The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
August 30th, 2009
“I still remember the day my Father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time.” So begins Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s 487 page tome, The Shadow of the Wind. Set in Barcelona in the 1950′s, the novel follows Daniel, a young man in search of Julian Carax, the author of The Shadow of the Wind. Mystery, romance, and friendship slowly untangle Julian’s dark past while Daniel’s exploration leads him deeper into the gothic tale.
My only disappointment was that more time was not spent in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, which seems like such a magical place.
A labyrinth of passageways and crammed bookshelves rose from base to pinnacle like a beehive woven with tunnels, steps, platforms, and bridges that presaged an immense library of seemingly impossible geometry…Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.
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August 31st, 2009 at 10:01 am
I recently picked up an ex-library copy of this – I’m looking forward to it!
September 21st, 2009 at 04:02 pm
I really loved this book. I picked it up before our trip to Barcelona and it was cool seeing Mount Tibidabo, etc. My only complaint was that after so much build-up, the ending was too fast and anticlimactic.
September 24th, 2009 at 05:53 pm
this is the best book i’ve read on the road so far. LOVED it, though in the end it seems like everything came together rather quickly. anyhow, i’m reading his latest book know and it talks about the cemetery of books!
June 11th, 2010 at 09:36 am
This is one of my favorite books of all-time. I am reading the prequel “The Angel’s Game” right now.
I just came over from the hop! Thanks for the review.
June 12th, 2010 at 07:28 am
Hi Brenna – I just picked up “The Angel’s Game” and hope to read it soon. Thanks for stopping by!