Santiago Lorenzo uses his background as a Goya-winning filmmaker to deconstruct the film industry and contemporary work culture with a "cynical yet gentle" lens.
After the film project inevitably fails, the narrator moves to Ávila to care for his elderly, widowed uncle, Pacomio . To his dismay, he finds that Pacomio is another "tostonazo" who subjects him to constant psychological torture through mundane, self-important lectures. However, it is in this seemingly "dead" provincial city that the protagonist eventually finds true friendship and a "livable life" away from the spotlights of the capital. Themes and Literary Style Tostonazo Santiago Lorenzo rar
, published in 2022 by Blackie Books , is the fifth novel by Spanish author and filmmaker Santiago Lorenzo . It serves as a spiritual successor to his 2018 bestseller Los asquerosos , continuing his sharp, darkly comedic exploration of Spanish society through the eyes of an outsider. The title itself, a Spanish colloquialism for something extremely boring or a "drag," reflects the novel's central theme: the suffocating presence of "bores" or "cretins" who make life impossible for others. Plot and Narrative Structure Santiago Lorenzo uses his background as a Goya-winning
The story follows an unnamed young protagonist who drifts through life without a clear profession. The novel is split into two distinct parts that contrast urban chaos with provincial stagnation. However, it is in this seemingly "dead" provincial
Lorenzo is known for his mastery of "neologisms"—invented or archaic-sounding words that create a rhythmic, almost baroque style of humor. Critics often describe his prose as a "sharp knife" that uses wordplay to expose the banality of modern life.
The book acts as a "tragedy told through comedy," dissecting a generation facing constant uncertainty. It explores the concepts of success versus failure and the "political" nature of personal relationships.