The Last Dream

A wildly inventive story collection from legendary film director Pedro Almodovar The Last Dream brings together for the first time twelve unpublished stories from Almodovar''s personal archive, written between the late sixties and the present day. Both a tantalising glimpse into Almodovar''s creative mind and a masterclass in how to tell a story, this intimate and mischievous collection reflects Almodovar''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 Almodovar''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, Almodovar 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.

Autorentext
Pedro Almodóvar 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. Almodóvar has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and five Goya Awards.

Klappentext

A mischievous and genre-spanning story collection from legendary film director Pedro Almodóvar

'Almodóvar's mind seems to be reporting from another world to illuminate, clarify, and challenge our own' KAVEH AKBAR

'Akin to a Spanish Angela Carter' TELEGRAPH

The Last Dream brings together twelve unpublished stories from Almodóvar's personal archive, written between the late sixties and the present day. Delivering a tantalising glimpse into Almodóvar's world, this wildly inventive collection reflects his most intimate obsessions, as well as his daring evolution as an artist.

Ranging from 'The Last Dream' - a beautiful chronicle of the death of Almodóvar's mother - to a love story between Jesus and Barabbas;, a cult film director out in search of painkillers on a bank holiday weekend, the original story behind the film Bad Education, and a gothic tale of a repentant vampire, these stories delight and surprise.

The Last Dream is a celebration of the relationship between life and art, fiction and reality from an artist unafraid to write about our most intimate moments.

Translated by Frank Wynne

Readers love THE LAST DREAM**

'Dive into a world where vibrant characters and deep emotions come to life on the page'

'An intriguing blend of the personal, thoughts, his remarkable professional film career and more from the superb Pedro Almodóvar'

'Colourful characters and situations, a little madness. Warmth, humour and strangeness'

'Highly recommended'