divendres, 11 de setembre del 2009

Einaudi/Stile Libero preempts 'El anticuario' in Italy

More good news about 'El anticuario' are reaching us these days. The prestigious Italian publishing house Einaudi has just acquired translation rights of Julián Sánchez's novel. They will publish it in their Stile Libero Big series, where acclaimed authors such as Anne Holt, Fred Vargas, Giancarlo de Cataldo, David Foster Wallace or Jason Goodwin also publish their novels.

We would like to post again the positive review about 'El Anticuario' from Library Journal (US). Below please see it.

Up to now, the foreign publishers of this novel will be: Limes Verlag/Random House (Germany), Querido (The Netherlands), Livanis (Greece) and now Einaudi/Stile Libero (Italy)

****************

El Anticuario (The Antique Dealer) - Starred review
Sánchez, Julián
Roca Editorial

Sánchez prefaces this compelling novel with the assertion that some of the events described are real, which, combined with Sánchez’s fine writing, lends this book a delicious plausibility.

Antiquarian Artur Aiguader’s confidential connections enable him to corner the market on superb acquisitions in Barcelona, but now is the time of reckoning. Artur is murdered, but shortly beforehand he had sent a letter to his adopted son, the acclaimed writer Enrique Alonso, directing him to a certain book in the event of his death. 

Determined to find both the murderer and the secret of the book for which Artur gave his life, Enrique soon finds himself caught up in a race to solve a perilous historical mystery before other forces do.

This latest addition to the Da Vinci Code readalikes is in many ways superior to it. While the ambit here is literary rather than artistic, the theology is far less controversial (kabbalistic rather than Gnostic), and the hint of magic is a delight. 

Sánchez respects the reader’s intelligence, reveals the necessary bits and plot twists at precisely the right intervals, and maintains perfect pace with multidimensional characters, which he wisely limits in number. Highly recommended for general interest bookstores and public libraries.—Carolyn Kost, Stevenson Sch. Lib., Pebble Beach, CA
****
Julián Sánchez was born in Barcelona in 1966 and lives in San Sebastián (Basque Country) since 1993. He’s been a basket ball referee in the Spanish professional league, a job that he combined with his passion towards books. 
El anticuario is his first published novel, and already a success!