Friends

From prize–winning author Aurora Venturini, a masterful and acerbic novel about a successful artist in her 80s returning to her hometown in Argentina after decades living and working in Europe, reckoning with old and new friends, lovers, and ideas

In a breathless, incantatory voice, Friends tells the story of Yuna Riglos, a celebrated Argentine painter nearing the end of her life. From her apartment in La Plata, Yuna writes as she paints: obsessively, associatively, driven by memory rather than chronology. Fame has not delivered peace. Instead, it has sharpened her awareness of what art cannot redeem.

At the center of the book is Antonella, a teenage girl from the slums who enters Yuna’s life as a housekeeper and becomes something far more unsettling: muse, double, survivor, and moral reckoning. As Yuna shelters Antonella from an unspeakable past of hunger, violence, and incest, the novel probes the uneasy ethics of care, authorship, and representation. What does it mean to protect another person—and what does it mean to turn their suffering into art?

Threaded through the narrative are spectral presences from Argentine and European culture—Pizarnik, Lautréamont, Dante, Goya—figures of genius and despair who haunt Yuna’s imagination as both warning and justification. Friendship, especially between women, emerges as both refuge and trap, most painfully embodied in the fate of Yuna’s fellow artist Matilde du Pin.

By turns savage, tender, comic, and horrifying, this is a novel about beauty and monstrosity, class and cruelty, the body as archive, and the terrible persistence of memory. Friends asks whether art can offer salvation—or whether it merely gives shape to what cannot be forgiven or undone.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs