Amor en minúscula

by Francesc Miralles

When Samuel wakes up on 1st January, he is convinced that the year ahead will bring nothing exciting or unusual – until a strange visitor bursts into his flat, determined not to leave. The appearance of Mishima, a stray cat, leads Samuel to a strange encounter with the enigmatic Valdemar and his neighbour Titus, with whom he had previously never exchanged a word, and is the catalyst for the incredible transformation that is about to occur in the secluded world he has built around himself.

As unexpected friendships develop out of these encounters and a childhood love is reignited, Samuel discovers, for the first time in his life, how small everyday acts can have the power to unleash a hurricane of feeling and awaken the heart from its slumber.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Spain, Cats, Literary Fiction, Adult

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Son of a dressmaker and an erudite office worker, he was born in Barcelona on the 27th August 1968. After spending eight years in a religious school in la Ribera –just beside the Palau de la Música¡–, he attended high school at the extinguished academy ALMI and IES MONTSERRAT.

Despite his bad grades, he was accepted into the UAB’s faculty of Journalism, which he quited after four months. That the same year, he started to work as a waiter at LES PUCES DEL BARRI GÒTIC, a bar in the Gothic Quarter where he learned to play the piano.

In the following year, returning to the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, he started studying English Literature, which he combined with precarious language teacher jobs. After five years of being a sloth, he stalled at the third year of his studies and quited them again.

Having been attacked by travel fever since the age of seventeen, he decided to leave everything behind to travel the world. A bunch of chance encounters led him to live in Croatia and Slovenia during the armed conflicts.

Upon returning to Barcelona, he resumed his academic life as a student of German Literature at the Universidad de Barcelona. Once he completed his studies, he attended a master for publishers. His entrance in the editorial world had started a year earlier, as translator of German and English spirituality and alternative therapy books.

Before finishing his postgraduate studies, he got hired as editor for a publishing house specializing in self-help books. There, he directed several collections, and he also wrote many different types of work under a pseudonym.

After leaving the publishing house, he promised to himself never to work again for a company. He decided to try his luck with a first youth novel. Since then, he basically dedicates himself to writing, and works as literary adviser for different publishing houses and an agency.

LOVE IN LOWERCASE (AMOR EN MINUSCULA), already translated into twenty languages, is getting published in 2016 by Penguin USA. This book also has its second part, eight years later, in the WABI-SABI novel, about the beauty of imperfection, which will be published in UK this may.

Nowadays he combines literature and journalism, and on a monthly basis publishes articles in EL PAÍS SEMANAL, and in the magazines CUERPOMENTE and MENTESANA. Beyond this, he also works for the radio and offers literary Sherpa services and art therapies.


*****************************************************

Hijo de una modista y de un administrativo ilustrado, nació en Barcelona el 27 de agosto de 1968. Tras pasar ocho años en una escuela de curas de la Ribera —al lado del Palau de la Música—, cursó bachillerato entre la desaparecida academia ALMI y el IES MONTSERRAT.

Pese a su mal expediente consiguió ingresar en la facultad de Periodismo de la UAB, carrera que abandonó al cabo de cuatro meses. Aquel mismo año entró a trabajar de camarero en LES PUCES DEL BARRI GÒTIC, una taberna de la calle Montsió donde aprendió a tocar el piano.

Nuevamente en la Autónoma, el año siguiente inició la carrera de Filología Inglesa, que combinaría con empleos precarios de profesor de idiomas. Tras cinco años de desidia, se estancó en tercer curso de carrera y volvió a abandonar los estudios.

Atacado desde los 17 años por la fiebre del viajero, decidió dejarlo todo para vagar por el mundo. Un cúmulo de casualidades le llevaron a vivir en Croacia y Eslovenia durante los conflictos bélicos, peripecia que relataría muchos años después en su libro CAFÈ BALCÀNIC.

De regreso a Barcelona, se reenganchó a la vida académica como estudiante de Filología Alemana en la Central. Completada la carrera, hizo un postgrado para editores. Su ingreso en el mundo editorial había empezado ya un año antes, como traductor de alemán e inglés de libros de espiritualidad y terapias alternativas.

Inmediatamente después fue contratado como editor por un sello de autoayuda. Allí dirigió diversa

Reviews

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

iliti Ljubav malim slovima... Najbolja knjiga koju je Fransesk napisao... Ko je još nije procitao, knjiga je MUST READ... Fransesk je osim toga što je dobar pisac, veoma divan čovek i već dva puta je bio u Beogradu i družio se sa svojim čitaocima... Zadovoljstvo mi je da kažem da je u međuvremenu postao moj veliki prijatelj... Pisac koji je spojio mene i mog sadašnjeg velikog prijatelja, zagrebackog urednika Davora, pisac koga sam sa zadovoljstvom prodala najvećem juznoameričkom, i brazilskom izdavaču Recordu, i koji je za 4 meseca te davne 2008. čak dva puta bio njihov gost u Brazilu jer ga je i tamo publika veoma zavolela... Nekoliko njegovih knjiga objavila je Mladinska knjiga, jednu knjigu su prošle godine objavili Mono i manjana (nažalost u lošem prevodu punom materijalnih grešaka, po rečima mojih vrsnih prevodilaca za španski)... A sada ima i novu knjigu... Videćemo ko će ga dalje objavljivati u Srbiji... U Hrvatskoj ga je objavilo Znanje...

[Juliane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in a few hours, only interrupted by dinner, because I just couldn't put it out of my hands. The story pulled me in immediately and the authors gentle writing style made the pages flow by like a leaf in the autumn wind.

I especially enjoyed the allusions to Kafka and Hermann Hesse, two of my favorite authors, as well as to Pink Floyd, Schubert and Mendelssohn's Venetian Gondola songs. To me, it seems like the book was made for me, because it speaks of all the things I love and of the thoughts that keep running through my head at the moment.

I actually bought it as a Christmas present for my mother, yet I thought I should read it before giving it to her. I'm glad I did it and I'm sure she'll like it just as much as I do.

[Sana · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتابی بسيار سرگرم كننده و شيرين با تم عاشقانه؛ داستان استاد ادبياتی بنام سموئل كه زندگی يكنواختی داره، تنها عضو خانواده اش خواهری ست كه به ندرت با او ملاقات ميكنه. يكي از بزرگترين ترس هايش اينكه روزي تنها در اپارتمانش بميرد وكسی متوجه ان نشود اما در پی حوادثی با افرادى مواجه مى‌شود كه لذت عشق با چيزى كوچک را تجربه می‌کند، كه درواقع با ورود یک گربه بطور اتفاقی و قبول سرپرستي آن توسط سموئل اتفاق هاي خوب زنجيره وار رخ می‌دهند.

اين كتاب از نظر اينكه راوی داستان یک استاد ادبيات ميتواند یک كتاب فوق العاده آموزنده باشد و به دانش شما اضافه كند چرا كه در خلال داستان از نويسنده و كتاب های معروف به همراه نقل قول هایی از آنها استفاده شده .
با خوندن اين كتاب ديدمون به افراد و چيزهاي اطرافمون عوض ميشه وبه ما يادآوري ميكنه كه چگونه يک عمل مثبت كوچک ميتواند زندگى مارو عوض كنه .

[sAmAnE · Rating 4 out of 5]

با اینکه یه رمان عاشقانه ی ساده بود ولی من دوستش داشتم و به نظرم خیلی کیوت بود. اینکه شانس تو زندگی وجود داره و هر دیداری و وجود و حضور هر آدمی تو زندگیمون اتفاقی نیست. اینکه به نشانه‌ها و اتفاقات روزمره‌ی زندگیمون اهمیت بدیم...

[Brittany McCann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book: 5 Stars. Beautifully written, I love the witty passages. I liked the short 2-3 page chapters and random events.

Last half: 2.5 stars at best. The best way I can describe it is that things just kind of got weird and went in different directions.

Things that I loved about this book: The cat :) I loved all of the cat passages. I loved the serendipity of the events that happened and the people that Samuel came into contact with, all because of a saucer of milk. The older man upstairs. The tiny lyrical and quote passages are thrown into the mix. The chapter about the cat. The description of people. Gabriela as a thought.

Things that did not work for me: Valdemar. Gabriela as a person. The way that passages from other books started to replace the author's actual own thoughts. Hearing about gondoliers repeatedly.... three times maybe, but this got a bit excessive even for an OCD, over-analyzer like Samuel. The way that the book started in a beautiful, unique fashion and then lost this halfway through.

I still love the first half of this book. I love the love in lowercase thought, the unique set-up of the book's first part, and the brilliant passages about the cat. It is worth checking out and getting to know. I wish that things didn't get so strange and lose the feel of the beginning. Perhaps it is translated and supposed to be more humorous, and I didn't get the cross-language colloquialisms.

3 stars for me.

[Blondish And Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! It is reminiscent of A Man Called Ove or Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand or The Rosie Project, where the main character is a man who doesn’t have any close relationships but is drawn out despite himself and finds friendship/love. And I do love that type of story!

Samuel is a smart professor with no friends and few social skills. One day, while at home alone, he hears a sound at his door. When he opens it, a cat dashes inside and hides, refusing to leave. (The author does a great job with the baffling frustrations and irresistible softness and purring that cats use to manipulate humans, and as Samuel knows nothing about cats, it’s pretty funny!).

When the cat dashes out a few days later, Samuel feels responsible for him and follows him upstairs to a neighbor’s. The neighbor asks Samuel to run an errand for him—and everything snowballs.

This is a warm, lighthearted, “feel good” kind of read—it literally made me happy when I was reading. Full of charm, it made me wish that there were more books by Fracesc Miralles available (perhaps there are more in Spain that will be translated soon? I can hope!)

I recommend this for anyone who liked A Man Called Ove or the others I listed above, or who simply wants a well-written and enjoyable book!

Note: This book is also known as Love in Small Letters

[Abas Azimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

پلات داستان اینه: راوی سی و هفت ساله داستان دنبال عشق دوران کودکیش می­‌گرده، دختری که یک روز موقع بازی زیر یک راه پله بهش بوسه­‌ی‌ ستاره‌­ای داده بوده. همین. (بوسه ستاره­‌ای بوسه­ای هست که با تکان دادن مژه روی گونه طرف مقابل آن را می­دهند.)
داستان ارجاعات زیادی به کتاب­‌ها و نویسنده‌­ها و موسیقی و سینما داره. یه گربه به اسم میشیما هم هست که من خیلی دوستش داشتم و چندتایی شخصیت فرعی بامزه. می­گم بامزه چون تنها واژه­‌ای که برای شخصیت‌­ها و کلا دنیای این داستان بنظرم می‌­آد همینه.
اگر این کتاب رو قبل­تر خونده بودم، مثلا همین پارسال، بنظرم خیلی معمولی می‌­اومد و شاید ملال آور و حتی سطحی و احتمالا هم خیلی زود فراموشش می‌­کردم. اما حالا، همین­که چند ساعتی تونست من رو از دنیای اطرافم جدا کنه و مخصوصا اضطراب رو (اضطرابی که که این چند ماهه آنقدر همراهم بوده که دیگه بهش عادت کردم) ازم دور کرد برام ارزشمند و ماندگار شده. قدیم­ترها از کتا‌ب­‌ها انتظار داشتم. دقیقا نمی­دانم چه انتظاری اما داشتم. به قول هانتای تنهایی پرهیاهو وقتی که داره درباره کتاب­‌هایی که خودش و دوستان همکارش از خمیر شدن نجات دادن میگه: «به این امید خجسته که در این کتاب­ها روزی چیزی خواهیم خواند که هستی­‌مان را دگرگون خواهد کرد.» من این امید خجسته رو به کتاب­‌ها از دست داده‌­ام و فکر می­کنم تنها انتظاری که میشه از کتاب­‌ها داشت همینه؛ کمی سرخوشی و فراموشی و بیخیالی، درست شبیه همون حسی که با الکل و مخدر هم میشه بدستش آورد. اما مزیتی که کتاب نسبت به الکل و مخدر داره اینه که هم در دسترس‌­تره، هم ارزان‌تره و فکر می­کنم ضررش هم برای بدن کمتر باشه.
من نسخه صوتی کتاب رو که رادیو گوشه درآورده گوش دادم. کتاب خیلی خوب خوانده شده، پر از موسیقی‌های خوبه مخصوصا پینک فلوید. ترجمه خانوم امامی هم که حرف نداره.

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dar é Receber


Samuel vive encerrado num mundo estufa até ao dia em que um gatinho entra furtivamente no seu apartamento.
Embora renitente em recolher o bichano, este acaba por convencê-lo com o seu comovente Fado de Miados. 😉
E esse pequeno ato de bondade, foi-lhe devolvido numa cadeia de acontecimentos surpresa que o libertaram da prisão em que vivia!

A moral da história é simples e fácil de comprovar:
Dar é Receber!

Este livrinho é uma jóia rara 💎🥰💎

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving is Taking


Professor Samuel has been hiding in his shell until the day a lil wild cat entered his apartment without a formal invitation.
Samuel was not very happy with the surprising visitor, but was deeply moved by the Ballad of Meows and Purrs that was specially composed for him. In practical terms, it seemed like Professor Samuel got himself a roommate.

That small act of kindness has been returned to Samuel as a chain of unpredictable events that opened the gate of his self inflicted prison...

Moral of the story: Giving is Taking 😉👍

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when you deal with books that are translated you end up with some strange sentences and thoughts along the way. That I what I was thinking about this quirky little book, until I let it all seep in after I finished it. This book tells a story about a sad little man who is stuck in his own pathetic little life. He does the same thing over and over, day in and day out - Eats the same foods. Has the same thoughts. Teaches the same subjects. Lives in his own little world. Until the day a cat snuck into his home and refused to leave. Then things started to change for Samuel.

This book delves into a unique look at what changes can happen to someone when you open your eyes and see the world in a different way. You meet new people and start to see things in different ways because of their views and beliefs. You start noticing things around you that you have never realized before. You look at people in a new way. You can start to have hope for a future and maybe, just maybe, find someone to love, even when you are eccentric and a bit weird.

This book is a bit different from what we are used to reading. A bit tongue in cheek, somewhat humorous, and definitely quirky, this book does leave you with everlasting hope that people can change if they open themselves up to new experiences and not be afraid to be yourself.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think overall, I'd give this 3.5 stars, since I'm wavering between 3 and 4. It's a short little book, but there's a lot there, and I think I'm still processing it.

I suppose I'll start by saying that the novel's main character and narrator, Samuel, brought to mind hints of both Ove from A Man Called Ove and Don Tillman from The Rosie Project. He's a self-described hermit, though as the story opens he is not relishing the secluded and lonely life he is living. Then, with the scratch of claws on a door, a cat enters his life and changes its course completely.

Samuel's simple act of putting milk out for the stray cat, which he names Mishima, sets into motion a series of events that he could never predict. From the moment he opens his door to Mishima, he also opens himself up to experience life and people in a way he hasn't allowed himself to before. Mishima's presence causes him to seek out his upstairs neighbor, which leads to a random errand that leads to the chance siting of a love from his past. And that is just the beginning.

There really is SO MUCH in these 224 pages. While there is a love story present, as Samuel searches for and finds Gabriela, that is not really what the book is about. It's about Samuel himself, and how once he allows Mishima into his life, he begins to let go of some of the control and isolation he's shrouded himself in for so many years. He stops letting his life be guided by routine, and allows for changes to his plans at the last moment, letting his feelings guide him more than his brain.

Jam-packed with literary references and philosophy, Love in lowercase has an air of magic and whimsy about it. Samuel's journey is rife with mysteries and coincidences that he cannot make sense of, which he accepts. There's a sense, though, of a power larger than Samuel, guiding the course of his life.

And, now, processing the novel as I write the review, I think I've pushed myself into a 4-star rating :)

[Books & Props | Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião:

Não vos sei dizer o número de frases que sublinhei neste livro, mas foram muitas, mesmo muitas! E considero sempre isso um indicador positivo do que está a significar para mim a leitura!
Não é nenhuma obra prima, mas nem sempre as obras primas são grandiosas na sua mensagem, pelo menos para mim!
Mas a história deste homem solitário significou muito pela abordagem do que fazemos e somos diariamente, quando confrontados com os pequenos detalhes da vida.
Este livro está repleto de reflexões e citações de muitos autores como Kafka, Goethe, Jung, Fernando Pessoa, Bukowski, Siddhartha, Hermann Hesse, Brecht... O que para os amantes de literatura é logo um ponto a favor, principalmente quando são escolhidos a dedo!
Mas o mais tocante do Amor em Minúsculas, é exatamente o que diz a capa: “O segredo da felicidade está nas pequenas coisas”!
Deixo-vos a frase que mais me marcou, para encerrar este dia que está a ser uma verdadeira surpresa para mim, em que fiquei de coração cheio por saber que gostam deste cantinho ao qual dedico o meu melhor:

- “Quando falamos de tijolos, letras e átomos, o que conta é quem os organiza e qual o uso que lhes dá. Não importa o que somos, mas o que fazemos com o que somos. Dá no mesmo viver 650 000 horas ou seis horas e meia. As horas não servem para nada se não se souber o que fazer com elas”.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[mona aghazade · Rating 3 out of 5]

نمی دونم 3 بدم یا 2.5
چیز خاصی نبود
داستان در مورد مردی بود که اجتماعی نبود و اغلب تنها بود
به واسطه گربه ای که میاد جلو در خونش و این راهش می ده تو - تصمیم میگیره اول بدش به کسی ، دوست هایی پیدا می کنه و عشق پیدا می کنه وتصمیمی می گیره گربه رو نگه داره
برای دیدن عشقش میره کافه و اونجا با چند تا پیرمرد که مثلا خیلی با تجربه ان آشنا می شه
همین
1/10/98

[Chihoe Ho · Rating 2 out of 5]

If Haruki Murakami wrote "The Rosie Project" and set it in Spain. That's what this translated work reminds me of. There is a lonely man, a cat, literary and musical references, eccentric supporting characters, and a dose of philosophical discourse. How Murakami of it! But combining a Murakami-esque atmospheric style with a fun, flirty Rosie Project-like narrative, in this case, didn't work for me. I'm not sure if it ever will.

False advertising is what I'd say the Graeme Simsion bestseller comparison is. Besides Samuel being a shade of Don, the romantic humour that permeated "The Rosie Project" is lacking in "Love in Lowercase." I think the latter took itself way more seriously than what the quirky story called for, and as a result, lost a lot of its innate charm. "Love in Lowercase" unfortunately suffers from having the wrong tone dictate the novel, leaving me, a fan of both Haruki Murakami and "The Rosie Project," very bewildered.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

My deepest consideration for every book (author...) which creates bridges to your mind or soul.
Mr. Miralles is able to build both of them, making the reader ( a rather sophisticated one, as I don't see the under-average ones straining themselves) part of the story. A story of loneliness, love and emotions, which fits lots of people, whether they are willing to admit it or not.

[محمد نجابتی · Rating 5 out of 5]

فووووق العاااااده بود!!!
یه عاشقانه با اُسّ‌وقُس محکم و بدون کلیشه.
امیدوارم آثار دیگهٔ این نویسنده هم ترجمه بشن.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit it was the title of this book appealed to me and made me curious. Samuel is a lonely linguistics teacher who shies away from people. He doubts that the New Year will be any different to the rest of his ordered, solitary life. But then an unexpected visitor slips into his Barcelona apartment. Little by little changes start to occur in Samuel’s life.Among those changes that lead him to interact with a few select others, Samuel sees and recognises Gabriela with whom as a child he remembers sharing a meaningful relationship but who he thought had disappeared from his life. He also connects with two other quirky characters.
There are some interesting philosophical asides and plenty of info about books. At times though there was also too much extraneous information that didn’t really hold my interest so some skimming occurred.
Although it is only a relatively short book it took me a while to read, possibly because the characters never particularly grabbed me. It has been compared, unfairly in my opinion, to The Rosie Project. It didn’t engage me as that did. And I wasn’t convinced about the romance aspect at all. A sweet but rather meandering read. I liked some of the thoughts expressed. Though the story is amusing at times, for me did not live up to the hype. Maybe it lost something in translation?

[Connie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Samuel, a Germanic Studies lecturer at a university in Barcelona, has a lonely life that alternates between the classroom and his apartment. His life changes when a cat scratches on his door. When he lets the cat in, he also lets other people into his life, starting with his neighbor when the cat escapes from his apartment. The neighbor sends him on an errand that leads to other connections. Samuel describes "love in lowercase": "Its when some small act of kindness sets off a chain of events that comes around again in the form of multiplied love."

Samuel and his new friends meditate on life, noting the writings of great writers and philosophers. Samuel also makes a connection with Gabriela, a girl he met when they were children. There's lots of self-deprecating humor as Samuel manages to always do the wrong thing when he's in the company of beautiful Gabriela. The book is charming and fun, and Mishima the cat is hard to resist.

[Mandana Shadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

یک داستان عاشقانه که خیلی آروم و لطیف پیش میره ...

[Mor‌TeZa · Rating 4 out of 5]

عشق با حروف کوچک
کتابی دوست داشتنی، بسیار خوشخوان و شسته رفته..
داستان عشقی جذاب و خاص، بدون سانتی مانتالیسم با رگه هایی از شبه فلسفه و عرفان آسیای شرقی..
همه چیز این داستان به اندازه بود..
البته حجم ش میتونست یک چهارم کمتر باشه.
ترجمه با این که خوب بود، اما برخی جاها ضعف ها و ایرادت عجیبی داشت.
ویرایش خیلی ضعیف بود که از نشر خوب نیلوفر بعیده.
طراحی جلد هم که افتضاحه..

دوستش داشتم...
مخصوصا شروع ش رو که، خیلی خیلی جذاب بود.

نمره من به کتاب چیزی شبیه چهار و بیست و پنجه.

[Megan • Reading Books Like a Boss (book blog) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love in Lowercase is a cute novel about how small inconsequential things can have a big effect in our lives.  In Samuel's case, it was a stray cat changed his whole life. Admittedly this book, while short, was one that didn't hold my interest and the love story felt awkward.

Samuel is a lonely linguistics professor whose life is one of structure. He does the same thing everyday until a stray cat interrupts his happily mundane routine. This cat is the catalyst for change and turns his little world upside down. He meets his next door neighbor—an book editor—who he's never spoken to. This encounter leads him to Gabriela, the girl he fell in love with as a boy. He then meets an eccentric man named Valdemar who's more concerned with conspiracy theories than his own reality.

This book had his charming moments, like Samuel's interactions with his neighbor and his own internal musings on what to do when in love. It's filled with literary and musical references, showcasing Samuel's great love and appreciation for both.

I didn't really find this book to be "haha" humorous, but more amusing and quirky. Many reviewers have said maybe the humorous nature got lost in translation. That may be, but I think the humor and charm is in the eccentric characters, the connections, and the idea that a cat can turn this loner's life into something greater. What I took away from this book is the idea that there is magic in the mundane simplistic things of life, and I liked that.

My main problem I had with this book was that I just wasn't ever truly engaged in the book. But the love story was a part of that journey and it was so very strange.

Samuel had only seen Gabriela once as a boy and fell in love with her instantly. Several years later, he sees her walking down the street and realizes that he's always been in love with her since he was a little boy and will only ever love her. This didn't seem believable to me. I'm not saying that this sort of thing can never happen in real life; the author just didn't make me believe it here. Further, Samuel's internal struggle with his deep-seeded love for Gabriela felt almost creepy, especially when Gabriela didn't remember him.

The love story is very much secondary to Samuel's own self-discovery, which I did appreciate. This book was quirky and cute in moments, but it won't be one that I will revisit in the future.

* I received this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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★★UPCOMING BOOK RELEASES★★
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[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review



Charming, smart, quirky and linguistically delightful!!! Love in Lowercase by Francesc Miralles was one of those rare charming romantic comedy that has a way to win hearts with its unique prose and ensemble cast of characters. In this unlikely tale of romance, an unexpected visitor more like a stray brindle-furred cat to be exact pays a lonely linguistics lecturer a visit on New Years Day and brings a wave of unexpected surprises. Thanks to this cat, Samuel soon discovers that maybe his luck and life will no longer be dull and boring. Along this fun and quirky journey, Samuel reunites with an old friend, whom he can thank his meddlesome cat for reuniting him with Gabriela. In this offbeat tale of self-discovery, Francesc Miralles mixes a colorful literary tale that weaves a literary taste of Goethe and Kafka into this fresh tale that turned a mundane predictable life into a life filled with whole new sense of vivacity.



Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rotunjite. Iubire cu i mic este o bijuterie mică, mică și finuță, plină de citate simpatice care pot fi considerate lecții de viață (cred că ar merge scrise pe poze cu asfințituri), filozofii pentru începători, de trimiteri la cărți, filme și informații de cultură generală. E genul de carte care emană acel aer pe care îl au oamenii care stau singuri pe o bancă și se uită la frunze, potrivită celor cu firi visătoare. În plus, am aflat câteva chestii foarte interesante, cum ar fi că Dale Carnegie, faimosul autor care ne învăța cum să trăim, s-ar fi sinucis, deși n-au fost confirmate zvonurile. Ironia vieții. Mie mi s-a părut tare simpatică și relaxantă cartea, chiar dacă sunt supărată pe autor pentru că m-a ademenit cu pisica și nu m-a lăsat să o cunosc prea bine, pentru că e o poveste boemă despre efemeritate, despre importanța lucrurilor mici și despre cum iubirea poate apărea de unde te aștepți mai puțin, așa cum a apărut Mishimo la ușă. Recenzia aici: https://sandradeaconu.blogspot.com/20....

,,M-am băgat sub duș pentru ca apa să-mi ducă lacrimile până la vreo stație de epurare a apei din afara orașului. Voiam să-mi trimit tristețea departe și să mă întorc la singurătatea mea anodină.''

[Miniikaty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Más bien es un 2,5.

Nueva novela de Francesc Miralles, un autor que hasta el momento me ha agradado con su pluma delicada y tan peculiar, pero esta vez no ha terminado de ser lo que esperaba. Porque con Amor en minúscula me he encontrado con una historia distinta de lo que esperaba, que se lee en un suspiro porque cuenta con capítulos cortos y una narración que sin querer te envuelve, pero con un argumento más bien lento y sin demasiada trama, así que no me ha enganchado ni me ha maravillado.

Reseña completa: http://letraslibrosymas.blogspot.com/...

[Arash · Rating 3 out of 5]

_
عشق با حروف کوچک، عنوانی که در ابتدا و بدون شناخت کافی از کتاب ذهنتان را به این سمت سوق می دهد که کتابی است با درونمایه های تکراری و آبکیِ عشق و عاشقی، طرح جلدش هم که گذشته از قرابت معنایی برای کسی که بدون شناخت سمت کتاب می آید کمی زننده است ( در چاپ جدیدتر جلد کتاب تغییر کرده)، ولی این کتاب چنین که در نگاه اول می نماید نیست.
منظور از حروفِ کوچک همان اتفاقاتِ کوچک و به ظاهر بی اهمیتی است که همگی به کرّات به سادگی از کنار آن ها گذر کرده ایم، وزیدن بادی، خوردن قهوه ای در یک جای معمولی، ورود گربه ای به درون خانه. اگر زندگی در بدترین شرایط خود باشد یا آن قدر تنهایی گذرانده باشید که در جمع بودن، شما را دچار اضطراب و دستپاچگی می کند کافیست یکی از این اتفاقات را جدی بگیرید و دنبالش کنید.
شخصیت اصلی یک استاد ادبیات است، همین سبب می شود که نام بزرگانی از ادبیات جهان در کتاب به میان آید و جملات و نقل و قول هایی از آنان بخوانیم، از گوته و هسه تا گراهام گرین و بوکوفسکی و دیگران.
همان اتفاقات کوچک این بار باعث تغییری شگرف در زندگی شخصیت اصلی می شود. با همسایه اش ارتباط برقرار می کند و از خانه و کاشانه اش نگه داری می کند. شخصی به نام والدمار که خود را محقق فیزیک و کهکشانها می نامد به گونه ای دیگر وارد می شود و با خیال ها و وهم هایش سؤالات بزرگی مطرح می کند. آیا هرچیزی دو روی و سمت دارد؟ مثلا اگر نیمی از مریخ تحت تابش نور باشد آن طرفی که تاریکی است چگونه است؟ چگونه می شود این نیمه دیگر را شناخت؟ انسان هم همین است، نیمه تاریکی در او وجود دارد. کتاب جنبه فلسفی هم پیدا می کند و با حضور هر کدام از شخصیت های فردی که به یکباره تنهایی ساموئل (همان شخصیت اصلی) را دچار دگرگونی می کنند جنبه هایی نظیر علم و فلسفه در کتاب پدیدار می شود.
تمامی این ها او را به سمت یک خاطره ای قدیمی می کشاند و یک دیدار تصادفی. دیداری که او را به گذشته می کشاند به کودکی و بازیها و همبازیها و یک اثر پروانه ای ( اتفاق کوچکی در گذشته بنیانگذار نتیجه و عملی بزرگ در آینده می شود). او برای رسیدن به یک عشق تلاش می کند، هرچند راه درست دستیابی به این عشق را نمی داند، به همین علت از رفتار متفاوتش شوکه نشوید، او در حال تجربه و یادگیری است.
کتاب به شدت خوشخوان و روان است البته ایرادات ویرایشی در چاپی که من خواندم موجود است ولی اینها از جذابیت کتاب نمی کاهند. کتاب را از روی نام و جلدش قضاوت نکنید، نه زرد است و نه سخیف، تجربه ای خوب که در پایان امیدی را در دلتان زنده خواهد کرد.
از چیزهای کوچک لذت ببرید، روزی خواهد آمد که متوجه می شوید چیزهای بزرگی بودند.

[Asal · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب خوبی بود
چیزی که تو سیرش خیلی برجسته بود
این بود که به هیجانات و احساسات کوچک
هم اهمیت بده
چون ممکنه تبدیل به بزرگترین اتفاقات زندگی بشن .
اخرین کتاب مرداد ماه و اولین کتابی که تو سال ۴۰۲تموم کردم .
هوراااا

[Joana · Rating 3 out of 5]

O amor não está nos grandes gestos, mas sim nas pequenas acções que encadeadas entre si podem levar a grandes acontecimentos (e a grandes histórias de amor, quem sabe). Esta é a premissa que dá título a um livro de fácil leitura, mas que contém algumas passagens que obrigam o leitor a reflectir acerca da solidão, do amor, da amizade e até da predestinação da vida de cada um.
Nalguns momentos da leitura ficamos com a sensação de que este podia ser um livro de auto-ajuda. Mesmo assim, contém tópicos muito interessantes, que dão espaço à reflexão. Gostei particularmente da ideia de" fazer o contrário", ou seja, em determinada situação (especialmente quando estamos contrariados) fazer exactamente o contrário do que se faria normalmente (por exemplo, ser-se simpático e conversador quando só nos apetece estar em silêncio e longe da pessoa). Os efeitos desta "experiência" são muito interessantes.

[Ildiko Szendrei · Rating 2 out of 5]

O carte simpatică, potrivită pentru cei care doresc o scriitură inteligentă. Spun asta pentru că Francesc Miralles aduce în atenție o serie de scriitori, muzicieni, oameni de știință din diverse perioade, aparent întâmplător. În rest, acțiunea este extrem de simplă, cu personaje cel puțin ciudate, incluzându-l aici și pe protagonistul Samuel de Juan, un profesor de 37 de ani, singur, care brusc își dă seama că e îndrăgostit de o fată din copilărie, pe care o regăsește întâmplător. Nu vă lăsați păcăliți (ca mine), pisica de pe copertă nu este personajul principal, chiar dacă este sarea și piperul în unele momente-cheie.

[Nazin · Rating 2 out of 5]

اینطور به نظر میاد که نویسنده بعد از سال ها مطالعه دست به قلم شده و مخلوطی از چیزهایی که خونده رو نوشته و انگار قسم خورده تمام کتاب‌هایی که ازش لذت برده رو تو این کتاب کم حجم جا کنه !!! اینکه مطالعه بالایی داشته باشی و به کتاب های مختلفی اشاره کنی جالبه ولی انقدر زیاده روی شده که کاملا احساس تقلید کردن رو میده ! تقریبا هر بخش از کتاب من و یاد یه کتاب دیگه ای مینداخت و احساس می‌کردم کلاژی از چندین کتاب رو دارم می‌خونم که هیچ کدوم بسط و گسترش پیدا نکرده و تا آخرش هم یک داستان واحد منسجم که در ذهنم هویت خودش رو پیدا کنه به وجود نیومد !

ضمن اینکه به کتاب‌های زیادی اشاره می‌کنه و حتی بعضی از اون‌ها رو خیلی راحت اسپویل می‌کنه ! واقعا نمی‌فهمم این چه کاریه و چه لزومی داره که در دو خط از اول تا آخر یک کتابی رو خلاصه کنی و پایانش رو بکوبی تو صورت ما ! میخوای پز کتاب خوندنت و بدی که از سیدارتا گرفته تا دن کیشوت و خوندی باشه پُزش رو بده ولی دیگه چرا آخرش و میگی مرد حسابی ؟؟ از بین کتاب‌هایی که نخونده بودم و در لیستم بود « رنج‌های ورتر جوان » رو به صورت کامل اسپویل کرد ! تا اومدم بفهمم داره تا ته کتاب و میگه که ادامش رو نخونم پایانش هم گفت و تموم شد !!! پس نه تنها از خوندن عشق با حروف کوچک لذت کافی نبردم بلکه کتابی که ممکن بود بسیار از اون لذت ببرم رو هم از دست دادم و یه ستاره هم برا این کم میکنم ! :///

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

First let me say that I was provided a copy of this book for review from Penguin First to Read. Now that THAT technicality is out of the way...on with the review. I have to be honest and admit that I really didn't care for this book. If I had it in me to DNF books, this one would be on that list. It is being marketed as the next "Rosie Project" and although I planned to read that someday, maybe I shouldn't. I also think that because this book is a translation from a Spanish author, maybe it lost something along the way. I don't know. Also the chapters are really short and choppy and they don't flow very well at all in my opinion.

The plot is your average guy decides he doesn't want to spend his life alone so he tries to do something about it. However, this guy happens to be a German literature professor and is hooked on all things "language" which isn't a bad thing but which this book makes super annoying. He is also obsessed with classical music. Again, not a bad thing but I felt like the author was trying to force-feed me culture. I liked some of the characters in the book, just not Samuel, the main character, or Gabriela, the girl he has been in love with since he was a kid (just forget that he hasn't seen her in 30 years). I liked the old man who lives upstairs, Titus, and Valdemar isn't bad (conspiracy theories and all), except I kept wanting to call him Voldemort. I REALLY liked Mishima the cat...and I am a dog person...that should really clue you in on something.

This book is a quick read, and I really believe there is a more deep, philosophical meaning in there somewhere, but I didn't feel like looking for it. I am sure there will be tons of people that like it, it just wasn't for me. The cover is sort of cute and I'll admit it is what caught my eye. I didn't even like the ending because I feel the the wrong couple ended up together. I don't know who I would recommend this book to, but like I said, just because I didn't enjoy it doesn't mean that others won't and that it isn't a decent book.