Alicia overhears a conversation on a night train: a writer and his protégé are discussing the scandal surrounding his latest novel. The person the professor based his book on not only never gave their consent but has also disappeared. Blending metafiction, mystery, and drama, this captivating novel has enchanted British readers with its enigmatic and classic air, reminiscent of The Talented Mr. Ripley
One night in 2020, on a train from London to Edinburgh, Alicia, a Spanish translator, shares a compartment with two American men: Terry, a seasoned professor, and Bou, his former student. They’re discussing a recent article in The New Yorker about the professor’s novel. The article accuses the professor of basing the book on a real young man named Hans, distorting his life story without consent. Most worryingly, Hans has since disappeared.
The book intertwines their present conversation with flashbacks to both Terry and Alicia’s pasts. It also inserts, without warning, chapters from the professor’s novel, titled Rocco.
Terry recounts how he met Hans, a Swiss actor new to New York. Fascinated by Hans’s beauty and mystery, and especially by his silent suffering, Terry befriended him, which reignited his own passion for writing.
Terry became obsessed with Hans’s troubled childhood and his sleep-related hallucinations—visions so intense he couldn’t tell if they were real. These hallucinations returned while living in New York, triggered by his roommates’ constant arguing. Terry decided to incorporate these roommates into Rocco.
Though there were early rumors that Rocco was based on a true story, the article intensified things by naming names. Hans was outraged, feeling used and exposed. Then, he vanished. Terry is now consumed by guilt, unsure if Hans disappeared by choice—or something worse.
Alicia sees herself in Hans. She also trusted someone who betrayed her. She confides in Terry and Bou about her own experience: a romance with an older university professor who left her stranded on the island of Socotra at the onset of the pandemic. When she returned to Madrid and received a job offer that allowed her to escape it all, she took it. Like Hans, she needed to run.
At the end of the trip, the three part ways like old friends. The encounter stays with Alicia.
Months later, as Terry nears death, he asks Alicia to tell Hans he never stopped regretting what he did.
Alicia finds out Hans is in Geneva. When she arrives, a neighbor named Zadie tells her Hans no longer lives there. He had returned to Europe to live in anonymity, and she assures Alicia he’s fine. Zadie, pregnant, suddenly experiences labor pains and Alicia helps her. In gratitude, Zadie gives her another address.
There, Alicia meets Hans’s mother. She delivers Terry’s heartfelt apology and expresses her own wish to hear Hans’s side of the story. The mother thanks her and asks her to leave.
Alicia reflects on the beautiful home and surroundings—so different from what she expected after reading Rocco. Because Hans isn’t Rocco. Rocco’s story is over, but Hans will keep writing his own—even if just for himself. Alicia thinks of Hans, Daniel, Terry, and Bou, and how each added a chapter to her own life story.
The novel challenges the ethics of art and forces the reader to take a stance.
Its fluid structure and shifting perspectives immerse the reader in the characters’ minds, showcasing the author’s narrative skill.
RELEVANT INFO: Nothing less real is Marta Pérez-Carbonell’s debut novel and has been widely acclaimed. Featured in media like ABC, El Generacional, and Vogue, it’s been compared to Javier Marías. Even Rosa Montero has read and praised it. The novel has sold in multiple languages and has received a warm welcome in the English-speaking world.
It’s a literary gem with a gripping mystery that keeps the reader hooked. Comparable references include the adaptations of The Talented Mr. Ripley, especially the latest Ripley series.
With its global settings, this story is ideal for a co-production, but can also be adapted to a single location.
Press reviews say:
“An unexpected adventure. A subtle web of stories and words that fascinates and entangles, that captivates you unwittingly, like a child listening in awe to a beautiful tale. A powerful and unforgettable debut.” – Rosa Montero
“A reflection on responsibility and what one can or cannot take from others. Moreover, it’s filled with top-notch literature carried on a deeply light touch.” – Onda Cero Radio
“One of those books that makes it worth clearing your afternoon to surrender to the rhythms of reading.” – Vogue
“A relatively calm novel, but one whose mystery keeps the intrigue buzzing from the very first page.” – Goodreads
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV series, Miniseries, Film, TV Movie.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish, English, German, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Danish, Dutch.
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