Average Bufph Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
2014-09-24
"Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should." —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post
“Wondrous...masterful...The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero.” —Entertainment Weekly, Editor's Choice
“This is one gorgeous read.” —Stephen King
"I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetary of Forgotten Books for the first time..."
Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets—an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.
An exquisite narrative that weaves through the labyrinth of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. Zafon's prose is a masterclass in atmosphere and mystery, enveloping the reader in a story that is both haunting and deeply human. The interplay between the past and present is deftly handled, offering a fresh perspective that diverges from the espionage and aviation themes that typically populate my reading list. A narrative labyrinth that demands to be savored slowly, much like a fine wine.
