Have you ever read two books written by different authors but somehow feels connected? Immortal and Painting Mona Lisa felt like a duology for me. It both have the same setting which is Florence, the same timeline during the rule of Medici family and Leonardo Da Vinci is there as a character. It also offers the same dark moments within the character’s life.
If somebody recommended to me to read a historical fiction book about betrayal, life, lies and love I might have simply said no. In fact, I am only into Historical Fiction books recently. And it was because of the influence of Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s works. This genre proves to me that if the author is incapable of making me sleep or bored then I am able to appreciate and love the book under this category. Let’s face it. Reading historical books, fiction or not, gives this impression that it is for old readers, those who are smart enough to study history and trace timelines to check its accuracy and it’s not meant for those looking for something entertaining because harsh realities will be present in this kind of books.
I first read Immortal last month (June). And I can clearly remember holding it while inside Booksale. It was a story about a young boy named Luca and he was trying to find out about his clan and why he became an immortal. He was nine years old when the story begins. I was intrigue because of the title and because I was hoping it’s a Fantasy book set in an old forgotten time. I almost leave it behind but was able to grab it again and decided to include it in my tall pile of books to read, an act that proves I am still capable of choosing good books because it did lead me to the next book Painting Mona Lisa.
It was just recently that I bought Painting Mona Lisa. As I’ve mentioned in my vlog, I found it under the shelves of Booksale, while an old lady is also searching and rearranging books by herself. I grab the book even without seeing its title because I thought it was a Darren Shan book (it was also at this point that I decided to give up my search to his trilogies because it’s just so hard to complete).
Painting Mona Lisa proves to be a slow heavy reading, same with Immortal. I can’t just finish it in three days. I need to breathe after reading few chapters. It also started with a young Lisa trying to know her future through an astrologer. However, the truth won’t be simply given to her until she found out that the path she will be taking is linked with a sad and unhappy life. There is something she was meant to begin and end.
I know nothing about art and Leonardo Da Vinci but this experience already got me wondering. So, I research about the painting and what do we know about Mona Lisa aside from its popularity. It turned out no one really knew who Mona Lisa is. And if this book that I read is the author’s way of introducing her to curious readers then I’d say she did a good job out of it. The author answered three questions for me 1) why Leonardo decided to paint her portrait 2) how was it possible to create the painting in a short amount of time and what’s the urgency behind it and 3) why she is she the most beautiful and most mysterious woman during Leonardo’s time. Not to mention her thought behind her smile.
I am rating this book 4.5 stars. It’s a bit higher than Immortal even though this book did not made me cry. It’s simply because of the theme about revenge and how it was concluded.
Quoted from the Book:
“It seems that those who possess the greatest beauty appreciate it least.”
“The same people will be running Florence. It won’t change anything at all.”
The Thought Balloons 