This collection of stories spans his writings from the 1960s until present day, giving us a glimpse into his world and mind. They form a sort of fragmented autobiography, mixing fiction with reality into dreamlike narratives.

Definitely recommend. Also, Coleman Domingo narrates the audiobook, and it was totally worth reading it that way.

First things first: Pedro Almodovar is my favorite living director. I adore most of his films, with All About My Mother being my absolute favorite.

His first English translated book of twelve short stories and essays proved to be a mixed bag. Lots of Catholicism, which was interesting for an atheist. The story of the Stranger (Jesus) and Barabbas came out of left field. I kept waiting for them to run off together as boyfriends. Was that what was implied at the end? A combination of what seems to be ideas for scripts along with autobiographical essays. The last essay discusses writing and gives keen insight into Almodovar's opinion of himself. It's brutally honest. I'm glad I read the stories. I look forward to seeing his latest film.

The last Dream was a really interesting read. I love Almodovar's movies and it was a thrill to be inside his mind

Very interesting accumulation of short stories. By far and away my favorite was the one where it paired up Queen Joanna of Castile with the fairy tale of sleeping beauty and in doing so provided her a MUCH happier ending than the one that took place in real life, but many of them were strong tales. 5 stars, would recommend. tysm for the arc.

In the introduction Almodóvar poses this collection of short stories—written over the course of his career—as an alternative to a much-requested memoir. Over the course of the book, some of the stories indeed feel connected to pieces and fragments of his life, but some of the vignettes feel a little too slight. Unfortunately, I often found myself wishing he had written a memoir.

Full Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader's Copy of The Last Dream by Pedro Almodovar from HarperVia via NetGalley.

The Last Dream by Pedro Almodovar is a collection of short stories, mostly fiction although some are/might be autobiographical. If you enjoy his films, you should enjoy this collection as they explore similar themes and reflect his style. My favorite story was the titular, The Last Dream. I won't spoil it by telling you what it is about, but it was so moving. It made me think of my own experience. I shed some tears. But not every story tugs at the heart strings. Some are fun or dark or fantastical. It is an interesting read because you never know what to expect from the next story. Of course, you don't need to read them in order. You could read them however you want. But definitely read The Last Dream. And maybe have a tissue handy just in case!

In The Last Dream, (translated by Frank Wynne) we get to dive into Pedro Almodóvar’s mind in a more literary sense. If you’re aware of his film career his movies often feel very literate, especially through his characters: they’re well spoken, unnerving, and humorous all at once. Almodóvar continues to craft these kinds of characters throughout The Last Dream. “The Visit” must have been written as a precursor to the screenplay of Bad Education. I think knowing that neither enhanced or took away from my reading of the story and if you haven’t seen Bad Education reading “The Visit” should entice you to watch it. Overall The Last Dream feels a little disjointed because it is such an anti-genre collection but I respect that Almodóvar refused to stick to one thing. If that means I have to read a vampire story, autofiction, a beautiful homage to his mother (the title story), and gothic fiction all in one book -- then so be it, as long as it’s by Pedro Almodóvar. The Last Dream is so infused with his wit and surreal technicolor vision of the world that reading it often feels like coming across someone’s open diary where there is just one line written for each day. I especially loved the two last pieces of writing, “Memory of an Empty Day” and “A Bad Novel.” Both are relatable to anyone who has the compulsion to express themselves through art and who is not a good archivist. In “Memory of an Empty Day” Almodóvar asks rhetorically, “Is it entertaining or interesting to write about a tedious and boring day? I dread such days,” and then waxes on about Ryan Murphy, Andy Warhol, and Ru Paul as well as a hilarious moment where he talks about the Will Smith slap. It feels a little like being on the phone with someone who is rambling on and on but is charming all the same so you stay on the line. I enjoyed Almodóvar’s more autobiographical stories and writing in The Last Dream and feel it's a must read for any artist who is in a moment of internal struggle. Pedro Almodóvar may be considered a master but he has self doubt too, to be able to read about it (even if it is a bit unfocused) is a gift.

I read The Last Dream by Pedro Almodóvar by receiving an ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins. Purchase The Last Dream here.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for a copy of The Last Dream in exchange for an honest review.

Fiction Meets (Non)Fiction

I first encountered Almodóvar’s work as a senior in high school. I was in Blockbuster, looking for something to review for my Spanish class. I came upon a censored copy — i.e., blurred sex scenes — of Bad Education (2004), which I rented because it starred Gael García Bernal. That film made me an Almodóvar fan for life.

Finding out that Almodóvar had written what he calls an autobiography sent me over the moon. But autobiography is a misnomer or a half-misnomer. The Last Dream peppers autobiographical essays throughout. However, it mainly contains short pieces of fiction that offer glimpses into Almodóvar’s brain.

While every piece of fiction holds truths about the author, these pieces felt rawer than most of this auteur’s work. I’m used to his pop-art-colored, melodramatic-yet-restrained films. That’s not to say these short stories are unedited; instead, they are less finessed. Or at least, edited to seem less so.

Writers Writing

And still, perhaps my favorite piece in The Last Dream is a personal essay in which Almodóvar writes about his reactions to Leïla Slimani’s views on writing. A writer writing about another writer’s writing about writing!? So meta! But beyond the quirky joy of meta-ness, Almodóvar adds useful commentary that should resonate with writers and lovers of writing.


I want to shout out Frank Wynne’s translation. So often, translated books feel translated. Not The Last Dream. Almodóvar’s voice shone loud and true. Wynne has a true gift; this collection feels Spanish yet is perfectly understandable to the Anglophone reader.

I highly recommend The Last Dream to any Pedro Almodóvar fans. Someone new to his work might not glean as much out of it, but the fiction is compelling nonetheless. If you’re a fan, purchase the book at your local indie bookstore. If you’ve never seen an Almodóvar joint, pick this up at your local library.

The English version of Pedro Almodóvar’s The Last Dream is out on September 24, 2024. The original Spanish is out now. 📚

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher HarperVia for an advance copy of this collection of short stories by an award winning film and stage director, dealing with his life, love, follies, foibles and fictional moments from his life.

I am friendly with a writer to who helps people portray their lives on the written page. This person has been doing this for quite a while, and once shared with me that every person from every background stage, screen, political, musical, controversial, always has a moment where things are suddenly real. This is their life, on paper, for all the world to see. I count on being ghosted at least twice for sometimes a week, sometimes a month, the writer told me. It's their life, and they are both relaying and reliving it. No CGI, no spin, no fix it in post, no Auto-tune, can change it. Sure it can be edited, sometimes the legend is printed and not the fact. Now imagine asking a writer/director who has mined his life for story ideas to write a memoir, a true biography about their life. In the case of Pedro Almodóvar one gets a short story collection The Last Dream, translated from Spanish by Frank Wynne. And for a collection of short stories, it makes for a fascinating peek into the life of a gifted artist.

The book is a collection of 12 tales, some new, some old from a young man just starting out, to a Cannes award winning director, and controversial artist. The book begins with an introduction discussing how the collection came about, and what it means to Almodóvar to write about a life that has been shown in movies, or on stage. The eponymous The Last Dream is one that deals with the death of Almodóvar's mother. Another deals with a love relationship, making films, stealing from other works, and seeing that love die. One of the best is a story about a vampire taking refuge from a life of debauchery and bloodletting in a monastery, The Mirror Ceremony. I'm not sure what this story says about him, but this is probably one of the best stories about vampires I have read in quite awhile, and I wanted to know more. A few stories are clearly autobiographical, some are written in ways that true fans will go, Oh yes, and others might go, hmm.

Unlike most story collections I enjoyed almost everyone of these tales, as they all shared a theme, and yet were different enough to keep me interested. As I stated superfans will read through this and go, oh I see this means this and references this character or action in the film, whatever. Others will read them an appreciate a real artist at work. Almodóvar has a gift for characters, as anyone who has seen his movies can attest, but to take that talent for screenwriting, where much is visual, and carry that into short stories is a real accomplishments. The second story starts with a simple medical procedure for men, that locks the reader in, setting up both the narrator and his forthcoming travails.

I enjoyed this collection not only for the stories, but how the artist could draw on so much from his past, tweak things and make something like a movie plot from it. This is a very good collection of stories, especially the story with the vampire. That one stays with me. A bit bawdy, a bit sacrilegious, even a bit violent, this is a really good collection for fans, or for people just becoming interested in the works of Pedro Almodóvar.

Reading the short stories in "The Last Dream" by Pedro Almodóvar is a lot like watching scenes from his films. There are familiar characters, including Almodóvar, who deal with what life throws at them with grit, acceptance and by being true to themselves. Almodóvar says in the introduction that he's always refused to write his autobiography. But his stories tell us so much about who he is and what he's been through. Just because this memoir is not in the usual birth, life and hopes format, it doesn't mean it's not a look at who he is, what shaped him or what's going on in his mind, just like we get a good sense of it from watching his films. Almodóvar learns from his mother in title story, "The Last Dream," how to tell the story audiences want to hear, and that's what he delivers here. His art speaks for him. Perhaps we can leave to the social scientists and historians to chronicle what life was like under Franco's Spain while Almodóvar tell us the stories which helped him survive.

#TheLastDream #NetGalley

Excellent collection of shorts that reflect the same artistic temperam that we associate with Almodovar, but in even tighter, new perspectives. I was a little thrown by the fact that it is a collection of fiction, since his face is on the cover and there is a biography/memoir tag attached to the title. But clearly, these are stories that are heavily influenced by themes and circumstances that are most influential to him as a narrative creator across mediums. The translation from Spanish can sometimes be awkward in how some set pieces are phrased, but it's an artifact you get used to pretty quickly as you are engaged in the stories in wildly different ways.