Imagined Lives : Portraits of Unknown People

Resumen del libro

In 'Rosy', Tracy Chevalier writes of a handsome young man with a flushed complexion as the object of homosexual desire. Minette Walters writes a poignant letter from a despairing wife. Alexander McCall Smith tells of merchant's daughter engaged as a body double for Mary, Queen of Scots.

Julian Fellowes has created a biography of a resourceful woman whose husband was executed during Henry VIII's reign. Sarah Singleton relates the adventures of a spice merchant and amateur musician struggling to make his way in the world, despite his illegitimate status. Joanna Trollope tells a touching tale about a marriage proposal told in the form of a letter from the sitter's intended bride.

By contrast, the fantasy writer Terry Pratchett has written an amusing tale about an explorer who presented Elizabeth I with a skunk. And John Banville has seen, in the features of a man on his deathbed, the face of an admired officer serving with Cromwell's New Model Army. These short, fictional narratives build brilliantly on what can be seen in each portrait, thereby providing a new and entertaining way of looking at these intriguing images.

Biografía del autor

x{0026}lt;P x{0026}lt;B John Banvillex{0026}lt;/B (Wexford, Irlanda, 1945) ha trabajado como editor de x{0026}lt;I The Irish Timesx{0026}lt;/I y es colaborador habitual de x{0026}lt;I The New York Review of Booksx{0026}lt;/I . Con x{0026}lt;I El libro de las pruebasx{0026}lt;/I (Alfaguara, 2014) x{0026} x02014;integrado más tarde en x{0026}lt;I Trilogía de Freddie Montgomeryx{0026}lt;/I (Alfaguara, 2020), junto con x{0026}lt;I Fantasmasx{0026}lt;/I y x{0026}lt;I Ateneax{0026}lt;/I x{0026} x02014; fue finalista del Premio Booker, que obtuvo en 2005 con x{0026}lt;I El marx{0026}lt;/I (Alfaguara, 2019), consagrada además por el Irish Book Award como mejor novela del año. Entre sus obras publicadas en Alfaguara destacan también x{0026}lt;I El intocablex{0026}lt;/I (2015), la x{0026}lt;I Trilogía Cleavex{0026}lt;/I x{0026} x02014;x{0026}lt;I Eclipsex{0026}lt;/I (2014), x{0026}lt;I Imposturasx{0026}lt;/I (2015) y x{0026}lt;I Antigua luzx{0026}lt;/I (2012)x{0026} x02014;, x{0026}lt;I La guitarra azulx{0026}lt;/I (2016), x{0026}lt;I La señora Osmondx{0026}lt;/I (2018) y x{0026}lt;I Tetralogía científicax{0026}lt;/I (2022), que reúne en un solo volumen las novelas x{0026}lt;I Copérnicox{0026}lt;/I (ganadora del James Tait Black Memorial Prize), x{0026}lt;I Keplerx{0026}lt;/I (merecedora del Premio de Ficción de x{0026}lt;I The Guardianx{0026}lt;/I ), x{0026}lt;I La carta de Newtonx{0026}lt;/I y x{0026}lt;I Mefistox{0026}lt;/I . Bajo el pseudónimo de Benjamin Black, que continúax{0026}lt;/P x{0026}lt;P utilizandoexclusivamente en sus ediciones en español, ha publicado en Alfaguara x{0026}lt;I El lémurx{0026}lt;/I (2009), la serie protagonizada por el doctor Quirke x{0026} x02014;x{0026}lt;I El secretox{0026}lt;/I x{0026}lt;/P x{0026}lt;P x{0026}lt;I de Christinex{0026}lt;/I (2007, 2023), x{0026}lt;I El otro nombre de Laurax{0026}lt;/I (2008), x{0026}lt;I En busca de Aprilx{0026}lt;/I (2011), x{0026}lt;I Muerte en veranox{0026}lt;/I (2012), x{0026}lt;I Venganzax{0026}lt;/I (2013), x{0026}lt;I Órdenes sagradasx{0026}lt;/I (2015), x{0026}lt;I Las sombras de Quirkex{0026}lt;/I (2017) y x{0026}lt;I Quirke en San Sebastiánx{0026}lt;/I (2021)x{0026} x02014;, x{0026}lt;I La rubia de ojos negrosx{0026}lt;/I (2014) y x{0026}lt;I Los lobos de Pragax{0026}lt;/I (2019). En 2014 le fue otorgado el Premio Príncipe de Asturias de las Letras por su inteligente, honda y original creación novelesca . x{0026}lt;I Las singularidadesx{0026}lt;/I (2023) es su última novela.x{0026}lt;/P