The days at Borinage are spent among the wretches, whom even gods have forsaken. However, his travels to the squalid Borinage only take him away from the path and he ends up taking up the easel, abandoning his mission of spreading the gospel.

Unable to keep the overflowing fountain of passion contained, Van Gogh takes refuge in the word of god. Gogh’s path was charted out for him after his first love interest, Ursula, shunned all his advances.

There are passions that get kindled only when the heart is hurt. Gogh was not aiming for glory he only wanted so much from his pursuits, as he could sustain on, without burdening his generous brother. The travails Gogh undergoes, unyielding to the temptations of an easier life, make one wonder how bright the flame of passion in his heart was to lead him on a path that brought him only pain throughout his life. The success of any novel rests on its capacity to move a person, insofar as turning over a new leaf attains a new meaning. I don’t intend to give away the details of the story, but for the purpose of this narrative, I must at least make some reference to the salient features of the novel, but all the way making sure that a prospective reader is not robbed of the pleasure of perusing through the pages to reach his own judgment. However, the narrative is interspersed with fictional conversations and situations, which the writer took the liberty of imagining to be the logical outcome of the evidence he had at his disposal.

The book is largely based on the letter exchange between Vincent and his brother Theo, a well-to-do art dealer with the family’s concern Goupils. Tracing the journey of Vincent Van Gogh from the comforts of his prosperous life to the wilderness of ignominy before culminating on the threshold of success, Stone manages to hold the attention of his readers in a manner a seasoned wizard captivates his audience, pulling off one trick after another with unsurpassed dexterity. I am talking about Stone’s Lust for Life. In my opinion, Irving Stone manages to attain the ideal blend of all the elements required to soothe the palate of an avid reader by dishing out a book so monumental in its essence that it only adds to aura of Vincent Van Gogh. While the men of letters have duly recorded the travails of many a genius with panache, it takes an in-depth knowledge of the human mind, an impartial assessment of emotions and clarity of vision insofar as what the subject under scrutiny aspired for, to empathise with the protagonist and sit in judgment of his actions, and finally pronounce the verdict in a narrative, pregnant with a genuine urge to record for the posterity the vicissitudes that transformed a mere man into someone great. 5 min read Photo by tabitha turner / UnsplashĪ review of Irving Stone's book 'Lust for Life'.

Irving stone van gogh book