“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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This is well written and interesting. The setting and characters are unusual and the descriptions are wonderful.
One of my favorite books of all time. Wonderful characters and a very original plot.
I enjoyed this book, but the writing ranged from excellent to saccarine. The author overused figurative language.
This is an extraordinary book. A treasure!
The Shadow of the Wind was written in Spanish but this translation is wonderful. The story is unique and imaginative. The reader is drawn into a fascinating world of another time and place, and an enthralling story, filled with original characters. This is really good stuff. You won’t be sorry.
Well written and translated. Unusual story which made it an interesting read.
Great book!
A memorable and great story.
Although a lot of literary snobs rip this book, it reminded me why I love reading. It might not be a literary classic but it sure is a very enjoyable read, I absolutely would recommend this to every reader (except the self important know it alls!).
A book for book lovers. The son of a book dealer falls in love with an obscure book in his fathers store, only to find that other books by that author are being systematically destroyed by a disfigured man. Set in atmospheric 1930’s Barcelona, the story is sure to enthrall all of us bookies!
Good book, well written. It has a dark thread that runs throughout. Long letter of explanation about events near the end that was a bit tedious. I liked it but it was a bit heavy
Much better on audio due to a lot of Spanish
I loved the subject, the characters, everything about this wonderful book. Zafon is a great writer.
Entertaining, unique
Wonderful use of magical realism mixed with Gothic. My book club loved it.
Very intriguing. I love this author.
Wonderfully complex book. Unforgettable.
This is a very different book. It is quirky and at times quite fascinating. Characters very interesting and adequately developed. Like the book within the book, it may not be for all but it certainly captivated me.
This is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve read it. When we went to Barcelona we even visited the same streets to put us in the main character’s shoes as he traversed his story. A wonderful book – one of the best I’ve read!
One of the best books I have ever read.