The Agony and the Ecstasy vs The life of Michelangelo Buonarroti: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Artists, Biography & Memoir

Cover of The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy Irving Stone · 1958 ★★★★☆ 4.1 664 pages · ≈ 12 h 18 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

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Cover of The life of Michelangelo Buonarroti

The life of Michelangelo Buonarroti John Addington Symonds · 1892 ★★★★☆ 3.8 520 pages · ≈ 9 h 38 m · Challenging Find on Amazon

The verdict

Readers rate The Agony and the Ecstasy higher: 4.1 vs 3.8 from 99309 votes.
The life of Michelangelo Buonarroti is the quicker read — about 9 hours vs 12 for The Agony and the Ecstasy.
The Agony and the Ecstasy is the easier read (Moderate), The life of Michelangelo Buonarroti more demanding (Challenging).

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