The Magnificent Man: A Novel [Paperback]

William Mueller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2006

Pursuing Happiness Author Infuses Meaningful Message about Life into Compelling Second Novel The best way to communicate the message of William Mueller's new book is to look at the quotation which was at the head of Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead before she removed it from the final, published book: "The noble soul has reverence for itself." Likewise, Mueller found a better or a more palatable quotation but in essence was pursuing the same thing. There are very few guideposts to find. The Fountainhead is one. The Magnificent Man is another. Mueller starts, "The magnificent man is not the type to fall in love so easily, but is the one who is free from all desire and lives a life immense in passion, pulse and power, and seemingly has no time for love, doesn't want it, for it imprisons his spirit and foils his destiny in life. This is because the magnificent man is stronger than others, stronger behind the hint of emotion and stronger within the very depth of his own actuality." [See preview below] The Magnificent Man tells of the journey by an investment banker-turned artist, George Beaver, his training at the Villa Catalan in Italy, his solitary struggle to overcome life's distractions and conventional ideals, and his explosive love affair with Allegra Greffi, a beautiful but troubled Venetian who dares him to love her. Yet the novel's most unforgettable character is George Beaver's teacher and friend, Anthony Servadio, a master stone carver known as the Baron of Carrara, who is awarded a Papal commission to replace the Vatican Obelisk with a marble statue in a sweeping story that illuminates the creative process. It poses one of the most challenging concepts ever presented in a work of fiction: that man's spirit has an inherent certainty for magnificence that is to be discovered and kindled but never betrayed. In this credible novel, Mueller transports the reader to Florence, Italy, and other great historic and cultural centers of the Italian Renaissance, tracing the t

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Mueller is the author of Rome Revisited: A Short Novel and Four Stories Spanning the Fall of the Berlin Wall and Twin Towers. He studied at the University at Buffalo (New York) and American University in Washington, DC. He lives and works in Alexandria, Virginia, and has an appointment with the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Previously he was a project engineer with the U.S. Navy. The Magnificent Man is his second book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (April 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425915884
• ISBN-13: 978-1425915889
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,509,821 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Book is about Art, Transformation, and Creativity, May 20, 2006

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Phil (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magnificent Man: A Novel (Paperback)

A magically told novel...profound...many layered. It is a most interesting examination of man's nature and of life's potential, in fact a confirmation of the spirit of youth.