Audiobook: Last Dream

A heady mix of factual and fictitious, befitting of one of cinemas most imaginative storytellers [ the collection is] bracing, the book serving as an outlet for something Almodóvar cant 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 Bolańo at his height... Its fascinating that in fiction Almodóvar prefers to inhabit [ a] historical and often fantastical universe. To judge by The Last Dream, hes 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 * Its no surprise that Pedro Almodóvars The Last Dream is instantly fascinating, brimming with twisting narratives and unforgettable endingsAlmodóvar has given us three decades of such stories on the big screen. Whats more surprising, whats 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. Theres a Borgesian uncanny braided throughout - like Borges, Almodóvars 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 talents 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 Almodóvars heart. I love this book! * Miguel Arteta, director of Beatriz At Dinner * The Last Dream is an inspiring testament to one of cinemas great creative forces. These stories/ allegories/ dreams/ philosophical riffs and intense personal sketches shimmer with all of the vibrance, humour, provocation and humanity of Almodóvars entire body of work. A true delight * Sam Lypsyte, author of the New York Times bestseller The Ask * Like his films[ the short stories] are keenly observed, melodramatically powerful, sad and sardonicand always spiritually sumptuous * Empire * With its intriguing mix of short stories and personal sketches the book is more interesting than the average autobiography there is much to enjoy in this book * Morning Star *