In The Last Dream, the iconoclastic, two-time Academy award-winning writer and director reveals his singular mind as never before in this collection of twelve remarkable stories spanning memoir, comedy, autofiction, parody, pastiche, and gothic fiction.
In This Spotlight On The Last Dream
About The Last Dream
With this debut collection, film legend Pedro Almodóvar delivers a tantalizing glimpse into his world, formed by twelve stories carefully selected from his personal writings dating from the late ‘60s to the present. Almodóvar writes: “I’ve been asked to write my autobiography more than once, and I’ve always refused. . . . 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 enigmatic.”
Each entry reflects Almodóvar’s most intimate obsessions, as well as his evolution as an artist. In the title story, “The Last Dream,” Almodóvar reflects on the death of his mother. Other entries in the collection include a love story between Jesus and Barabbas, a story of retribution that formed the basis for the film Bad Education, a manic adventure about a film director searching for painkillers on a bank holiday weekend, and a gothic tale centered around a repentant vampire.
Translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 9780063349766
Publisher Imprint: HarperVia
Publish Date: Sept. 24, 2024
Praise for The Last Dream
“Instantly fascinating, brimming with twisting narratives and unforgettable endings…The Last Dream stands alone as a major literary talent’s virtuosic debut.”—Kaveh Akbar, New York Times bestselling author of Martyr!
“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, humor, provocation and humanity of Almodóvar’s entire body of work. A true delight.”—Sam Lypsyte, author of the New York Times bestseller The Ask
“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
About Pedro Almodovar, Author of The Last Dream
Pedro Almodóvar is a Spanish film director and screenwriter whose more than two dozen films include Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, All About My Mother, and Talk to Her. Almodóvar has received two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, two Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, nine Goya Awards, the French Legion of Honour, the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts, the European Film Academy Achievement in World Cinema Award and the Golden Lion.
You can connect with Pedro Almodovar on Instagram, and on Facebook.
Titles by Pedro Almodovar
Other LitStack Resources
Be sure and check out other LitStack Spotlights that shine a light on books we think you should read.
As a Bookshop, Malaprop’s, BAM, Barnes & Noble, Audiobooks.com, Amazon, and Envato affiliate, LitStack may earn a commission at no cost to you when you purchase products through our affiliate links.
You can find and buy the books we recommend at the LitStack Bookshop on our list of LitStack Recs.
It’s Football Time!
