Title: Shadow of the WindAuthor: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Genre: Fiction
Synopsis: Set in 1940s Barcelona, 10-year-old Daniel, son of a bookshop owner, finds the book Shadow of the Wind and it instantly becomes his favorite book and wants to read more by the same author. When he finds out that someone is systematically been destroying all books by the author, Julian Carax, he becomes obsessed with knowing more. After years of working to solve this mystery, Daniel finds strange parallels between himself and his favorite author.
My Thoughts
This novel tells a story like none I have ever read before. I knew that I would like a book about people who love books, but this novel has so much more going for it than just that. The expansive vocabulary used by the author alone made it so much fun to read. The version I read (and the one linked above) is an English translation from the original Spanish and it is so well done.
I didn't realize when I picked it up, but it became apparent that this novel is written in the Gothic style so some parts are very suspenseful. There was a point where I had to read it during the day because I was a little too creeped out to read it before bed. (Go ahead and laugh, then you read it and tell me what you think!)
The storyline has so many moving parts and characters but somehow the author writes in a way that you do not get confused about who is who, or if the character is someone from the past or the present. It has such depth, there is the story of Daniel and his family, the story of Julian Carax growing up, the story of a good friend of Julian's, Nuria Munfort, and finally the story behind who is destroying all of Julian's novels. Much of what is written about the past is written in italics, which helps, and Nuria Munfort's story comes in the form of a letter.
While much of the novel is dark and has moments of heaviness, (yes, there were points where I cried) there are also moments of levity, inspiring friendships, and hope. I highly recommend it!
I was excited to hear from a friend that it is just the first of three novels in a series, can't wait to get my hands on the next two!
If you like Gothic novels, coming of age stories, mystery and suspense, or post-Spanish Civil war novels, this book is for you!
Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!
To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above.
This novel tells a story like none I have ever read before. I knew that I would like a book about people who love books, but this novel has so much more going for it than just that. The expansive vocabulary used by the author alone made it so much fun to read. The version I read (and the one linked above) is an English translation from the original Spanish and it is so well done.
I didn't realize when I picked it up, but it became apparent that this novel is written in the Gothic style so some parts are very suspenseful. There was a point where I had to read it during the day because I was a little too creeped out to read it before bed. (Go ahead and laugh, then you read it and tell me what you think!)
The storyline has so many moving parts and characters but somehow the author writes in a way that you do not get confused about who is who, or if the character is someone from the past or the present. It has such depth, there is the story of Daniel and his family, the story of Julian Carax growing up, the story of a good friend of Julian's, Nuria Munfort, and finally the story behind who is destroying all of Julian's novels. Much of what is written about the past is written in italics, which helps, and Nuria Munfort's story comes in the form of a letter.
While much of the novel is dark and has moments of heaviness, (yes, there were points where I cried) there are also moments of levity, inspiring friendships, and hope. I highly recommend it!
I was excited to hear from a friend that it is just the first of three novels in a series, can't wait to get my hands on the next two!
If you like Gothic novels, coming of age stories, mystery and suspense, or post-Spanish Civil war novels, this book is for you!
Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!
To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above.
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