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Bruno Blog

Sandra Bruna Literary Agency

THE CULTURE OF EFFORT

Author: Sandra Bruna Thursday 24 June 2021

This week the blog is being published during a bank holiday in Barcelona, in the middle of a long weekend where we all sense the much-desired summer holidays, after such a troublesome period. That is why recommending this book is a pleasure, as it has helped me grow and believe in myself, and to think that effort is always worthwhile, although we might, sometimes, think otherwise. In this book NOBUO SUZUKI shows us that giving up is not an option, and that we must go on. Japanese people, after wars and natural disasters, are reborn from their ashes over and over, like a Fenix. And that is the GANBATTE philosophy, a Japanese concept which could be translated as “give it your best and never give up, carry on”. In other countries, before starting an exam, a job interview or a competition, we wish each other “good luck”, but the Japanese use the expression “Ganbatte!” to encourage each other to make an effort. Through the 50 inspirational chapters in this book, we will learn the Japanese philosophy of persistence and resilience, which is the art of overcoming adversities. If you apply the Japanese persistence and resilience in your daily life, difficult things will become easy, and the impossible will be feasible. Surprisingly enough, it’s not magic. That is why I encourage you to buy this book: easy-to-read, useful, and applicable. Ideal to start over and begin the new schoolyear with new energy.

GANBATTE is the first-ever published book about another “famous” secret of the Japanese about resilience and self-improvement. While IKIGAI is the Japanese term to find a reason for existence, GANBATTE is the term to outdo oneself, as the effort depends on each person and, if you believe not only in yourself, but in what you do, the possibilities of achieving your goals get close to 100%. And this book is the key to it. It has recently been published and has already been sold to 12 countries, that is why I am convinced that GANBATTE will be as successful as IKIGAI, which keeps helping and guiding us towards a better and happier life.

BARCELONA WITHOUT TOURISTS, REALITY OR FICTION?

Author: Sandra Bruna Thursday 17 June 2021

After a year and a half into the pandemic, in which Barcelona has emptied and tourists haven’t been able to visit our city, Francesc Soler’s novel hits shelves. This novel is a harsh critique, precisely, about BARCELONA being sold to tourism and being a city in the service of tourists, rather than of locals. This book was written before the pandemic, but it arrives in the best moment, given that after everything we have been through, many of those who complained about tourists now miss them, or the other way round. What do you think?

In this funny novel Soler explains what an architect of the Olympic Barcelona, a fishmonger working in the Boqueria market, an editor from the Upper Diagonal, an immigrant who dresses up as a Disney princess and acts as a human statue in the Rambla or the priest of Sagrada Familia have in common. They are fed up with Barcelona being a tourist destination, a city in the service of foreigners, rather than locals and which they no longer recognize or feel as their own. And what would happen if these characters, divergent but typically Barcelonian, decided to stop complaining and joined forces to develop a transformative project for the city, much more radical than the Olympic Games?

Barcelona demà o aquesta tarda is an absolutely original and seemingly simple story, but full of nuances and plot twists, fast paced with concise and clear language that hooks the reader from the very first page. A satiric and parodic story that can also be read as a disturbing dystopia.

DO YOU KNOW WHO EL GRAN CAÑÓN CATALÁN WAS?

Author: Sandra Bruna Thursday 10 June 2021

I have worked with Xavier Gual for a long time, an author who writes beautifully and has conquered the young public and who, in the adult market, keeps working in this long-distance race that the editorial world requires, which may be unfair, as authors like Xavier deserve far more recognition in the sector. He always gets positive reviews and has a loyal public, bud does not stand out as much as he should, not because he does not outdo himself in each novel, but because the Catalan literary world is small and challenging. This time, he tells the fictionized story of his grandfather, the great Catalan baritone who made a fortune singing zarzuelas and who was named “el Cañón Catalán”. A special novel for him, and that could also become meaningful to a whole generation.

Joan Gual, who belongs to the Leva del Biberón, knows he does not want to die in a stupid war and deserts. Here is where the adventure of a young man begins, one who, at a young age, decides to chase his dream and use his talent, a unique voice which, once war is over, makes him a world-renowned baritone. But while touring in Latin America, without intending to, he gets involved in an espionage and counterespionage plot which will put him to the test, even in the sentimental grounds. Surrounded by guerrilla soldiers, members of the mafia, eccentric folkloric singers, exiled Nazis, rojos who have fled from Franco and personalities like Kubala, Pau Casals, or even general Castro, Joan Gual will be forced to better himself and defy his destiny in order to become a brave and fair man.

With a thrilling rhythm, the novel is a walk-through Latin America and provides the tools to understand a long gone period and movements which are now history. Based on the real story of “el Cañón Catalán”, the great baritone form Sant Andreu who succeeded in Spain and Latin America in the 50s. This is a novel for the general public, because it mixes the historic genre with mystery and invites the reader to learn the details of an era through music and a character who was an inspiration and experienced, in his own skin, stories that may seem surreal but are part of our history.

BEAUTY AND TALENT EMBODIED IN AN EMBLEMATIC WOMAN

Author: Sandra Bruna Thursday 3 June 2021

Throughout history, there are many women who are emblematic, like Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, Rosa Parks or Hedy Lamarr, women who stand among the fifteen in the world who have been an example to their time and due to their actions.

That is why, when we received a novel about Hedy Lamarr, by Roberto Lapid, who has been closely in touch with her family, we considered it a fantastic novel with a top-notch character.

Hedy lamarr was an actress of extraordinary beauty who reigned the Olympus of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Everybody admired her glamour although it overshadowed less known facets of hers. She was not only a sex symbol, but also had a privileged mind and was the creator of a communications system on which all the current technologies are based. We could say she was the mastermind behind what today we know as WIFI. Inventing was her real passion. Chemistry was her favorite subject and, since an early age, she grew interest in technology, like her father, who she adored. She developed a discrete career as a telecommunications engineer. She came up with little cubes which turned water into coke and helped the tycoon Howard Hugues in his obsession of creating a faster plane by studying birds’ aerodynamics and the physiognomy of fish.

Isn’t it extraordinary? Lapid believes Hedy Lamarr is a key woman in the history of the 20th century and that is what his novel about this intelligent beauty shows.

The novel occurs between a war struck Europe, United States and Argentina. Friedrich «Fritz» Mandl is a young Austrian who, at the age of 19, takes care of the weapon factory of his father. In just a decade, he amasses one of the biggest fortunes on the planet. He is rich, eccentric, powerful, clever and a ladies’ man. An unbelievable character, worshiped and feared by many. In the 30s, during the prewar period, he counted Mussolini, Hitler, and Franco, as well as others, among his customers. Among his close fiends stand out names like Truman Capote, Hemingway, Orson Welles, Eva Perón and the general Perón.

In 1933, after watching Ecstasy, where actress Hedwig Kiesler performed the first female nude and the first orgasm in the big screen, he fell head over heels for her. Hedy was an exceptional and beautiful theatre and engineering student. Her life was also full of lovers. After filming Ecstasy, she married Fritz and they lived an unbridled passion, but later, due to infidelities and jealousy, the relationship took a dangerous turn. He locked her in his Salzburg castle, where he organized events, meetings and does business with politicians, businessmen and judges.

Hedy managed to escape and runs away through Europe. On a cruise-ship to New York, she met Lous B. Meyer, president of Metro Goldwyn Meyer and, even before reaching their destination, they signed a contract and she became Hedy Lamarr, the most beautiful woman in the cinema, who would succeed as a famous Hollywood actress. But Hedy was more than just beauty and glamour, she also embodied power, intelligence, and dedication. Together with her acting career, she studied engineering and invented a communications system to guide torpedoes and ensure communication between the Allies during war. This technology was the base for the system used today to communicate with our phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.

I didn’t know this woman and I loved reading this novel, as it opens the door to her accomplishments through a real story that looks like a film.

DO WE ENJOY BEING SCARED?

Author: Sandra Bruna Thursday 27 May 2021

Who hasn’t enjoyed a good scary-story time around a bonfire? I am a scaredy-cat, but at the same time I like to feel this feeling of anguish in my stomach from time to time, and I know that most people do too, because horror or anguish movies triumph and books with this peculiarity have always had a wide audience. Xavier Gual, who won the 2017 Ramon Muntaner Prize with LA NOIA DE LA CARAVANA, which was already a novel with a lot of intrigue, presents a new novel, where the character of Laura, who was already in the first one, is once again the protagonist, and this time, she and a group of friends will celebrate Christmas holidays sneaking into their high school. The excuse will be to film a horror short movie and have a good time. However, they do not suspect that a heavy snowfall will complicate their plans. As the night falls, they’ll start to doubt if they’re really completely alone or if the most chilling legends can become reality.

Gual accomplishes, again, getting young people hooked on this kind of feeling between fear and suspense, which he masterfully controls, and that the novel ATRAPATS follows the path of LA NOIA DE LA CARAVANA and encourages teenagers to read, who always have a hard time finding books they actually enjoy. Therefore, I congratulate Xavi for two very well achieved goals: to reach a young audience in a solvent way and to create a perfect setting so that both adults and young people can enjoy a fast-paced reading, which I think can also work very well on screen.



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