Hidden Faces

Translated by Haakon Chevalier
Look inside
Paperback
$19.95 US
On sale Jun 18, 2024 | 352 Pages | 9781805330554

See Additional Formats
The only novel by the twentieth century's most acclaimed surrealist painter, a richly visual depiction of a group of eccentric aristocrats in the years preceding World War II

“The book is so full of visual invention, so witty, so charged with an almost Dickensian energy that it's difficult not to accept its author's own arrogant evaluation of himself as a genius.”  — Observer


In swirling, surreal prose, the iconic artist Salvador Dalí portrays the intrigues and love affairs of a group of eccentric aristocrats who, in their luxury and extravagance, symbolize decadent Europe in the 1930s. In the shadow of encroaching war, their tangled lives provide a thrilling vehicle for Dalí's uniquely spirited imagination and artistic vision.

Hidden Faces beckons readers to enter the bizarre world already familiar to us from Dali's paintings. The story unfolds in vividly visual terms, beginning in the Paris riots of February 1934. The journey leading to the closing days of the Second World War constitutes a brilliant and dramatic vehicle for Dali's unique vision.

“Start the first page and you are in the presence of an old-fashioned baroque novel, intelligent, extravagant, as photographically precise as his paintings but not so silly ... Dali notices everything ...” — Guardian
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was one of the most colourful and controversial figures in 20th century art, renowned for his striking Surrealist painting style. He was strongly influenced by the writings of Sigmund Freud, as well as the Paris Surrealists who sought to establish the “greater reality” of the human subconscious over reason. Some of his most famous works include The Persistence of Memory, and the two Surrealist films Un Chien andalou (The Andalusian Dog) and L’Âge d’or (The Golden Age), made with the Spanish director Luis Buñuel. Hidden Faces is his only novel, and was first published in 1944.

Haakon Chevalier was an American writer, translator and professor of French literature at the University of California, Berkely. He translated many works by Salvador Dalí, André Malraux, Vladimir Pozner, Louis Aragon, Frantz Fanon and Victor Vasarely into English.

About

The only novel by the twentieth century's most acclaimed surrealist painter, a richly visual depiction of a group of eccentric aristocrats in the years preceding World War II

“The book is so full of visual invention, so witty, so charged with an almost Dickensian energy that it's difficult not to accept its author's own arrogant evaluation of himself as a genius.”  — Observer


In swirling, surreal prose, the iconic artist Salvador Dalí portrays the intrigues and love affairs of a group of eccentric aristocrats who, in their luxury and extravagance, symbolize decadent Europe in the 1930s. In the shadow of encroaching war, their tangled lives provide a thrilling vehicle for Dalí's uniquely spirited imagination and artistic vision.

Hidden Faces beckons readers to enter the bizarre world already familiar to us from Dali's paintings. The story unfolds in vividly visual terms, beginning in the Paris riots of February 1934. The journey leading to the closing days of the Second World War constitutes a brilliant and dramatic vehicle for Dali's unique vision.

“Start the first page and you are in the presence of an old-fashioned baroque novel, intelligent, extravagant, as photographically precise as his paintings but not so silly ... Dali notices everything ...” — Guardian

Author

Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was one of the most colourful and controversial figures in 20th century art, renowned for his striking Surrealist painting style. He was strongly influenced by the writings of Sigmund Freud, as well as the Paris Surrealists who sought to establish the “greater reality” of the human subconscious over reason. Some of his most famous works include The Persistence of Memory, and the two Surrealist films Un Chien andalou (The Andalusian Dog) and L’Âge d’or (The Golden Age), made with the Spanish director Luis Buñuel. Hidden Faces is his only novel, and was first published in 1944.

Haakon Chevalier was an American writer, translator and professor of French literature at the University of California, Berkely. He translated many works by Salvador Dalí, André Malraux, Vladimir Pozner, Louis Aragon, Frantz Fanon and Victor Vasarely into English.

Three Penguin Random House Authors Win Pulitzer Prizes

On Monday, May 5, three Penguin Random House authors were honored with a Pulitzer Prize. Established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prizes are the most prestigious awards in American letters. To date, PRH has 143 Pulitzer Prize winners, including William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Josh Steinbeck, Ron Chernow, Anne Applebaum, Colson Whitehead, and many more. Take a look at our 2025 Pulitzer Prize

Read more

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan. Pride Month is a time to both celebrate the accomplishments of those in the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live

Read more