I was given this galley by the publisher and my supervisor at the bookshop I work for. This review is based off of that galley.

This is the story of a screenwriter kidnapped by a director, held under duress until he creates the perfect screenplay. Remniscent of "Misery" in scenario, it's a story as stressful for the reader as it is for Pablo, the narrator, if not more so due to the style of writing. Giacobone, who references great writers throughout, uses stream of consciousness as his medium for Pablo's five years in captivity. It feels more like word-vomit though, as you eventually realize you won't ever know all the details; you're only going to hear what Pablo tells you. Overall, psychological and chilling in all the right ways, although I could have done without all the talk about farts. ( )

‘I live in a basement.
Five years, I’ve lived in this basement.’

From Academy-award winner Nicolás Giacobone comes an odd, quirky little novel about a screenwriter, held captive by famous film director Santiago Salvatierra, and who is forced to write award-winning screenplays. Pablo never sees these films, nor is he ever credited, and now he is facing his toughest task yet, to write a screenplay that will be made into a film that will change cinema forever.

This is a tight, sparse novel, really just the thoughts of a man held captive and writing these down on paper, on a laptop, anywhere he can write. There are a lot of musings on the art of writing, on cinema, on literature; Pablo is a fan of Beckett, and in its bleak observations his writing comes to resemble a Beckett novel. The comedy – for this is a darkly comic book – is situational, from the conversations between Pablo and Santiago on his screenplays, to Santiago’s fondness for playing Russian roulette with his revolver, and to the wordless Norma who cooks and cleans. And as the plot takes a twist about halfway through the situations become even more bizarre.

Taking in everything from the creative process, fame and legacy, and the inner machinations of the film industry, this book may not be to everyone’s taste. It is repetitive, bleak, wordy, and the ending is suitably ambiguous, as we are left unsure as to how Pablo’s story will end. An interesting and a challenging book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 3.5 stars, happily rounded up to 4 for it being something a little different. ( )