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  • Oil and Marble

  • A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo
  • By: Stephanie Storey
  • Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
  • Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (45 ratings)
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Oil and Marble cover art

Oil and Marble

By: Stephanie Storey
Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
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Summary

From 1501 to 1505, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti both lived and worked in Florence. Leonardo was a charming, handsome 50-year-old at the peak of his career. Michelangelo was a temperamental sculptor in his mid-20s, desperate to make a name for himself.

Michelangelo is a virtual unknown when he returns to Florence and wins the commission to carve what will become one of the most famous sculptures of all time: David. Even though his impoverished family shuns him for being an artist, he is desperate to support them. Living at the foot of his misshapen block of marble, Michelangelo struggles until the stone finally begins to speak. Working against an impossible deadline, he begins his feverish carving.

Meanwhile, Leonardo's life is falling apart: He loses the hoped-for David commission; he can't seem to finish any project; he is obsessed with his ungainly flying machine; he almost dies in war; his engineering designs disastrously fail; and he is haunted by a woman he has seen in the market - a merchant's wife, whom he is finally commissioned to paint. Her name is Lisa, and she becomes his muse.

Leonardo despises Michelangelo for his youth and lack of sophistication. Michelangelo both loathes and worships Leonardo's genius.

Oil and Marble is the story of their nearly forgotten rivalry. Storey brings early 16th-century Florence alive and has entered with extraordinary empathy into the minds and souls of two Renaissance masters. The book is an art history thriller.

©2016 Stephanie Storey (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

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What listeners say about Oil and Marble

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Very poor

What disappointed you about Oil and Marble?

Everything. It had no redeeming features. After the first few chapters I really thought it was an attempt at comedy.

What could Stephanie Storey have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I don't think that there is anything that could rescue this book

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of P. J. Ochlan?

The narrator was hopeless. But the subject matter is so poor that it might be harsh to heap too much blame on his shoulders.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Oil and Marble?

Please don't ask. If I was editor the project would never have got near publication.

Any additional comments?

I'm really disappointed that Audible would allow such rubbish to assail its members. I don't expect Shakespeare every time but come on !!This by a long way is the worst effort I've ever bought from Audible. I really regret that I did not read Jessica's review before wasting one credit.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Horrible monotone plastic narrator

I am perhaps being a little unfair in only giving this one star, since I only got about four minutes in. I was fascinated by the blurb and synopsis, and the cover looks lovely (literally enacted a cliché right there - never judge a book by it's cover). I should have listened to the sample first.
This could be the best and most fascinating book in the world.
I will never know, because listening to the narrator was like chewing foil.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

American accent for this - really?

When a period novel about Renaissance Italy is on the cusp of being good, it would be helped enormously if it were not to be delivered in a broad American accent. I'm afraid this audio book was spoiled by this for me. No particular fault of the narrator at all - just that it needs a more appropriate dialect.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Brilliant storytelling around some of the finest geniuses of their time and their works of art.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

absolutely marvelous story

love every minute, captivated me since chapter 1 and just kept getting better, feel so real and relatable the way its written and narrated. so sad it ended. a must listen for art lovers and artist alike

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A really great story

I’m an art lover & I loved this story & it’s encouraged me to go back & look at David & Mona Lisa again

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Renaissance Italy

Most original and imaginative story telling Weaves together the lives of these giant of the renaissance in a persuasive and romantic tale.captures the atmosphere of this amazingly fertile time in the history of art Informative and well researched without being pedantic or condescending to the reader Want to rush off to Firenze! Thank you , Lynne

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Very Grateful it was in Plus Catalogue

I didn’t last long - I suppose it’s possible it improves but far too much like listening to a class report from Bart Simpson or similar on renaissance painting techniques with a bit of sex chucked in. The narration was as aggravating as the text.
No wonder it was included.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

I really enjoyed learning about two of the most famous pieces of Art. I liked how detailed it was historically and the views of both Artists. I highly recommend this. Narration was excellent too

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Coffee table art lovers dream book

I had this ebook from the plus catalogue and am so pleased I listened to it. The story is beautifully written with interesting and believable detail that suggests to me that the author Stephanie Storey understands art and art history well. The book was easy to listen to and the narrator PJ Ochlan managed to bring just sufficient voice to his characters to keep the listener engaged. The story was in fact so interesting and full of both well imagined detail as well as historical snippets that the listener is very well entertained even though I feel the narrator was ever so slightly flat in his reading presentation. I recommend this book highly to anyone who likes a pleasant easy to listen to and quite intelligent historical fiction. Whilst this book is under the category of fiction, many of the events are documented history and the author has used that true documented history to create a very plausible and engaging story around these great giants of western art. Love this book entirely and can’t praise it enough. I will look for more from this author.

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