Beatrice is a severe downgrade, but she is the one that any man of substance would wish to call his life partner. She grasps the nuances of Leonardo's staggering genius as few can, a fact made evident in her critique of the horse sculpture he worked on for a decade as a commission for Emperor Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire. Salai is impressed by the twenty-six-foot high sculpture, but Beatrice privately shares with him her disappointment. "(Leonardo) needs a wild element," she says. "All great art needs it: something that leaps and flickers. Some artists can put that wild element into the treatment itself, but Leonardo cannot. He is too self-conscious. When he has an important commission from an important client on an important subject, he ties up all his instincts. He strives, not to let himself go, but to be perfect." Beatrice points to the raw outline the master has started on his wall painting for a group of monks, a work that will become The Last Supper. Even in its roughest stage, it contains an unencumbered passion that Maximilian's horse bears none of. An artistic genius must let his instincts run free, yet temper the wildness with discipline if the end result is to stand the test of time. The admixture is one that not even Leonardo da Vinci always gets right, but is present in every transcendent work of art.
When Salai shows Beatrice The Last Supper close to completion, she recognizes its import. "No one who sees this will ever be free of Leonardo's vision. From this time on every painter of the Last Supper will be a follower. No one...can see this painting and be but different for having seen it." When an artist like Leonardo creates a definitive masterpiece of its type, the anxiety of influence bleeds down through the centuries, coloring the perception of every artist so that even the best work of that type is, subconsciously, an attempt to recreate the original. Lasting anxiety of influence is the ultimate measure of greatness, and this is what Beatrice predicts for Leonardo and The Last Supper. Most consumers of high art will never know who she was, but Beatrice is inextricably entwined with Leonardo's excellence.
The Second Mrs. Giaconda is a novel of depth and character, one I can only imagine coming from E.L. Konigsburg. The ending could have been more emotionally resonant, so I'll go with a two-and-a-half-star rating, but I'm rounding up to three. Salai and Beatrice are fully realized characters, brimming with the energy of life; Leonardo is as distant and enigmatic as history says, a strong depiction of one of the remarkable individuals in the human record. There are E.L. Konigsburg novels I prefer to The Second Mrs. Giaconda, but if you want a taste of her unique storytelling style, this one is a good option. It was no accident that Ms. Konigsburg won two Newbery Medals in her career.
Gian Giacomo de' Caprotti, called Salai, is a ten-year-old pickpocket when Leonardo accepts him as an apprentice. Salai shows no artistic promise, yet vaults to prominence among Leonardo's apprentices. The master loves the boy's sense of mirth and irreverence, his cleverness if not his artistic vision. When Leonardo's patron, Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza (known as Il Moro), becomes entangled in a pledge to marry the second daughter of the Duke of Ferrara, Salai meets this daughter and the two form a fast friendship. Beatrice is not physically attractive like her elder sister Isabella, but Isabella is promised to another noble, so Il Moro has to settle for Beatrice. Il Moro can't be bothered to tend to her with any regularity, but Salai finds Beatrice to be an intelligent companion whose opinions on art and philosophy equal those of any renowned critic. Leonardo, a genius of artistic and scientific advancement, turns to Beatrice as a worthy partner for conversation, and his esteem causes Il Moro to take a second look at his homely wife. Perhaps she is a spouse to be proud of after all.
Salai revels in his own relationship with Beatrice, but their time together dwindles as Il Moro grows to love his wife and treat her as a valued member of his household. Salai now only interacts with her during brief conversations on the street, little more than hasty exchanges of greeting. In the meantime, Salai secretly uses his association with Leonardo to earn extra income for his father and sister, who live in poverty. He occasionally swipes unfinished sketches by the master and sells them to artists, who then create inferior versions of Leonardo originals. The master scarcely notices, if he does at all, and Salai progresses to selling in-person meetings with Leonardo, a privilege that Italy's richest pay good money for. Salai's family won't go hungry as long as he's capitalizing on Leonardo's reputation. In those rare moments over the years when Salai is able to visit Beatrice, he learns she hasn't lost her mischievous humor and knack for appraising art, and her commentary on Leonardo's new pieces provide Salai a fresh take on his master's work. Beatrice has had a decent life as Il Moro's wife, but his original tepidness returns when another woman captures his fancy, and Beatrice's declining years are not destined to be happy. Salai cherishes her, as does Leonardo, but the master won't express his feelings in any way common to man. He has a grander tribute in store for Beatrice, seizing his opportunity to link her to his legacy as a demigod among artists. Even Salai will agree the master has done justice to their friend.
The creative zeal and wide-ranging erudition of the Renaissance coalesce in Beatrice, whose mind is wondrous even as her face excites no suitor. She is not ugly, merely plain, which may be worse for attracting a man of prestige to seek her hand in marriage. Compared to Isabella's comeliness, Beatrice is a severe downgrade, but she is the one that any man of substance would wish to call his life partner. She grasps the nuances of Leonardo's staggering genius as few can, a fact made evident in her critique of the horse sculpture he worked on for a decade as a commission for Emperor Maximilian of the Holy Roman Empire. Salai is impressed by the twenty-six-foot high sculpture, but Beatrice privately shares with him her disappointment. "(Leonardo) needs a wild element," she says. "All great art needs it: something that leaps and flickers. Some artists can put that wild element into the treatment itself, but Leonardo cannot. He is too self-conscious. When he has an important commission from an important client on an important subject, he ties up all his instincts. He strives, not to let himself go, but to be perfect." Beatrice points to the raw outline the master has started on his wall painting for a group of monks, a work that will become The Last Supper. Even in its roughest stage, it contains an unencumbered passion that Maximilian's horse bears none of. An artistic genius must let his instincts run free, yet temper the wildness with discipline if the end result is to stand the test of time. The admixture is one that not even Leonardo da Vinci always gets right, but is present in every transcendent work of art.
When Salai shows Beatrice The Last Supper close to completion, she recognizes its import. "No one who sees this will ever be free of Leonardo's vision. From this time on every painter of the Last Supper will be a follower. No one...can see this painting and be but different for having seen it." When an artist like Leonardo creates a definitive masterpiece of its type, the anxiety of influence bleeds down through the centuries, coloring the perception of every artist so that even the best work of that type is, subconsciously, an attempt to recreate the original. Lasting anxiety of influence is the ultimate measure of greatness, and this is what Beatrice predicts for Leonardo and The Last Supper. Most consumers of high art will never know who she was, but Beatrice is inextricably entwined with Leonardo's excellence.
The Second Mrs. Giaconda is a novel of depth and character, one I can only imagine coming from E.L. Konigsburg. The ending could have been more emotionally resonant, so I'll go with a two-and-a-half-star rating, but I'm rounding up to three. Salai and Beatrice are fully realized characters, brimming with the energy of life; Leonardo is as distant and enigmatic as history says, a strong depiction of one of the remarkable individuals in the human record. There are E.L. Konigsburg novels I prefer to The Second Mrs. Giaconda, but if you want a taste of her unique storytelling style, this one is a good option. It was no accident that Ms. Konigsburg won two Newbery Medals in her career.
October 10, 2017
One thing Konisgburg always does well is 'subtle depths.' Some of the other reviewers wanted more characterization... apparently they weren't willing to read between the lines. Others wanted more of the model 'Mona Lisa' herself... but that wasn't the point. Others wanted more history... not remembering that not enough is known to build a novel on, and such is admitted in the preface.
Anyway, thoughtful and poignant, with some truly beautiful bits, as is usual from this author.
I love when Beatrice teaches Salai about art, in the process of telling him why he is important to Leonardo: "A person looking at a work of art should not be slapped to attention; he should be wooed." And: "[Leonardo] needs a wild element. All great art needs it: something that leaps and flickers.... He is too self-conscious. When he has an important commission... he ties up all his instincts."
Anyway, thoughtful and poignant, with some truly beautiful bits, as is usual from this author.
I love when Beatrice teaches Salai about art, in the process of telling him why he is important to Leonardo: "A person looking at a work of art should not be slapped to attention; he should be wooed." And: "[Leonardo] needs a wild element. All great art needs it: something that leaps and flickers.... He is too self-conscious. When he has an important commission... he ties up all his instincts."
January 16, 2015
I wanted to like this children's book more than I did because Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler was one of my absolute favorites when I was a kid, one I reread multiple times, and one I've given as a gift many times.
My main issue with this book, though it has a great premise, is that there's not enough characterization or even plot. It also needs more atmosphere and 'place', and less straight 'telling'. In From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler , I felt like I was in the museum with the two children. Even if I'd read this book as a child, I don't think I would've felt like I was in Italy with the main character.
However, as a kid, I would've been happy to see that the reproductions of the paintings mentioned in the book are included in the back. That, along with the tidbits about the paintings in the novel itself, would probably get a young reader interested even more in da Vinci.
A side note: I don't know why the cover says 'Giaconda' when it is clearly written 'Gioconda' on the title page and in the text.
My main issue with this book, though it has a great premise, is that there's not enough characterization or even plot. It also needs more atmosphere and 'place', and less straight 'telling'. In From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler , I felt like I was in the museum with the two children. Even if I'd read this book as a child, I don't think I would've felt like I was in Italy with the main character.
However, as a kid, I would've been happy to see that the reproductions of the paintings mentioned in the book are included in the back. That, along with the tidbits about the paintings in the novel itself, would probably get a young reader interested even more in da Vinci.
A side note: I don't know why the cover says 'Giaconda' when it is clearly written 'Gioconda' on the title page and in the text.
January 22, 2011
A book about Leonardo's assistant (NOT a book about the Mona Lisa, anyone who wrote that didn't actually read the book), could be used in an art class. This book suffers the same fate as movies with a misleading trailer. Folks go to the movie theater expecting one thing, and then leave dissatisfied and unhappy because they didn't get it. Good movies have died at the box office for just this reason, and I think this book falls into that category because of misleading dust jacket.
This is the story of Leonardo's personal assistant Salai, and the dynamics of his relationship with his employer from the first day when Salai tried to steal Leonardo's purse, to the day Mona Lisa walks into their studio. It is NOT NOT NOT about Mona Lisa. Leonardo wrote about Salai a little in his notes, is thought to have sketched him one (the sketch is included) and left him a house in his will, all of this was in spite of the fact that he describes Salai as a thief and a scoundrel. The author apparently wondered why, and this story is the answer to her own question... and incidentally it's about the Mona Lisa
The book's cover, and its title, promise to answer the question of who was Mona Lisa, and why did Leonardo painted her.... and it does, but only in the last 3 pages so that when you're 3/4's through you begin to wonder if it will ever happen. By the final page Leonardo has not met her yet, just Salai, who knows that his master will want to paint her and why... in other words, everything up until that point is a set up and as a result, the book feels unresolved. We get a mild sense of Leonardo and of the period, a sense of the wars between France and the city states of Italy.... but mostly the book is about Salai.
So, when handing this book to a student say, "this book is about Salai, the personal assistant of Leonardo, and you will learn a bit about Leonardo and about Italy. Ignore the emphasis on Mona Lisa on the cover, that's just the sales pitch to get you to buy the book."
This is the story of Leonardo's personal assistant Salai, and the dynamics of his relationship with his employer from the first day when Salai tried to steal Leonardo's purse, to the day Mona Lisa walks into their studio. It is NOT NOT NOT about Mona Lisa. Leonardo wrote about Salai a little in his notes, is thought to have sketched him one (the sketch is included) and left him a house in his will, all of this was in spite of the fact that he describes Salai as a thief and a scoundrel. The author apparently wondered why, and this story is the answer to her own question... and incidentally it's about the Mona Lisa
The book's cover, and its title, promise to answer the question of who was Mona Lisa, and why did Leonardo painted her.... and it does, but only in the last 3 pages so that when you're 3/4's through you begin to wonder if it will ever happen. By the final page Leonardo has not met her yet, just Salai, who knows that his master will want to paint her and why... in other words, everything up until that point is a set up and as a result, the book feels unresolved. We get a mild sense of Leonardo and of the period, a sense of the wars between France and the city states of Italy.... but mostly the book is about Salai.
So, when handing this book to a student say, "this book is about Salai, the personal assistant of Leonardo, and you will learn a bit about Leonardo and about Italy. Ignore the emphasis on Mona Lisa on the cover, that's just the sales pitch to get you to buy the book."
March 14, 2017
"This was a woman who knew that she was not pretty and who had learned to live with that knowledge. This was a woman whose acceptance of herself had made her beautiful in a deep and hidden way. A woman whose look told you that you were being sized up by a measuring rod in her head; a measuring rod on which she alone had etched the units. A woman who knew how to give pleasure and how to give pain. A woman who knew how to endure. A woman of layers."
July 27, 2017
A diamond in the ruff! I happened to pick this up at the library. What a gem of a book. This is about Salai, apprenticed to Leonardo Da Vinci. E. L. Konigsburg brings this history story alive and fleshes it out. The dialogue sparkles and it feels like this is an autobiography. Anyone in art history would do well to read this amazing book about the famous painting of Mona Lisa. A lot of details are in this little quick read. E. L. did her homework. I had never heard of it, you probably haven't either. This is worth picking up and reading if you have any interest in art or history or both.
September 10, 2020
Italy
the late 1400s
I'm impressed. Konigsburg has given readers a brilliantly imagined narrative about a time, a place, a person, and a painting. I'm left wondering why she didn't target adults instead of young readers. The issues, politics, and personalities would mean more to an older audience.
While the Mona Lisa is used to build the story and neatly pull together the ending, there are references to other paintings by daVinci, notably The Last Supper and to a lesser extent Cecilia Gallerani (lady with weasel). Both of these paintings (as well as others) are reproduced at the end of this printing, but the quality is exceptionally poor, which is too bad. I'll watch for a better edition.
A minor point, but one I appreciate: On pages 95-96, Konigsburg stresses 'responsibility,' and how it needs to be taken seriously in order to be a trustworthy adult. This reflects my own beliefs and my frustration whenever I hear someone proclaiming that they 'have rights,' totally oblivious to the fact that along with 'rights' we have responsibilities.
I don't know enough about da Vinci to comment on accuracy.
I guess I should pick up one of the several biographies of DaVinci that have been languishing on my shelves for far too long.
the late 1400s
I'm impressed. Konigsburg has given readers a brilliantly imagined narrative about a time, a place, a person, and a painting. I'm left wondering why she didn't target adults instead of young readers. The issues, politics, and personalities would mean more to an older audience.
While the Mona Lisa is used to build the story and neatly pull together the ending, there are references to other paintings by daVinci, notably The Last Supper and to a lesser extent Cecilia Gallerani (lady with weasel). Both of these paintings (as well as others) are reproduced at the end of this printing, but the quality is exceptionally poor, which is too bad. I'll watch for a better edition.
A minor point, but one I appreciate: On pages 95-96, Konigsburg stresses 'responsibility,' and how it needs to be taken seriously in order to be a trustworthy adult. This reflects my own beliefs and my frustration whenever I hear someone proclaiming that they 'have rights,' totally oblivious to the fact that along with 'rights' we have responsibilities.
I don't know enough about da Vinci to comment on accuracy.
I guess I should pick up one of the several biographies of DaVinci that have been languishing on my shelves for far too long.
March 30, 2018
Why did Leonardo da Vinci paint the portrait of the plain second wife of a a merchant, the Mona Lisa? The Second Mrs. Giocondafollows the story of Salai, Leonardo’s young servant, through his friendship with another plain woman, the Duchess Beatrice, in order to attempt to answer this question. The book is a quick read and quite interesting. I recommend this book to middle grade age kids who are interested in or studying da Vinci.
March 14, 2020
The Second Mrs. Giaconda was a great book. If I had chosen it off the shelves at the library would not have had wanted to finish it, but since I was forced to read it for a Literature Circle I really liked it and would recommend it too anyone interested in Leonardo da Vinci.
June 30, 2021
I picked this up because E.L. Konigsburg wrote one of my childhood favorites, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I had never heard of it until I saw it sitting on a shelf during a recent trip to Barnes & Noble. This book wasn't really what I was expecting. I was expecting the back story to the Mona Lisa, and while we very briefly got that (only in the very last chapter of a 140 page book), it mostly focused on Da Vinci's apprentice Salai and his friendship with the Duchess Beatrice of Milan. Nonetheless, it was fairly enjoyable to read, and gave a little peek into the Italian Renaissance and Da Vinci's life. There were a few offensive references to differently abled people and about people of different races, but seeing as this book was written in 1975, I guess it makes sense, but is still jarring for today and not pleasant to read.
October 27, 2024
Read this to learn more about da Vinci. The title refers to Mona Lisa, but she has almost nothing to do with the story and is only mentioned at the end. The story is really about da Vinci’s servant Salai and his friendship with the Duke’s wife Beatrice. I’m not sure what historical basis this book has, if any. Gives a little insight into da Vinci’s personality, but he’s really a minor character. I didn’t feel like Salai had much character growth either. Just kind of an average book: not good, not terrible. Not going to teach you much about da Vinci or the Mona Lisa if that’s what you’re looking for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2025
I still recommend this book, heartily so, to many people I meet. It's beyond hilarious, with such an original protagonist who, despite feeling larger than life itself, truly existed. There's depth here too, though; not just a hilarious read, but one that scratches into unexpected destinations. One may easily shed both happy and painful tears at different points in this.
I am forever stunned at the rich world Ms. Konigsberg shares with us here. I was first introduced to her through this book as a child and I have never quite left. I feel as if I know Leonardo and Salai quite well. I'm forever grateful for that.
I am forever stunned at the rich world Ms. Konigsberg shares with us here. I was first introduced to her through this book as a child and I have never quite left. I feel as if I know Leonardo and Salai quite well. I'm forever grateful for that.
January 22, 2018
A wonderful little book!
June 25, 2018
The book was excellent.
April 16, 2022
WHAT IK THIS IS A KIDS BOOK BUT THE RIGHT PERSON WRONG TIME TROPE HERE IS SO SAD
May 31, 2025
pop off I guess
February 11, 2020
This book sounded so intriguing when I found it at a used book sale; it is written by a Newbery author, and it is historical fiction about the events that led to Leonardo da Vinci painting the Mona Lisa. There are three main characters in this story: Leonardo da Vinci; one of Leonardo’s apprentices, Salai; and Beatrice, who was married to the Duke of Milan and became good friends with Salai and Leonardo. Out of these main characters, Leonardo is the only one I found likable. Salai is dishonest and shady throughout the story. And Beatrice lived a privileged life with privileged-life problems, and that doesn’t interest me. However, reading about Leonardo’s projects and work habits was fascinating, especially his work on The Last Supper. This short book gave me a greater understanding of Leonardo da Vinci and how the art scene worked in 15th century Europe. I’m still puzzled by Leonardo’s choice of companions, though....
May 26, 2019
I enjoy Mrs. Konigsburg's end-of-story reveals; therefore, The Second Mrs. Gioconda was a pleaser.
November 29, 2007
There are very few authors whose books I will seek out, but Konigsburg is near the top of my list. Everything I've read of hers has been slightly different, and certainly far from "traditional" in the YA genre.
Here Konigsburg offers up some "historical fiction" about Leonardo DaVinci. I rather like the way Konigsburg handles this -- while the book seems to be about the painting of the Mona Lisa, it really is about the events leading up to the how and why of the painting. In fact, we don't meet the woman who sits for the portrait until the very last sentance of the book. This makes complete sense to me because it offers explanation (without being exposition) as to how Leonardo captures the smile and the "inner" soul of the model.
The drawback to this, of course, is that there really needs to be an understanding, on the part of the reader, who/what the Mona Lisa is, and why the painting is famous. Without this knowledge, and without, perhaps, some classroom study, the average reader most likely isn't going to understand what the books leads up to and why it ends just as we meet the title character.
Not my favorite Konigsburg book, but I'd still take a less-than-her-best Konigsburg over most other writers any time.
Recommended.
Here Konigsburg offers up some "historical fiction" about Leonardo DaVinci. I rather like the way Konigsburg handles this -- while the book seems to be about the painting of the Mona Lisa, it really is about the events leading up to the how and why of the painting. In fact, we don't meet the woman who sits for the portrait until the very last sentance of the book. This makes complete sense to me because it offers explanation (without being exposition) as to how Leonardo captures the smile and the "inner" soul of the model.
The drawback to this, of course, is that there really needs to be an understanding, on the part of the reader, who/what the Mona Lisa is, and why the painting is famous. Without this knowledge, and without, perhaps, some classroom study, the average reader most likely isn't going to understand what the books leads up to and why it ends just as we meet the title character.
Not my favorite Konigsburg book, but I'd still take a less-than-her-best Konigsburg over most other writers any time.
Recommended.
February 6, 2008
I typically really like Konigsburg's works, but this one threw me off. It is about a 14-year-old boy who becomes an apprentice for Leonardo da Vinci. Promising plot, right? Think again. I don't know exactly where it went wrong, but here are some thoughts: I just couldn't identify with the main character. He was impersonal and annoying. Also, the storyline was kind of strange. I thought that all of the scattered parts would be building up to some culmination at the end, but it was really kind of anti-climatic for me. Though this one was an award winner from the people who really count, it definitely lost my vote.
December 28, 2015
E.L. Konigsburg wrote one of my favorite books from childhood, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, so when I spotted this at a library bookstore I scooped it up. It didn't disappoint, it was a couple hours of historical fiction from the point of view of Saila, an assistant to Leonardo da Vinci. He humanized not only da Vinci, but gave voice to Beatrice d'Este, wife of Il Moro the Duke of Milan and a major supporter of da Vinci. Beatrice was plain, but Saila kind of fell in the love with the charming and smart Beatrice and made everyone, including this reader, fall a little in love with her.
January 21, 2018
“This was a woman who knew that she was not pretty and who had learned to live with that knowledge. This was a woman whose acceptance of herself had made her beautiful in a deep and hidden way. A woman whose look told you that you were being sized by a measuring rod in her head; a measuring rod on which she alone had etched the units. A woman who knew how to give pleasure and how to give pain. A woman who knew how to endure. A woman of layers.”
September 6, 2024
I enjoyed this as a second read. The teens in my World History class are enjoying this also. They describe this as a fun story that brings the Renaissance to life. I am looking forward to hearing what they think of the novel’s explanation for Da Vinci’s painting of the Mona Lisa. Grateful that Konisburg wrote about such a unique subject matter.
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Fun historical fiction that will make an enjoyable addition to a Renaissance study for next year’s World History class. I always enjoy Konisburg.
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Fun historical fiction that will make an enjoyable addition to a Renaissance study for next year’s World History class. I always enjoy Konisburg.
August 15, 2012
I'm not finished this reading, but I've read it before. I know I enjoyed it, but I must say, I've already been distracted by some of the ill-chosen contemporary words that are jarring and out of place in historical fiction. I don't want to hear anyone using the word "guys" in Renaissance Italy...
November 29, 2020
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.0
I like reading historical fiction set during the Renaissance and enjoyed this book about the lives of Leonardo da Vinci, his apprentice, Salai and the Duke and Duchess of Milan.
This was my first read by this author and I look forward to reading more.
I like reading historical fiction set during the Renaissance and enjoyed this book about the lives of Leonardo da Vinci, his apprentice, Salai and the Duke and Duchess of Milan.
This was my first read by this author and I look forward to reading more.
October 10, 2013
It was ok it was not the best book I ever read but it was ok
June 15, 2015
How did the Mona Lisa, a merchant's wife, a woman of little consequence, come to be painted? There is an idea here of how and I quite like it.
February 10, 2017
Even though I was reading this for school, I absolutely love this book.
July 27, 2025
This lovely little book made me cry and had me staring at pictures of the Mona Lisa as if for the first time.
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