Overview

A wildly inventive, intimate and mischievous story collection from legendary film director Almod var A wildly inventive story collection from legendary film director Pedro Almod var The Last Dream brings together for the first time twelve unpublished stories from Almod var's personal archive, written between the late sixties and the present day. Both a tantalising glimpse into Almod var's creative mind and a masterclass in how to tell a story, this intimate and mischievous collection reflects Almod var's obsessions and many of the themes of his cinematic work, spanning genres from autofiction to comedy, parody, pastiche and gothic. The title story, 'The Last Dream', is a beautiful chronicle of the death of Almod var's mother, and other stories include- a love story between Jesus and Barabbas; a cult film director out in search of painkillers on a bank holiday weekend; the primary version of the film Bad Education; and a gothic tale of a repentant vampire among monks. In his introduction, Almod var writes- 'I've been asked to write my autobiography more than once, and I've always refused; it's also been suggested that I let someone else write my biography, but I have always felt somewhat resistant to the idea of a book entirely about me as an individual. I've never kept a diary, and whenever I've tried, I've never made it to page two; in a sense, then, this book represents something of a paradox. It might be best described as a fragmentary autobiography, incomplete and a little cryptic.' A celebration of the relationship between life and art, fiction and reality from an artist unafraid to write about our most intimate moments, these stories explore desire, mortality, loneliness and the pain and glory of artistic creation, laced with playful humour and a deep love of literature and culture. Translated by Frank Wynne

Full Product Details

9781787304352

Table of Contents

Reviews

The verteran Spanish film-maker’s first short story collection [is]… bracing, the book serving as an outlet for something Almodóvar can’t express from behind a camera… some of them lurid, some rather poignant * Observer *

The veteran Spanish film-maker’s first short story collection [is]… bracing, the book serving as an outlet for something Almodóvar can’t express from behind a camera… The Last Dream has its pleasures – some of them lurid, some rather poignant * Observer * 'The Life and Death of Miguel'...could have been written by Roberto Bolaño at his height... It’s fascinating that in fiction Almodóvar prefers to inhabit [a] historical and often fantastical universe. To judge by The Last Dream, he’s akin to a Spanish Angela Carter, or a cousin to the undersung Argentinian genius Silvina Ocampo. What his films and stories have in common is a vivid melodrama; a preoccupation with motherhood, outsiders and religion -- Camilla Grudova * Telegraph * It’s no surprise that Pedro Almodóvar’s The Last Dream is instantly fascinating, brimming with twisting narratives and unforgettable endings—Almodóvar has given us three decades of such stories on the big screen. What’s more surprising, what’s actually thrilling, is witnessing this major artist fully flourish in a totally new medium. The characters feel as vivid and complex as anyone I might call to talk about them. Their resentments fester and erupt. They orbit - clumsily, hilariously, tragically - epiphanic moments of emotional and psychosexual clarity. There’s a Borgesian uncanny braided throughout - like Borges, Almodóvar’s mind seems to be reporting from another world to illuminate, clarify, and challenge our own. This is not auxiliary fiction from a film director; The Last Dream stands alone as a major literary talent’s virtuosic debut * Kaveh Akbar, New York Times bestselling author of Martyr! * The stories in The Last Dream are like a kaleidoscope that reflects to you only the finest, most unexpected moments. The delicious blend of truth and fiction drops you intimately, with raw honesty, inside Almodóvar’s heart. I love this book! * Miguel Arteta, director of Beatriz At Dinner * The Last Dream is an inspiring testament to one of cinema’s great creative forces. These stories/ allegories/ dreams/ philosophical riffs and intense personal sketches shimmer with all of the vibrance, humour, provocation and humanity of Almodóvar’s entire body of work. A true delight * Sam Lypsyte, author of the New York Times bestseller The Ask *

Author Information

Pedro Almod var (Author) Pedro Almod var is a world-renowned, multi-award-winning film director and screenwriter whose many films include Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother and Talk to Her. Almod var has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and five Goya Awards.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available