“Gabriel García Márquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show.”—The New York Times Book ReviewA New York Times BestsellerBarcelona, 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. … 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.
“ 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
”Wonderous… 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)
“One gorgeous read.”—Stephen King
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I recommend this novel whenever I can. It is one of my favorite books of the last 15 years. It is the story of a boy’s spiritual, romantic, and intellectual journey to manhood in prewar Barcelona. The setting and characters are absolutely brilliant. This is one you will love reading and remember for a long time.
What’s a novel that I’d consider required reading? Have I recommended this book before? I don’t think I can recommend it enough. Any review of mine would not be able to do the book justice. It’s a book about books! I could not put it down. Right after I read it, I had a friend from Germany visiting. I had many activities planned, but he wouldn’t stop listening to an audiobook – he was RAVING about it. Yup, you guessed it, it was this book – so I totally encouraged it.
This book is one of my favorites. Beautifully written, entertaining story, interesting characters, plus a bit of tragedy thrown in… it has it all.
It is a gothic tale set in 1945, Barcelona. Daniel, the bookseller’s son, is introduced to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and makes his selection of one book from the labyrinth to take home and care for. In doing so, he finds himself involved in a real-life mystery. If you love reading then this book is for you. The perfect book to read on a rainy or snowy day. One of my favorites!
If you, like me, are never happy unless surrounded by books on all sides, you will be filled with jealously of ten year old Daniel when his father, the owner of a book store, takes him to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books. The miles of corridors filled with millions of books, where most visitor easily get lost and must be found by the guard, sounds like heaven to me. Daniel is allowed to chose one book of his choice and the one he chooses leads to a story of suspense and mystery that is impossible to put down!
What a superb book. Character driven, they drew me in and kept me reading. The main character, Daniel, purchases a rare book and the search to find out about the author leads to some shocking discoveries. Each character is extremely well drawn and realistic. The storyline has several twists and turns. Translated from Spanish, this is not a book to be read in a hurry but one to be savoured and every word enjoyed.
A gothic, delicious book, one of my absolute favorite reads EVER. It’s a celebration of books, reading, epic romance, all set in Barcelona, one of my favorite cities. So, SO good!
One of the best books I’ve ever read. I’ve read it twice in fact. Could not put it down. It’s a story within a story. Great writing. Definitely recommend it. Like nothing I’ve ever read before.
Love, love, LOVE this book! One of my favorites and definitely my #1 recommendation when asked.
A book about books, enthralling, suspenseful: full of rich scenery and well-built characters. I’ve read it twice, and the two others in this series. This book also got me hooked on Zafon- I’ve read everything he’s had printed in English.
This book will be with me forever – hauntingly beautiful – the characters stole my heart – add this to your “my favorite books” list – you won’t regret this read!
Fascinating story that takes place during challenging times.
Zafon certainly knows how to pull a reader in and keep them there. A beautiful and heart-touching story you won’t forget. The journey of the young boy in Spain is captivating and haunting. Both tragic and fulfilling romance dance on the pages of this incredible novel. A book for everyone who loves the heart of a storyteller.
Years after my grandmother handed me this incredibly imaginative novel, I still think about this story from time to time. Not a lot of works stick to my ribs like that.
I’m writing this a mere 15 hours after I finished reading this book.
There’s nothing more satisfying than a book that keeps you guessing with a good story. This book was recommended to me by a classmate back in undergrad, and I do not regret reading it in the slightest.
Daniel Sempere, a young boy living in Barcelona right after World War II has just ended, is an avid reader whose father owns a book store. On his 11th birthday, he encounters a book called The Shadow of the Wind by a man named Julian Carax, and he falls so deeply in love with the words that he decides to look for more of Carax’s works. The problem is that nobody knows anything about Carax, and his books are nowhere to be found. People speak of a rumour, of a man named Lian Coubert who travels across Europe, burning any book by Julian Carax until all are gone. And Lian Coubert’s eyes are now set on Daniel, who has the only surviving copy of The Shadow of the Wind.
The book takes you through Barcelona in the mid-20th century, a city of beauty and splendor, filled with intrigue and scandal and the still-lingering effects of a civil war that ended not too long ago. The cast of characters is amazing, from Daniel himself, to Fermin the beggar who found his good fortune, to the watchmaker who lives down the street from Daniel and his father, to Julian Carax himself, who we never truly meet face-to-face. All the characters are beautifully written and complex, full of their own lives, secrets, and stories, and the way that Zafon writes about each character through Daniel’s eyes shows not only that Daniel is an incredibly perceptive person, but the talent that Zafon has in making you grasp the understanding that other people’s lives are complex just through a few words. He brings together the medium of flashback and storytelling into the story like a tightly-woven tapestry, and while the story is told through Daniel’s first person point of view, there is no doubt in your mind at all while reading that Daniel is anything but an unreliable narrator.
I enjoyed reading this book immensely, and found myself getting through it quicker than I imagined. Though it’s quite a thick book, the story is too engaging to be let down after simply a few pages. I always found myself telling myself I had to stick through for just ‘one more chapter’, which always turned into five…
Final rating: 6/5.
A truly beautiful book.
This is a good mystery weaving elements of the past with the present – the present being at the time of the Spanish Revolution. There is an air of mysticism and a reverence of books.
The writing is not on the same level as Arturo Perez-Reverte (5-star all the way), but is a very good 4-star read.
Zafon, a Spanish writer, has 2 follow ups to this. The 2nd is Angel’s Game which is a solid step down but still worth the time. I have not yet read the 3rd The Prisoner of Heaven.
This is a masterpiece! My friend Leah gave me The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zapon. She had just finished reading it and thought I would enjoy it, so she passed it on. Let me just say it was the best gift I’ve had in years. The Shadow of the Wind is one of my favourite novels. The author, Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a Spanish novelist. He was born in Barcelona, Spain in 1964 but has lived in Los Angeles, California,USA, since 1994. He and works as a scriptwriter as well as writing novels.
The story is set in Barcelona, 1945. The city is healing slowly after the Spanish Civil War. Daniel Sempere is an antiquarian book dealer’s son. The boy mourns the loss of his mother. His father takes Daniel to the a secret labyrinth of forgotten books – the place where books are brought for their final rest after the world has forgotten their existence – and told by his father to pick one to always care for and protect. The boy chooses and finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax.
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. His life is changed forever by his fascination with the book, its author and his determination to uncover the mystery surrounding the doomed fate of all other works by the author. 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.
From the very first line to the very end I loved this book, and as a reader I am not too easily pleased. What fascinated me most as Daniel started to get entangled in the mysterious web of the book and its author’s history, was how Daniel’s life began to mirror that of Carax. I love stories out of the ordinary that captivate my imagination and run away with it. That is exactly what The Shadow of The Wind did.
The writing in this book is almost poetic yet it is simple to follow and most enjoyable. There are subtle sub-plots that run alongside the major plot so the book is neither one dimensional nor boring. Overall this is a fascinating read that is sure to take you on an imaginative adventure that will make you wish there were more pages to read after you turn the last page. I highly recommend this book to all who are not afraid to explore other worlds nor to allow a book to engulf their senses completely. Read The Shadow of the Wind and enjoy!
Daniel is a young man, brought to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father. While there he finds a book called The Shadow of the Wind written by Julian Carax. He devours the book and is intent on finding more books by this author.
During his search he finds there are mysterious circumstances surrounding this author and his books. So begins Daniel’s journey into the life and mystery of Julian Carax. One wonders did he find the book? Or was the book waiting there for him?
I absolutely loved this book. The writing is amazing and the imagery it created had me drawn in and lost. The gothic & historical aspect was something I was pleasantly surprised with. Even though the book started off slow, the second half of the book more than makes up for it. The life, story, and mystery of Julian Carax is one that will stick with me for a while.
I loved this book – Zafron’s writing is clear, descriptive and haunting. He creates a consistent mood throughout. The metaphorical meanings of a “cemetery of forgotten books” I found brilliant and was carried throughout the novel by all of the multi-dimensional characters. Highly recommended!
Set in Barcelona following the Spanish Civil War and up to the mid 1950’s.
This was an outstanding read, and a style I had not read before. It was a mixture of Gothic, romance, mystery, thriller and fantasy all rolled into one.
I found I didn’t want it to end, yet was compelled to keep reading.
Carlos Ruiz Zafon is an amazing story teller, and I have already purchased the other books in this fantastic series, which I am looking forward to reading.