{"title":"Paco Roca","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaco Roca\u003c\/strong\u003e crafts evocative graphic novels that blend poignant storytelling with expressive art. His works, such as \u003cem\u003eMemoirs of a Man in Pajamas\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Winter of the Cartoonist\u003c\/em\u003e, explore themes of memory, identity, and the passage of time through intimate and often bittersweet narratives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eReaders can expect beautifully illustrated stories that balance humour and depth, inviting reflection on both personal and historical experiences. Roca's graphic novels reveal the quiet complexity of everyday life and the enduring power of human connection.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"return-to-eden-by-paco-roca-9781683969310","title":"Return to Eden","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNew York Public Library Best Comics for Adults 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt all starts with a photograph: an ordinary scene of a young woman and her family picnicking at a Valencian beach in 1947. Now in her twilight years, Antonia cherishes this photo dearly; it holds the memories of her upbringing, her family—the key to her Eden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTaking off from this routine family outing, cartoonist Paco Roca paints a heartfelt portrait of his mother's formative years. This delicate portrayal of a humble family is at once an intimate biographical story and a broader reflection of the hardscrabble existence many faced in post-war Spain. Antonia and her family soldier through constant hunger, the shady dealings of the black market, traumas of war and parental abuse, and the oppressive atmosphere wrought by the Catholic church and Franco's authoritarian regime—and yet, they find oases of joy and wonder in cinema, imagination, and small acts of kindness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRoca is known the world over for his quietly powerful graphic novels, from \u003cem\u003eTwists of Fate\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003eThe House\u003c\/em\u003e, and this latest masterwork may just be his magnum opus. In \u003cem\u003eReturn to Eden\u003c\/em\u003e, Roca manages to charge quotidian life with rare poignancy, in all its daily struggles and daydreams, and readers will come away deeply affected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47383974117612,"sku":"9781683969310","price":56.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/15396373482787.jpg?v=1773392372"},{"product_id":"memoirs-of-a-man-in-pajamas-by-paco-roca-9781683967576","title":"Memoirs of a Man in Pajamas","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 40, cartoonist Paco Roca has finally achieved his childhood dream — to spend all day at home in his pyjamas! However, his blissful, loungewear-clad reverie is beset with a host of mundane problems: He dreads small talk with \"the world's biggest bore,\" but his excuses and white lies are finally catching up with him. When good friends break up, taking either side could lead to social disaster. The simple mission to change his train ticket descends into an impossibly complicated, Kafkaesque affair. And worst of all, his partner keeps hanging the toilet paper roll the wrong way!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the vein of sitcoms like \u003cem\u003eSeinfeld\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCurb Your Enthusiasm\u003c\/em\u003e, Roca's comic vignettes brilliantly satirise the pesky pitfalls of modern-day life. Like most of us, Roca's alter ego just wants to be liked and to do the right thing, but finds that through crippling indecision, cowardly behaviour, and the absurd machinations of the universe, he is usually thwarted. The ensuing situations he finds himself embroiled in are as hilarious as they are often painfully relatable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMemoirs of a Man in Pajamas\u003c\/em\u003e cleverly captures the comic absurdity of daily life with wit and charm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47425590362348,"sku":"9781683967576","price":56.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781683967576.jpg?v=1774768144"},{"product_id":"the-treasure-of-the-black-swan-by-guillermo-corral-van-damme-9781683965787","title":"The Treasure of the Black Swan","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMay 2007. When an American treasure-hunting company uncovers a shipwreck containing the greatest underwater trove ever found, the world is captivated by their discovery. But over in Spain, a group of low-level government officials surmise that the sunken ship is, in fact, an ancient Spanish vessel. Thus begins a legal and political thriller, pitting a group of idealistic diplomats against a rich and powerfully connected treasure hunter, in which vital cultural artefacts and hundreds of millions of dollars hang in the balance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCartoonist Paco Roca and writer Guillermo Corral bring a cinematic flair to this graphic novel, combining threads of \u003cem\u003eTintin\u003c\/em\u003e-inspired seafaring adventure, political intrigue, tense courtroom drama, and, amidst it all, a budding romance. A gripping dramatisation of a little-known, unbelievable true story of money, political power, and cultural heritage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Treasure of the Black Swan\u003c\/em\u003e was adapted into an original television series, \u003cem\u003eLa Fortuna\u003c\/em\u003e, starring Stanley Tucci and debuted in the US on AMC Plus in January 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47428333666540,"sku":"9781683965787","price":56.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781683965787.jpg?v=1774477606"},{"product_id":"the-winter-of-the-cartoonist-by-paco-roca-9781683963240","title":"The Winter of the Cartoonist","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1957, Editorial Bruguera was one of Spain's largest publishing houses, putting out hugely popular weekly magazines and comics for young and old — while retaining all rights and creative control of their artists' work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSpanish comics superstar Paco Roca investigates the true story of five cartoonists who, spurred by poor working conditions, arbitrary editorial edicts, and nationwide dictatorial rule, went on a quest for creative freedom. Little did they know that the corporation had begun actively trying to thwart their distribution and publishing efforts, turning their battle into a real-life David and Goliath tale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Winter of the Cartoonist\u003c\/em\u003e provides historical context and short profiles of these artists as they serve as everyday heroes for all of those who have chased a dream, no matter how high the obstacles that stand in front of them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47433113895148,"sku":"9781683963240","price":41.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781683963240.jpg?v=1774568453"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/paco-roca.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}