Saving Mona Lisa: A Novel

by Michael Harrington

Saving Mona Lisa is an intrigue of art, love, and Renaissance genius. The story is inspired by the nine versions of Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic Mona Lisa depicted on the book cover—the original, plus eight copies of dubious provenance. The mystery over who painted these copies still confounds art historians, as does the fact that Leonardo refused to finish the original or deliver it to its rightful owner, right up until his death more than fifteen years later. Five centuries after his death, Leonardo da Vinci, the most renowned personality, artist, inventor, and temperamental genius in history, continues to reveal his many mysteries… Based closely on scholarly research, historical evidence and credible speculation, Saving Mona Lisa weaves an intriguing mystery as Leonardo clashes with his two young apprentices over the ultimate fate of a painting that had achieved world renown soon after everyone thought it was finished...everyone, that is, except Leonardo. “Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
- Leonardo da Vinci ***The Kindle version of Saving Mona Lisa is programmed for easy reader navigation and includes short bios of the principal characters, maps, historical Afterword, Italian glossary, and over 30 illustrations and photographs of Leonardo’s most important works.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Renaissance

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2010

About the author

Michael Harrington has a wide-ranging background in the social sciences and the arts. He has earned advanced degrees in economics, finance and political science and has worked in the securities and venture capital industries as an investment portfolio manager and financial analyst. In more recent years he has taught political science as a lecturer at the University of California and worked as a research fellow and public policy analyst, conducting studies for several policy thinktanks.

His writings and research on political and economic issues have won several national awards and his opinions and comments have been published in a wide variety of national media journals, including The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, BusinessWeek, the Financial Times, and the Los Angeles Times, among others.

On the artistic side his interests encompass music composition and performance, photography, and writing. He has composed music, written a play, taught music and designed websites for his photography and fiction writing. He enjoys a life-long fascination with the Italian Renaissance, its art, culture, and politics. He has lived and studied near Florence, e lui parla italiano abbastanza bene. His encompassing interests in society and creativity directed him toward the fascinating stories of Renaissance Italy, stories that still resonate today.

Reviews

[Nancy Brumback · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging read in the 1st person voice of a young Italian nobleman who is a student of the great maestro, Leonardo da Vinci in his latter years, as he works on consolidating his legacy, including the fabulous Mona Lisa. Also a kind of coming-of-age story about the aforementioned young count, who finds a way to set aside his negative emotional reactions to the untoward doings of one of his associates and to relate to him more productively. (I actually saw this great painting in person when she visited DC in 1962. But unfortunately I didn't get much "face time" with her, not only because of the crowds, but also because I had my first-born with me in his little stroller, and he for some reason chose to scream bloody murder the whole time, focussing everyone's attention on me as the worst mother in the world, so we of course left.) But the book is definitely very well researched and well written. Lots of really interesting stuff on the techniques and psychology of painting. It was hard for me to put this book down and hard to stop thinking about it until I could pick it up again. The reproductions at the end were lost on me, as the reason I use the kindle is that I can't see as well as I used to. Many thanks to the author, who offered it free on Goodreads.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical fiction novel about the workshop of Leonardo da Vinci was an enjoyable, fairly quick read. I found interesting the novel's perspective (told from the POV of one of Leonardo's apprentices), and the various events from Leonardo's career that were referred to in the story. It definitely makes me want to learn more about Leonardo da Vinci!

I liked the descriptions of artistic methods. (I am not an artist, and I thought these passages struck a good balance of letting the reader understand a bit of those methods without becoming too technical and overwhelming for the non-artist reader.) The author made liberal use of Italian words sprinkled throughout the novel, and sometimes I felt this did get a bit excessive - however, there is a glossary of those words at the back of the novel to consult if the reader has difficulty understanding them.

One of the best things about the Kindle edition I read is the excellent Kindle formatting. In many instances the Italian words I mentioned above included hyperlinks to the glossary. The book also includes a section of photos depicting many of the works of art referred to in the novel, and in many instances those art works are also hyperlinked in the text to the visual representation at the end of the book. As someone who prefers to read on my Kindle, I've encountered a lot of poor Kindle formatting, and this novel was a refreshing example of good use of the available technology!

[Julia Rist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book; it really takes you back to the Renaissance. I particularly enjoyed the technical bits about how paintings came to be, from a sketch to finished work of art. I also appreciated the links to the paintings and illustrations; it completes the experience.

I am not sure how I feel about the snippets of Italian here and there, all those "grazie" and "capito". It could be argued that it adds to the atmosphere, but sometimes it gets to be too much. At the same time, one of the characters uses the expression "to have one's head up one's a**" which I have my doubts was used at the time.

All in all, it was much enjoyable and a fun read.

[MaryJane Rings · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed the book as a piece of historical fiction . before I read this I was not familiar with the artists life other than general knowledge from history texts. Found out about his personality and in addition to his paintings his ability to invent mechanical machines which were the basis for other inventors who improved on his work as technology advanced. Also the rivalries among his students and their ability to copy his work, Also some of the history and the strong influence of the catholic church during the 16th century,

[Nancy Berthiaume · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book a four star . Story is based on the theft of the Mona Lisa painting. It is a historical mystery set in Argentina and Paris Keeps you turning the page to see what will happen next. Great read You won't want to put the book down,till you finished.

[Irene Sauman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fictional account of how copies of the Mona Lisa may have come into being during Leonardo da Vinci's lifetime. The author has done considerable research on the subject and has created a convincing and enjoyable tale.

[AJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing Book

Really enjoyed the book. Especially the way there were links to portraits and photos at the back of the book and then you could jump back to where you were reading. The story in the book is based on historical facts with some fiction thrown in. Would recommend.

[Wil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of Leonardo's mature years, but scarcely captivating.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, quick read. Entertaining and informative.