
The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini
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Narrated by:
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Robert Whitfield
About this listen
Cellini, according to himself, lived a very full life, and his account of his exploits, though grandiloquent and somewhat suspect, is always entertaining. Historians have considered this work to be a prime example of the emergence of modern individualism during the Renaissance.
Translated by John Addington Symonds.
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Critic reviews
"The minute details recounted by Cellini are gracefully read by Whitfield, who breathes life into this fascinating autobiography." (AudioFile)
"[The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini] chronicles with unflagging energy and force one of the most tempestuous lives and one of the largest egos in all of history....The vigorous translation is superbly realized by British narrator Robert Whitfield, successfully bringing to [the recording] Cellini's unforgettable story. Highly recommended for all collections." (Library Journal)
Interesting
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The autobiography reads like a novel
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VERY interesting. Highly recommend!!
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Not only is this a wonderful picture of a time when we have little information regarding society, but a personal account of a truly fascinating person, to say nothing of his immense skill in the arts.
I have read and now listened to this autobiography. The narrator seems to carry a comparable voice to Cellini.
Historical Gold
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Recording unfinished
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If I am ever magically transported through time to the world of the Italian Renaissance, I hope I am never seated next to Benvenuto Cellini at a dinner party.
I bought this audiobook expecting a glimpse into that most interesting time in history. I found instead a narcissist's self-aggrandizing list of brags, some of them so ridiculous that I laughed out loud. (He describes himself as pretty much single-handedly defending Rome and the Pope against the invasion of the Holy Roman Emperor.)
After seemingly endlessly mentioning how he, such a devoted son, constantly sent money home to his "poor father"-- he then notes with remarkable unconcern, in half a sentence, that he went home after a short foray out of Florence and returned to discover that his father and sister were dead from plague. He then goes on with his story, rather blithely.
I just didn't like him very much. Okay, I really kind of disliked him a lot. One chapter, he could have skipped by simply saying "And then, in about thirty separate instances, the Pope told me that I was smarter, better-looking, more talented, and more honest than any other man he had ever met, I bowed and left the room, well satisfied that I had pleased him."
Instead, we have to suffer through each of the thirty instances.
I had to stop listening. So if you're considering this book because you think you might get a glimpse into the daily of life of great artists- skip it. He mentions rubbing elbows with Michelangelo, but the only thing we hear about Michelangelo from Cellini is that he was a great admirer of Cellini's wit, beauty, artistry, etc. Just like, apparently, every other person alive in those days.
But not me. Oh, not me.
The problem is with Cellini himself.
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