Doubting Thomas (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780720610826)

Coming somewhere between Peter Ackroyd and Perfume, Doubting Thomas is an innovative and fascinating novel about the renowned Italian painter Caravaggio. The plot centers around the events of a May evening in Rome in 1606, when Caravaggio was challenged to a duel and killed a man. Who was this man Caravaggio? What happened on that fateful night? What was the cause of the fight that forced him to flee Rome? Different narrators, including a drunken architect, the painter's own brother, some ladies of the night, a town clerk, and a close friend of Caravaggio all present their versions of the events that took place that night, shedding light on what happened and, as a result, on the painter's revolutionary art. Doubting Thomas is a book about ideas and about a period in time that witnessed the coming of enlightenment and dramatic changes in thinking. It is first and foremost a novel about human destiny, sensuality, and purpose of mind; brutality and love, exploration, and devotion. How far can a painter go? Where is the line between what is sacred and what is profane? How can a drunkard and a womaniser such as Caravaggio create art that speaks of fervent aesthetics and even religious devotion?

Author: Atle Naess
ISBN-10: 0720610826
ISBN-13: 9780720610826
Publisher: Peter Owen Publishers
Language: English
Published: 01/11/2001
Pages: 240
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.56lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.07w x 0.70d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/21/2000 pg. 52
Kirkus Reviews 09/15/2000 pg. 1315
Booklist 10/15/2000 pg. 424
Booklist 01/01/2001 pg. 921