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The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn/a fable for children and their parents

By Lance Lee

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Lance Lee's The Tale of Brian and the House Painter Mervyn is bright with colour and imagination!

Synopsis

When 9 year old Brian is confined to his 4th. floor room in the family's Goodly Home he laments because it is white White WHITE, for the Doctor has ordered he must have no excitement while he tries to diagnose Brian's mysterious illness. Brian's father hires the lowly house painter Mervyn to paint Brian's rooms with familiar scenes which no Artist would do. Mervyn paints so well he creates a new world better than our own. Brian is entranced, and Mervyn in great demand: everyone wants to have Mervyn paint something more real than real. Grouchy as he is, sometimes he does.... This ruins business for everyone else in the town of Sandstone-By-The-Sea, which blends everything from medieval to modern together—and Brian won't leave his new world.... The town turns against Mervyn, who escapes into his new world with Brian: when Brian's home collapses from the weight of all those trying to force their way into his new world, that world, and Brian and Mervyn with it, disappears....Months later just Brian reappears: Mervyn found two too much company. When Brian grows up he paints things more real that real too—but only uncontroversial miniatures, and is a great success.

Lance Lee's The Tale of Brian and the House Painter Mervyn is bright with colour and imagination.  


This fable for children and their parents introduces us to a young boy faced with an unknown illness and trapped in his plain, white room. Nothing to do. Nothing to see. No games. Just boredom. That is until his father finds a painter to help change it all - but will the painter, who doesn't much like company and only paints when he feels like it, be able to ease Brian's lonely existence? What happens if this newly created world is so attractive he never wants to leave? Will they never see Brian again?


This book is a fantastic bedtime read with your kids or for kids reading independently (6-9 age range). It is a warm, imaginative and well-told story about the lengths parents will go to when their children are hurt and lonely, the ability of art to bring happiness and beauty, and the importance of using gifts wisely (lest things might go wildly out of control).


I loved the poetic flow of the narrative, which made this book an absolute joy to read aloud. The descriptions of Sandstone-by-the-Sea and its residents were very entertaining. In particular, the traditional seaside life of fishing boats and tourists mixed with eccentric architecture and witches and wizards running art studios and coffee shops! But, of course, who doesn't love a crazy witch making fantastical art with her bubbling brews, a wizard-run restaurant that serves spellbinding fare, and paintings by Mervyn that are more real than real? And I must say that I am a bit envious that I don't have a harpist who sings me my news in the morning! All this, combined with Meilo So's fluid ink and watercolour illustrations, brings Sandstone-by-the-Sea and all of its colourful characters to life. It is a must-read for the art lovers and dreamers in your family. 


I want to thank Reedsy and the author /publishers for providing me with the proof of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by
MJ Campbell

An avid reader since Grade school, I think there is nothing better than losing yourself in a good book. I've also taken on the role of finding great books for my niece and nephew to read so I pre-read quite a few middle grade and YA novels to find great books to inspire their love of reading.

The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn/a fable for children and their parents

Written by Lance Lee

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Synopsis

When 9 year old Brian is confined to his 4th. floor room in the family's Goodly Home he laments because it is white White WHITE, for the Doctor has ordered he must have no excitement while he tries to diagnose Brian's mysterious illness. Brian's father hires the lowly house painter Mervyn to paint Brian's rooms with familiar scenes which no Artist would do. Mervyn paints so well he creates a new world better than our own. Brian is entranced, and Mervyn in great demand: everyone wants to have Mervyn paint something more real than real. Grouchy as he is, sometimes he does.... This ruins business for everyone else in the town of Sandstone-By-The-Sea, which blends everything from medieval to modern together—and Brian won't leave his new world.... The town turns against Mervyn, who escapes into his new world with Brian: when Brian's home collapses from the weight of all those trying to force their way into his new world, that world, and Brian and Mervyn with it, disappears....Months later just Brian reappears: Mervyn found two too much company. When Brian grows up he paints things more real that real too—but only uncontroversial miniatures, and is a great success.

The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn/a fable for children and their parents

Written by Lance Lee

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Lance Lee
Lance Lee shared an update on The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn/a fable for children and their parentsalmost 3 years ago
almost 3 years ago
Just out today! Have a look! Write a comment! Look at MJ Campbell's fine review!
Lance Lee
Lance Lee shared an update on The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn/a fable for children and their parentsabout 3 years ago
about 3 years ago
A very nice review from: Kirkus Reviews: "A wonderfully imaginative, playful, and layered tale." THE TALE OF BRIAN AND THE HOUSE PAINTER MERVYN A FABLE FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS BY LANCE LEE ILLUSTRATED BY MEILO SO ‧ RELEASE DATE: APRIL 15, 2022 A young boy meets a mysterious painter with wondrous abilities in Lee’s novel.  Brian Jones is the son of the wealthiest man in the small village of Sandstone-by-the-Sea. His father, Moab, and mother, Melissa, and his 12 other siblings fill the house of “Goodly Home on the edge of the Sea Cliffs.” Brian becomes ill with a mysterious disease that the local doctor can’t cure. On the fourth floor of the Goodly Home, Brian’s life drains of all excitement. Desperate to cure his son, Moab seeks out an artist to fill Brian’s white room “with all the things [he] like[s] just as they are” so that he may begin to get better. When Moab finds Mervyn—an angry, muttering artist with an unusual talent for painting things realistically—he hires him to paint the walls of his son’s tower. Mervyn works for a week and produces such a lifelike display of the outside world that Brian’s family is in awe. Before long, people in the village of Sandstone-by-the-Sea become desperate for a piece of Mervyn’s magic, and when the villagers begin to turn against him, he does something quite unexpected. Lee’s marvelous imagination engagingly contrasts a portrayal of a rich family with the villagers’ simple desire for access to the same magic that the family receives. Despite the lack of variety in sentence length, Lee’s prose effectively propels the narrative to an explosive climax in which he subtly notes how unusual it is for people to chase something outside of the social norm. So’s illustrations are both vibrant and abstract, and they assist in painting a detailed portrait of both the village and the characters. Together, So and Lee create a topsy-turvy story of a genius ahead of his time. A wonderfully imaginative, playful, and layered tale.
Lance Lee
Lance Lee shared an update on The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn/a fable for children and their parentsabout 3 years ago
about 3 years ago
Editor's Pick: Booklife (Publishers Weekly) In Lee’s novella-length fable, set in a fantastical California village known as Sandstone-by-the-Sea, ailing young Brian becomes depressed when he’s confined to a sickbed in a boring white room. Eager to brighten his days, his family seeks out the town's only non-abstract painter, the reclusive Mervyn, to paint the scenery and landscapes the boy adores, and Mervyn’s paintings prove so “real as real” that, soon, the entire town is enraptured at “how much fresher Mervyn’s world was compared to the original.” As Brian recovers, he shows no interest in leaving his room. Instead, his father, Moab, builds him a little house inside the bedroom and turns the magical space into a tourist attraction, growing ever wealthier as people flock to gape at Mervyn’s handiwork.  Beyond the playful fanciful elements, Lee (Second Chances) imbues the tale with an engaging satiric flavor, with the whimsy and magic giving way to comic consideration of economic and infrastructure concerns in a village where the Wizards’ Council and a Witches’ Coven attend meetings with the local Chamber of Commerce. When local businesses begin to suffer, they come after Mervyn, who is attracting unwanted attention since he can, if in the mood, literally paint things into being. Before long, Brian vanishes, Mervyn is chased by a mob, and other complications mount, all gathering into a literal and figurative storm–and a tidy ending that restores order and leaves Brian with a little extra sense of wonder. Meilo So’s art is arresting, with splashes of color over thick black linework, if a bit busy; their boldly expressionistic quality nicely echoes a comic vow made by the village’s non-magical artists in the story: ““Paint something like it is? Never!” Often small selections from an illustration appear in the text itself, offering a chance to contemplate the rich theme of what it means to live with art that’s “even better than real.” Takeaway: A comic fable in which a painter stuns a magical village with works too good to be true. Great for fans of: Edgar Keret, Mary Mackey.
Lance Lee
Lance Lee shared an update on The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn/a fable for children and their parentsabout 3 years ago
about 3 years ago
Advance Praise for: The Tale of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn from Readers' Favorite 5 Star Reviews: The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn Jessica Barbosa:  The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn is a fantastical story that starts with a sick and sad little boy named Brian. Through his meeting with growling, grumpy Mervyn, Brian is taken on an amazing adventure through the world of art.... Lance Lee paints vivid scenes that are as colorful and mesmerizing as the art that accompanies the story. Mervyn is standoffish, unlikeable, but he paints the most beautiful scenery and his art comes to life, bringing joy and awe to those who see it. Meilo So brings life to the story in the same way Mervyn does. The colorful art accompanies the fantastical fable and together they create a magical vision of the book. But of course, such great powers have consequences and the story delves deeper into the effect this has on the people and the community. Along the way, people learn the consequences of their actions and greed and I think their regret and redemption were the best parts of the plot! ...I found this to be an exceptional book. Great work! Carolina Restrepo: The Tale of Brian and the House Painter Mervyn is an extremely imaginative tale accompanied by illustrations that bring the Sandstone-by-the-Sea world to life. Lance Lee comes up with an original story about family, villages, and community. ...Brian is confined to his room with a strange illness. His life now consists of white walls, bedsheets, a ceiling, and walls.... His worried family manages to find a solution...Mervyn, the exotic and magical painter, becomes a pivotal figure in Brian's and the village’s story. A great read for all ages! ... There is an astounding variety of characters that in turn reflect different walks of life. I only wished it was longer.... Meilo So’s illustrations were an incredible plus to the story. I recommend The Tale of Brian and the House Painter Merwyn by Lance Lee to everyone; there are many things to take away from this reading. Miche Arendse (4 Stars) The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn by Lance Lee takes place in the oddly eccentric yet traditional village of Sandstone-by-the-Sea.... Brian falls ill and the doctor advises that he should stay in bed and avoid all excitement [in] his drab room...that is white, white, white. Brian’s father, upon seeing how sad he is, decides to find a painter to fill Brian’s room with the scenes he wishes to see...who turns the entire village of Sandstone-by-the-sea upside down. The book is filled with a variety of weird and wacky characters that are sure to entertain and hold the attention of any child. The story itself is so intriguing as it moved quite quickly through various events...and finally the drama that ensues from Mervyn's paintings. I think this fast pace and he eccentric storyline is definitely a plus with a children’s book.... Overall, this was an enjoyable book and I can definitely see any child loving this story.

2 Comments

Lance Lee – Please note although I hold the copyright and wrote the book, it is illustrated by the British illustrator, Meilo So: uploading it, I didn't see where to put that information, and certainly didn't want her to miss credit for her superb illustrations!
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about 3 years ago
Lance Lee – Dear MJ Campbell, Thanks very much for your very thoughtful as well as enthusiastic review of my book. I’m intrigued you had occasion to read it aloud and find it worked well that way that way, too. It’s one of my practices as a poet to read work aloud to make sure I’ve gotten it, and I do that with prose too.nIf you like tell me where to send it and I’d be happy to send you a per-publication copy: I’m doing these books (Orpheus Rising last year) under my own initiative in LWL Books………Lance Lee
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about 3 years ago
About the author

Recent Work: Elemental Natures (2020), a selection covering his career. Orpheus Rising (2021), a Best Book of 2021, Indie (Kirkus Reviews). The Tale Of Brian And The House Painter Mervyn (2022) a fable for children. A past NEA Creative Writing Fellow; lanceleeauthor.com for all details. view profile

Published on April 15, 2022

8000 words

Genre:Children's

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