Description
Screen
Book Summary
Screen is a collection of thirteen short stories that pay tribute to classic cinema from a playful and literary perspective. The author, Manuel Quinto Grané, invites the reader on a journey where the myths of the silver screen—from Georges Méliès to Orson Welles, including Fellini or Groucho Marx—blend with everyday life and the most ingenious fiction. Each story is an open door to a universe where the boundary between reality and film blurs, offering a narrative experience rich in brilliant dialogue and cultural references. A book designed for cinephiles and lovers of good literature who will appreciate the magic of an art form that has shaped popular culture.
What is it about?
The book consists of thirteen independent stories that share a common thread: a fascination with cinema and its greatest names. Through stories ranging from a young Méliès’s accidental discovery of film editing to the adventures of an elderly Groucho Marx, the author constructs a mosaic where reality and fiction merge. We find a fraudster critic in love at a festival in Porto, a boy captivated by Westerns at the Tívoli cinema in Barcelona, or a ghost of love turned into obsession. There is also room for noir, film festivals, and imaginary interviews with pioneers of the seventh art. Each story is an homage to classic myths, updating them with dialogue that recalls the best films and a gaze that is both ironic and tender.
Main themes
- Homage to classic cinema and its great directors and actors.
- The fusion of cinematic reality and fiction.
- Nostalgia for a golden age of the seventh art.
- Parody and humor as tools to reinterpret cultural myths.
- Love for cinema as a universal language and source of literary inspiration.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is recommended for passionate cinephiles who enjoy discovering references and homages to classic cinema. It is also for readers of short fiction who value well-constructed stories with sharp dialogue and prose that plays with literary and cinematic tradition. It is ideal for anyone looking for an entertaining, cultured read full of complicity with the world of the silver screen.
What this book offers
- An original and literary vision of classic cinema myths, far from academic essays.
- Thirteen independent stories that can be read sporadically, ideal for short reading sessions.
- A narrative style that combines humor, irony, and tenderness, with dialogue that evokes the best of screenplay writing.
- A reading experience that connects cinema and literature, enriching the reader's popular culture.
- A tribute to iconic figures such as Méliès, Fellini, Orson Welles, or Groucho Marx, from a fresh and modern perspective.
Technical specifications
- Author: Manuel Quinto Grané
- Publisher: Edicions Saldonar
- Language: Catalan
- Subject: Modern and contemporary fiction
- Collection: Narratives
- Publication date: September 2015
- Number of pages: 224
- Weight: 399 g
Editorial review
Screen is a work that satisfies both the cinephile reader and the lover of quality short narrative. Manuel Quinto Grané demonstrates a deep knowledge of classic cinema and a remarkable ability to weave autonomous stories that, despite their diversity, maintain a thematic coherence. His agile prose and brilliant dialogue make each story a little gem, suitable for those seeking an intelligent and fun read. Although it is not an essay, its wealth of references makes it a cult work for those who wish to rediscover the myths of the seventh art from a literary perspective. Recommended for those who believe that cinema and literature are two sides of the same coin.