When I was mortal cover

When I was mortal

by Julián Marías

When I Was Mortal collects a dozen stories by Javier Marias, "justly considered the most talented Spanish author alive" (Il Messaggero). Victims of mistaken identity, amateur sleuths, professional liars, eavesdroppers, assassins, and failed bodyguards populate these remarkable tales. Plots turn on curious exigencies --- a woman about to star in her first porn film; a night doctor who adds new meaning to "specialist"; a neglectful ghost. Javier Marias was born in Madrid in 1951. His novels (which have sold more than two and a half million copies worldwide) have been translated into two dozen languages and have won the Ciudad de Barcelona prize, The Spanish Critics' Award, the Premio Internacional de Novela Romulo Gallegos, the Prize Femina Etranger, the Nelly-Sachs Prize, and the Dublin International Impac Award.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?