Secrets of the Painter: A Novel [Paperback]

Matthew Hovious (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2002

Orphaned, unknown, and destitute, Luís Mariano Malasaña arrives in Madrid in 1850 with nothing more than the dream of becoming his generation's Goya -- and the raw talent to actually make it happen. But as his portraits become popular and he paints his way into the class he portrays, he learns that his dream will have a terrible price: everyone he paints, dies. Convinced that he was born for no other profession, Malasaña will face harrowing questions both on and off the canvas, as his rise to fame brings him an ever more turbulent private life. His journey begins as a mere quest for personal success in the tumultuous Madrid of Queen Isabel II, but becomes an odyssey which forces him to confront his own feelings about guilt and fatalism, death and life, and the true power of paint.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

MATTHEW HOVIOUS lives in Spain, where he has spent most of his life. This is his first novel. He is an avid painter, but seldom does portraits.

Product Details

• Paperback: 146 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (January 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595214355
• ISBN-13: 978-0595214358
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,309,464 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could be an episode for The "X" Files!, March 17, 2002

By 

F. Dickerson (San Francisco Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Painter: A Novel (Paperback)

A quick read with few wasted words. The "Painter's" deadly secret gives a whole new slant to passive aggressive behavior, with surprising consequences. The book artfully combines historical and fictional characters in the familiar setting of old Madrid. The antics of the characters will make you look for more work from this budding author, Mr. Hovious. I enjoyed it and I think you will.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book for the uncommon reader, February 26, 2003

By 

Jeffrey Ellis "bored recluse" (Richardson, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Secrets of the Painter: A Novel (Paperback)

Matthew Hovious's first novel, Secrets of the Painter, is -- like most thought-provoking works of art -- a hybrid of many different genres. In this case, historial fiction, political satire, and metaphysical debate come together to tell the life story of Luis Malasana, a Spanish painter who strives to perfect his craft while surviving the increasingly (but all too plausible) surreal world of mid-19th century Spain. Luis Malasana is hardly a likeable protaganist and indeed, a great deal of the book's power comes from the fact that Hovious never makes the mistake of trying to make his fictional protaganist any more redeemable than his real-life models. History has shown that creative genius and human compassion rarely go hand-in-hand and those who would dismiss this book because Malasana neither loves little puppy dogs nor acquires an adorable sidekick during the course of his life would be guilty of missing the point entirely. If Malasana seems, at times, to be incapable of feeling any sort of love for the rest of humanity, it is only because it is obvious that he has devoted all of his love to his art and Hovious is to be commended for so perfectly capturing the type of all-consuming passion that is necessary to feed the spirit of the true artist.

The book's central conceit is that Malasana practices his craft under a curse that everyone he paints will die shortly afterward. To a certain extent, it's an unnecessary plot element -- Hovious' descriptions of the often farcial political turmoil swirling around Malasana and his grasp of the often conflicting motivations that inspire Malasana's genius are more than enough to create a compelling tale and hold the reader's interest without the introduction of the supernatural. At the same time, it works brilliantly as a metaphor for the type of self-centered, narcisstic life that artists like Malasana were often forced to live in order to keep their art pure. Some of the book's strongest scenes are the ones that simply feature Malasana and another character debating the metaphysical implications of the pursuit of art and the higher truth that it represents. Sadly, these are not the type of esoteric themes that one expects to find in modern literature and their discovery here serve to make this book all the more valuable to the truly enlightened reader.

Lastly, Hovious is to be commended for bringing to life a fascinating cast of characters. While Malasana is one of the most fully rounded protaganists that I've ever had the pleasure to come across, Hovious fills his book with intriguing supporting characters, many of them actual figures from history. Especially touching is his portrait of the doomed Carlos de Montemolin, one of the many pretenders to the Spanish throne who finds his life as defined and cursed as much by his royal parentage as Malasana's life is defined and cursed by his artistic talent.

Secrets of the Painter is not a book that will be mistaken for a work of mainstream fiction but that should hardly be taken as a criticism. It is not a book for the common reader but, as Luis Malasana would undoubtly agree, who wants to live out their days being common?

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Secrets Need to be Told., June 19, 2002

By 

Cindy Speer (Brownsville, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of the Painter: A Novel (Paperback)

Luís Mariano Malasaña is a young man exiled from his village, an orphan with no connections and no hope. He lives with a waitress named Lola and works as a butcher's apprentice during the day. His only joy is created through his paints. His talent is impressive, containing a raw brilliance that he is sure will someday gain him a comfortable living.

One night, so close to finishing a painting of Lola that he feels will become a masterpiece, his model refuses to pose. He kills her in a fit of passion, but instead of feeling horror, he seems to become almost possessed, and he uses her blood to finish her portrait. The result is the most lifelike creation he has ever seen. He faints from exhaustion and her spirit curses him in a dream, saying, "So shall end all you portray in paint."

Unfortunately for him, it is no dream. Fruit, flowers, even a poor mule are painted by him, only to die. Not quite believing, he even paints a nasty neighbor child, only to discover that his new talent is all too real. His paintings are even better, even more lifelike for the sacrifice. He figures he need not worry, for there will never be commissions for him to paint portraits, but fate places him in the position where nobles and other people of power insist that he must paint them. What should he do? How can he say no?

I found "Secrets of the Painter" to be an intriguing book. Malasaña is not the most sympathetic character in the world, he is selfish and pretty much unrepentant. He considers himself no worse than any of the other ways fate deals death. Despite this, he is fascinating, very smart and very driven. Even though some of his actions are questionable, one cannot help being happy for his successes. The historical details are very well done, not heavy, more of a light pencil sketch in the background of the painter's life. Malasaña does not see much of the life around him except where it directly effects him, so it makes sense that neither do we. The concept of a painter killing people through portraiture is interesting and I enjoyed seeing what Hovious did with it. I found Hovious to be a technically proficient writer. For example, there is a scene where he mirrors Malasaña's actions with another character's that is clever. He also uses some delightful ironies...the parallel of photography, and the fears of some cultures that it will capture souls compared to what Malasaña is doing was thought provoking. Despite its sort of Poe-esq concept, this book is far more literary than thriller. An interesting and thorough slice of life in late 1800s Madrid, "Secrets of the Painter" is sure to please anyone who loves historical fiction with a twist.

Four out of Five stars
--Cindy Lynn Speer, GWN Book Reviewer
6/17/2002