{"product_id":"9788418115936","title":"The Star of Fortune (includes Parallel Lives)","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThe Star of Fortune (includes Parallel Lives)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eBook Summary\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarlos Pérez Merinero weaves a story about the decline of a Franco-era actor, Miguel Casares, who attends a retrospective of his work at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Amidst lonely walks and the weariness of a life he considers finished, he witnesses a crime that becomes the axis for a deep reflection on cinema, image, chance, and self-destruction. This edition also includes the screenplay \u003cem\u003eParallel Lives\u003c\/em\u003e, written by the author and intended to be directed by and star Fernando Fernán Gómez.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is it about?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe novel follows Miguel Casares, a retired actor who was highly acclaimed during the Franco regime. Without enthusiasm, he attends the San Sebastián Film Festival for a retrospective of his work. Alone and defeated, his walks through the city lead him to witness a crime. From that event, the narrator builds a diagnosis of the film industry, the heaviness of existence, the fetishism of the image, and the determining role of chance in life. The work is complemented by \u003cem\u003eParallel Lives\u003c\/em\u003e, a screenplay that only administrative tangles prevented from becoming a film, and which delves into the same themes through the language of cinema.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMain Themes\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eThe decline of a Franco-era actor and the historical memory of Spanish cinema.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eSelf-destruction and homicide as the inseparable flip side of suicide.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eThe fetishism of the image and the construction of identity through the screen.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eChance as a determining force in individual destinies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eCritique of the film industry and its administrative and creative dynamics.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho is it recommended for?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor readers interested in contemporary Spanish narrative with historical and cinematic backgrounds. Especially suitable for those who appreciate stories that explore the psychology of characters in decline, social criticism, and the relationship between cinema, image, and reality. Also for followers of the work of Carlos Pérez Merinero and Fernando Fernán Gómez.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat this book offers\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eA lucid and critical vision of Spanish cinema during and after the Franco regime.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eA reflection on self-destruction, chance, and the construction of identity through the image.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eThe added value of including the screenplay \u003cem\u003eParallel Lives\u003c\/em\u003e, an unpublished film project.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003eA third-person narrative that combines the thriller with social and existential analysis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTechnical Data\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pérez Merinero, Carlos\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Mandala Ediciones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spanish\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eTopic:\u003c\/strong\u003e Film, television and radio, screenplays, modern and contemporary fiction\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eCollection:\u003c\/strong\u003e Narrativa Mandala\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eBinding:\u003c\/strong\u003e Paperback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 150\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 168 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eEditorial Assessment\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA work that combines fictional narrative with critical analysis of film and Spanish society. The inclusion of the \u003cem\u003eParallel Lives\u003c\/em\u003e screenplay provides significant documentary and artistic value, allowing the reader to discover a frustrated film project. Recommended for those looking for a read that transcends mere entertainment and delves into memory, image, and chance as the drivers of existence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MANDALA EDICIONES","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53408007160155,"sku":"9788418115936","price":13.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1018\/0650\/6331\/files\/978841811593.jpg?v=1781859125","url":"https:\/\/kalamobooks.com\/en\/products\/9788418115936","provider":"Kalamo Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}