Lust for Life is a biographical novel written by Irving Stone and is based on the life of the famous dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. Sir Thomas Malory wrote the most famous fictional biography of the Middle Ages with Le Morte dArthur about the life of King Arthur. ... Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe; title page of 1719 newspaper edition A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... Irving Stone (July 14, 1903 - August 26, 1989) is an American writer known for his biographical novels of famous historical personalities. ... Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 – July 29, 1890) was a Dutch painter, generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history. ...

It was adapted into a film of the same name starring Kirk Douglas, which was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning one. Lust for Life is a 1956 film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin. ... Kirk Douglas in Champion Kirk Douglas (born December 9, 1916) is an American actor and film producer known for his oft-imitated and -parodied gravel-ridden voice and his recurring roles as the kinds of characters Douglas himself once described as sons of bitches. He is also father to Hollywood... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

It is Irving Stone's first major publication and is largely based on the letters Vincent Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo. Irving also conducted a large amount of "on-field" research as is mentioned in the afterword of the book.

The book is famous for the way it describes the origins of many of Vincent's famous paintings like Potato Eater, sunflowers etc.