The Apprentice (Paperback)

~ (Author), Juan Ramon Alonso (Illustrator), Robin Longshaw (Translator) "My house was a small and pleasant one..." (more)
Key Phrases: Duke of Algora

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in Renaissance Florence, this import from Spain begins as a gothic. Arduino, a 13-year-old boy from a family of prestigious tailors, convinces his father to apprentice him to a master painter, only to find that the Maestro is ill-tempered, miserly and , out of jealousy, has secretly imprisoned a gifted, orphaned apprentice in the attic. At this point Llorente's plotting turns operatic, with fortuitously timed illnesses (the Maestro's), the entrance of a benevolent duke with a handsome commission to bestow and Arduino, the newest boy in the atelier, suddenly calling the shots. Each of the characters is a type of extreme, either saintly or heinous or impassioned, although the Maestro manages, at various stages, to be all three. A motif about individual freedom only adds to the ballast. This title is the first by Llorente and Alonso to appear in the U.S. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Originally published in Spain in 1989, a story that begins as an instructive look at apprenticeship in Renaissance Florence (no particular century or historical characters) and ends as a melodrama about a mysterious prisoner in a master painter's attic. Narrator Arduino is a prosperous tailor's son who prevails on his reluctant father to apprentice him to Cosimo di Forl, an accomplished but mean-spirited painter who starves his young helpers and secretly keeps one in chains because the boy's ability outshines his own. Arduino discovers and befriends the talented Donato; and, when Cosimo falls ill midway through a major commission, he reminds him of the prisoner, who emerges to save the day and succeed his dying master. This predictable, old- fashioned tale, hinging on Donato's unlikely incarceration and told without subtlety, is a far cry from Johnny Tremain. Still, it's a slim, fast-paced read--and a rare translation of Spanish fiction. (Fiction. 9-12) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (August 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374404321
• ISBN-13: 978-0374404321
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #260,124 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well-written Renaissance story., August 10, 1998

By A Customer

The Apprentice is a truly wonderful, well-written book. The story is about a boy in Renaissance Italy who decides to quit his family buisness and become a painter. He goes through many ordeals and mistreatments as an apprentice, and has an unjust master. There is also a mysterious attic that the other apprentices say noises have come from, and cannot be discussed in front of the master. If you like historical fiction and books about freedom, this book is for you.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book, June 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Apprentice (Hardcover)

The Apprentice is a wonderful and breath-taking book. Arduino wanted to be an artist and not a tailor. His father granted his wish and sent him to be an apprentice to Cosimo di Forli, a famous artist. But one night, Arduino found out a terrible crime that his master had committed and what he was hiding in his attic. Would Arduino give up his dream of being an artist and reveal the terrible secret? Read and you will find out.

I am surprised that this book only has two reviews so far. It deserves many more.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good literature for young readers, February 27, 1999

By A Customer

Pilar Molina Llorente is an explendid writer. She describes the atmosphere of Florence in a detailed and enthusiastic fashion that brings the story to life. The author creates credible and consistent characters. Is a very appealing story for both kids and young readers. An attractive and dynamic book.