Customer Reviews

Secrets of the Painter: A Novel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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?

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

"Secrets of the Painter" is a book about the painter Malasaña, a fictional composite of some of Spain's real artists of the 19th century. The story follows his rise to prominence in his profession from humble beginnings as an orphan in the provinces. What makes him unique is his belief that everyone he paints will die at once; significantly, we are never told whether he has truly been cursed, or has merely been led to believe that he is by the influence of nightmares, alcohol and coincidence. Believe it he does, and so he must face a question: is he willing to give up everything to spare others?

The answer of the young, coarse, arrogant young man is no. Over the next 40 years, however, he'll find his resolve put to the test. In the upper ranks of the aristocracy he runs across moral cripples who equal him in indifference to the suffering of others (a bit of social commentary by the author, perhaps?); yet as he grows older, he shows that he too can grow as an individual, and the declining years of his career are not devoid of love, friendship and a stoic acceptance that he must after all play by the rules - the rules he set for others.

Some chapters are better than others, and the author's youth shows occasionally, not in the nature of his prose but in his choice of traits to emphasize in the characters. Overall, however, this is an entertaining read, a life's story quickly told and most of all a look at the darker side of human nature when inclined to moral relativism. If faced with Malasaña's choices - if the lives of a few unknowns were all that stood between us and our dreams - how many of us would be decent enough to give it all up? Fewer, perhaps, than those who would follow the painter's path through a lifetime of rationalisation.

This book is worth the price just to get acquainted with an auther that has great potential. Unfortunately, this first attempt is marked by inexperience. While it needsd re-writing and editing, the book is still very entertaining. A potentially very intriguing plot is diluted by too much emphasis on Spanish history. Given a more consistent attention to unifiying language and emphasis on the basic plot, this could have rivled "Picture of Dorian Gray." Save the book and see what he produces later.

Secrets Of The Painter By Matthew Hovious is a 134-page novel set in the Spanish city of Madrid in 1850. Luis Mariano Malasana is a young and ambitious painter who embarks on his chosen career with dreams of greatness and artistic immortality. Yet even as his portraits achieve success, he must confront the terrifying and tragic realization that everyone he paints dies. An odyssey about death, life, and the power of art, Secrets Of The Painter is a unique and memorable human saga.