From the Shadows

By Juan José Millás

Publishers Weekly "Top 10 Books of the Year" selection From one of Spain's most original authors comes a wild, absurdist story about a lonely man's misguided attempts to connect Laid off from his job, Damiáaacute;n Lobo obsessively imagines himself as a celebrity being interviewed on TV. After committing an act of petty theft at an antiques market, he finds himself trapped inside a wardrobe and delivered to the seemingly idyllic home of a husband, wife, and their internet-addicted teenage daughter. There, he sneaks from the shadows to serve as an invisible butler, becoming deeply and disastrously involved with his unknowing host family. Every thread of the plot is ingeniously tied together, creating a potent admixture of parable, love story, and thriller. Millás masterfully reveals the everyday as innately surreal as he renders the unbelievable tangible and the trivial fantastical, and full of dark humor.

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Published Aug 27, 2019

208 pages

Average rating: 8

1 RATING

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Community Reviews

anne ducastel
Jan 08, 2026
8/10 stars
what an adventure that was, what imagination! the main character is unique and highly memorable and the plot really absurd. It was entertaining till the very end.

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