Only Smoke

Only Smoke by Juan José Millás, published by Bellevue Literary Press on May 13, 2025, is a literary exploration that intertwines personal discovery with the enchanting world of folklore. The narrative follows Carlos, who, on his eighteenth birthday, inherits his estranged father’s apartment and uncovers a manuscript detailing a complex tale of love and identity. As he sifts through his father’s belongings, Carlos is drawn into the stories of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, prompting a journey that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy.
In this edition, readers will find a rich tapestry of themes, including mythology and the absurd, as Carlos navigates his father’s legacy and his own sense of self. The book delves into the intricacies of familial relationships and the impact of storytelling on personal growth. With 176 pages, this English-language work invites readers to reflect on the transformative power of literature while engaging with the unpredictable and often darkly entertaining elements of the narrative.
Official synopsis Publisher
A son follows the breadcrumbs through a volume of Grimms’ Fairy Tales in search of his estranged father
On his eighteenth birthday, Carlos receives a strange gift: his father, whom he never knew, has died and left him his apartment. As he goes through the man’s belongings, Carlos comes across a manuscript that tells the unsettling story of a secret affair, a love child, and a butterfly. Is this a confession or pure fiction?
As Carlos begins to make the apartment his own, he immerses himself in the tales of the Brothers Grimm left on the nightstand, embarking on a journey that will bring him closer to his father and teach him how to navigate the invisible borders between reality and fantasy, sanity and madness.
At once wildly unpredictable, darkly entertaining, and surprisingly tender, Only Smoke is an ode to the imagination and the transformative power of literature.
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