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Leonardo's Shadow

I write, you read: together we bring Leonardo da Vinci back to life.

About Me

Hi, I'm Christopher Grey, author of Leonardo's Shadow: Or, My Astonishing Life as Leonardo da Vinci's Servant..................................... And this is the trailer for my book (ta da)............................................. Milan, 1497. The height of the Renaissance. And for Giacomo, servant of the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci, it's the most difficult time of all. His Master has been working on the Last Supper, his greatest painting ever, for nearly two years. But has he finished it? He's barely started! The all-powerful Duke of Milan is demanding that it be completed by the time the Pope visits at Easter. And Giacomo knows that if Leonardo doesn't pick up his pace, the Duke may invite a young genius -- Michelangelo -- to finish the painting instead. Which means that Leonardo won't be paid, which means that Milan's shopkeepers (to whom he owes massive amounts) will take drastic measures against him. It's all down to Giacomo, and whether he can come up with a brilliant solution. And if he does, will his Master go for it? After all, Leonardo still doesn't seem to trust him. He refuses to teach Giacomo how to paint; he won't help him find his parents; nor will he discuss the significance of the medallion, ring, and cross that Giacomo was carrying when Leonardo found him. But with the secret arrival of a powerful stranger, Giacomo is about to discover much more than the answers he has been looking for. And he will also receive an invitation to help arrange a meeting that could change his life. . . and the future course of history. With more twists and turns than a spiral staircase, this thriller is as unique as its two heroes -- the most celebrated artist who ever lived, and a young man without a past, who will stop at nothing to find the truth about his life.Learn more about me and the book at www.leonardosshadow.com

My Interests

Art, history, art history, books, film, theatre, writing, philosophy, psychoanalysis, graphic novels, mythology, magic, owls, architecture, trees, colours, creativity, spectacles (both to see and be seen), the vast green sea. And Leonardo. Of course. www.leonardosshadow.com

I'd like to meet:

Readers, writers, artists, thinkers, dreamers, seekers, hecklers, hellraisers, the shy, the forgotten, the unloved, the exuberant, the joyous living, and the restless dead. The truth is, I want everyone to read my new book (of course I do). It contains such astounding revelations that, having read it, you will be changed forever. (Not exactly a guarantee, of course, just an educated guess.)

Music:

Everything and everybody (almost).

Movies:

Wild Strawberries, L'Avventura, Taxi Driver, The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Black Narcissus, Sweet Smell of Success, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, American Psycho, The Big Knife, Barton Fink, On The Waterfront, La Notte, Naked Lunch, Psycho-Vertigo-The Birds-Rear Window, The Fencing Master, Abre Los Ojos, Lost in Translation, Homicide, House of Games, Reconstruction, 8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, L'Humanite, Woman in the Dunes, The Entertainer, Peeping Tom, Tokyo Story, Late Spring, Chinatown, Solaris (the original), Apu Trilogy, Betrayal, Double Indemnity, The Player, Ikiru, Carnal Knowledge, Olivier's Hamlet, Polanski's Macbeth, Five Easy Pieces, Sunset Boulevard, The Third Man, Fireworks, Casablanca, Godard (to 1970), Umberto D, Bicycle Thief, etc.

Television:

No. No. No. OK, sometimes. (The Office--Brit version.)

Books:

Hamlet, Seize the Day, As I Lay Dying, Magic Mountain, Leaves of Grass, Lost Illusions, Scum, London Fields, Miss Lonelyhearts, Ragtime, Crying of Lot 49, Lolita, Pale Fire, Pat Hobby Stories, Bleak House, The Heart of the Matter, Enderby, Death of a Salesman, Duino Elegies, Jane Austen, Moravia, Kobo Abe, Murakami, Beckett, Mamet, everything Chekhov, Kafka, Nietzsche, Houellebecq, Stoppard, Henry James...too many to name, too much great work to honor.

Heroes:

You are. All of you. Anyone who can keep going in spite of the madness. (Now please buy my book, it's available everywhere online and off. And do hurry, the world might end soon.)www.leonardosshadow.com

My Blog

Publishers' Weekly gives Leonardo's Shadow a big thumbs up!

"This exciting first novel, set in 1497 Milan, Italy, revolves around Leonardo da Vinci and the painting of his masterpiece, The Last Supper. 'It's not an easy life, a servant's. You'll see,' promises...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Thu, 03 May 2007 09:33:00 PST

Leonardo's Shadow wins the 2007 IRA Children's Book Award (Young Adult category)

I am proud to announce that Leonardo's Shadow has won the 2007 International Reading Association Award for Children's Books (Young Adult category). The winner is selected from thousands of books ...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 01:23:00 PST

Nobody says it better than the Historical Novels Review (PS: They love the book.)

The ongoing popularity of Leonardo da Vinci in fiction often obscures his preeminent place as the Renaissance's most gifted and versatile artist. Likewise, the presence of fictional or semi-fictional ...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:35:00 PST

Whizz-bang write-up from "Children's Literature"!

Giacomo, servant to the stubborn but supremely talented Leonardo da Vinci, attempts to stave off his master's creditors as well as the impatient duke, encourage the artist to finish painting The Last ...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Wed, 31 Jan 2007 12:42:00 PST

Leonardo's Shadow--the trailer

What kind of a film can you make for $5,000? Consider this: nowadays the average music video costs around $50,000 to make. And some cost hundreds of thousands. But I did not have a choice$5,000 was a...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Thu, 25 Jan 2007 01:30:00 PST

www.leonardosshadow.com

It's up and running, folks. Let me know what you think. C
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Wed, 06 Dec 2006 02:38:00 PST

Terrific review from KLIATT

KLIATT - JanisFlint-FergusonAlthough Leonardo da Vinci and the Duke of Milan figure prominently in this novel, this is a creative rendering of the life of Giacomo, da Vinci's servant/apprentice. Begin...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:32:00 PST

Big review from School Library Journal! Yay!!

School Library JournalGr 6-9-It is 1497, and young Giacomo does chores for his master, accompanying him when needed and running errands to the merchants of Milan. He also spends much of his time makin...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Tue, 10 Oct 2006 12:26:00 PST

Excellent review from the fabulous Book.Of.The.Moment

Christopher Grey has written a wonderful historical fiction novel for young readers. The book is geared towards children ages 12+ and details the life of Leonardo da Vinci through the eyes of his ser...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Mon, 09 Oct 2006 07:48:00 PST

How I came to write my book...

It was a chilly December morning in Milan, 1992. The Last Supper was not the packed tourist hangout that it is today. I cannot even recall having to pay for a ticket, but I must have done. Nowadays, y...
Posted by Leonardo's Shadow on Fri, 08 Sep 2006 09:45:00 PST