François Rosso Libros

In this audaciously original chronicle, we meet Cadence Roth, a Hollywood actress and singer who stands at just 31 inches tall, making her the world's shortest woman. Cady is a true survivor in a town where "you can die of encouragement." After a disappointing early role as a lovable elf in a popular film, where her face was hidden behind a rubber suit, she finds herself performing at birthday parties and bat mitzvahs while waiting for a breakthrough. Through a series of mordantly funny journal entries, the narrative follows Cady across the hazy landscape of Los Angeles, capturing her interactions with agents, studio moguls, and the everyday challenges posed by small children and large dogs. When a lanky piano player enters her life, Cady experiences a whirlwind of new emotions, prompting her to embark on a daring scheme that could finally bring her the fame she craves. Alongside her best friend Jeff, a gay waiter who relates to her struggle for visibility, Cady's journey becomes a modern parable about the mythology of Hollywood and the toll it takes on its participants. This story speaks to the resilience of the human spirit from a perspective rarely explored in literature.

'On Beauty' is neither a history of art, nor a history of aesthetics but Umberto Eco draws on the histories of both these disciplines to define the ideas of beauty that have informed sensibilities from the classical world to modern times.

Inspector Aurelio Zen is back and facing the biggest mystery of his professional career. Drawn into the plots of the Vatican city, he becomes certain of one thing - that in life the only certainty is death. Previous Zen books include Ratking.

Penzler Pick, August 2001: Nicci French, the pseudonym of a London couple, is gaining recognition in the U.S. after their previous romantic thrillers, Killing Me Softly and Beneath the Skin. Their latest work, The Red Room, marks a shift in style, reminiscent of Frances Fyfield but more straightforward. The narrative challenges readers to consider the often obstructive role of police in the lives of individuals not in their employ. Central to the story are Katherine Quinn, a clinical psychologist, and Michael Doll, a troubled young man who previously attacked her, leaving her with severe facial injuries during an evaluation. Driven by curiosity and a sense of duty, Kit Quinn reluctantly agrees to meet Michael again, now accused of murder. However, after their encounter, she begins to doubt his guilt, complicating her feelings and the situation. While the suspenseful setup is engaging, the resolution may not fully satisfy. Nonetheless, The Red Room offers compelling entertainment, featuring a complex and relatable heroine at its core. --Otto Penzler

"Una épica desde la intimidad de sus antihéroes" Un rico y bohemio banquero austriaco, Jerónimo Frank, abandona todo y se instala en una pequeña isla del Adriático, donde reabre el gran almacén "El Europeo". Pronto se concierta su matrimonio con la bella joven Alia Emar. La boda se prevé espectacular. Sin embargo, los novios no comparten del todo el júbilo popular. En el ánimo de Jerónimo pesa la trágica leyenda del antiguo propietario del almacén y su joven esposa. En el caso de Alia es el amor de Esteban Coppeta -descendiente de un héroe mítico de la isla- lo que provoca incomodidad y desconcierto. La magnífica boda estallará en un acontecimiento político que desborda a todos los personajes y los transportará del júbilo a la tragedia. Una historia de amor legendario en clave de intriga y humor, una mirada inteligente y satírica sobre la Europa de preguerra, pero también la crónica de una estirpe de emigrantes que llegará a Chile a principios de siglo.