Review of The Painting

[Sam Ibeh]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Painting" by Michael C Reid.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Roberto Ramos lives a simple life. Nothing makes him happier than to keep his stomach full and have enough money in his pocket to buy his American jeans. As simple as that sounds, it is quite a tall order. Life in Fidel Castro's Cuba can best be described as existential. The most basic commodities get harder to procure as the days pass. Assisting his autistic older brother, Carlos, with the task of moving old Julio's property to his new home sounds like the perfect opportunity to make a few extra pesos to keep body and soul together. His frustration at not getting the cash cannot be tempered by his curiosity about the true worth of the painting that sits in their bedroom as a sign of Julio's gratitude. Roberto has no idea that this seemingly worthless painting is about to change his life in ways he cannot imagine.

The Painting by Michael C. Reid is an exquisite non-fiction work that tells the story of the happenings in communist Cuba in a way that only someone who has experienced it can explain. It is insightful, heart-wrenching, and nothing short of thought-provoking. It follows one man's desperate attempt to break the hold of poverty on him and his family. Readers can see how the government plays a huge role in the poverty of its people. We also see political leaders whose only concern is how quickly they can line their pockets with wealth gotten from the sweat of the citizens.

The storyline is particularly touching. I am impressed with the way Michael C. Reid fleshes out each of the characters in the book to the smallest detail. The conversations within the book are precisely in tune with the situation in the global scene of the 1980s. This element gives the narrative another credit for accuracy. The mix of Spanish and English is also unique. It adds spice to the conversations and the story. Also, the conversations and character responses to situations were humorous. For instance, here's Roberto's response when he is told his boat, with all its hidden treasures, will have to be scuttled: "I'm not leaving this boat. You need to tow me in or I will die with my collection."

Followers of historical events will find the content of this book quite interesting. Not much is known about life within Cuba except what is gotten from state-sponsored newsreels and the odd story from any émigré who has braved the perils of the journey. Also, the information on the Cuban art scene will appeal to art lovers. There are detailed mentions of several artists whose works are worth making out the time to study.

Michael C. Reid pens a masterpiece that earns my respect in terms of the presentation of the storyline. The story flows with a certain style that gets your pulse up every time you turn the pages, and the attention to detail is equally impressive. However, the same cannot be said about the editing, which is the only thing that makes me feel a tad disappointed. Sadly, I’ll have to rate The Painting 3 out of 4 stars.

******
The Painting
View: on Bookshelves

[Chijindu Ifedigbo]

The storyline of the novel is very touching, politicians of today are only concern about their pockets with wealth that suppose to be use for the development of the society.

[beauri21]

This story sounds familiar for me, coming from a country where the political class don't care about the citizens. I would love to read this book soon. Thank you for such an amazing review.

[Hussein21]

This book has an interesting plot. I have always been fascinated by how much arts are auctioned. Especially arts that I can't grasp its meaning. Why would a mixture of colors be up to $5000 it's amazing!

[Avishi]

It's really amazing how a picture values a lot and change your life overnight but several days of labour don't.