“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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Good story telling and characters
I’ve read this book twice, a favorite in my book club. Interesting locale, story line, and characters.
While it started out a bit slow, the finish was very exciting and very satisfying. A fine mystery that opens up slowly to the finish.
May be my favorite book of all time. Lyrical, mysterious. Deeply affecting, especially if you are a book lover.
One of my favorite books ever- magical!
Zafon’s intriguing book about a book and the mysterious disappearances of all the other books by its author is a masterful, labrynthian tale of one boy’s obsession and his journey into an older and wider world. I was enchanted with this book, in love with its characters, and thoroughly captured with its seductively mysterious tone. I might need to read it again. A book for book lovers.
I read this book while visiting Barcelona and the effect was magical. I could walk the streets he evokes and imagine some of the currents he explores. The books is simply magisterial. It’s long and winding but also gripping. I couldn’t put it down, and it had so much to say about literature and about the human condition. Plenty of romance too! It was a fiercer blend of tragedy and comedy than any book I’ve read recently. Laugh out loud phrases! And an ending that was happy as well as incredibly sad.
Too fantastical and gothic. The story line was melodramatic.
Set in Barcelona during the years of the Franco dictatorship, you’ll live and breathe a city so completely different from its present-day tourist reality. A dark, atmospheric, and sad novel.
Brilliant, one of my all-time favorites
This book is truly one of the most memorable stories I have read. It will be a part of me for the rest of my life.
It’s a book about a book and an action packed thriller. I’ve read it twice, and everyone I have recommended it to loves it.
I couldn’t put it down. it was totally different from anything I have ever read. It was simply mesmerizing.
It was one of the best books I have ever read!!!!
A well written book. I enjoyed every page of it.
A marvelous modern Gothic, this has become one of my all-time favorites, a book to read and re-read.
This author is amazing at weaving a believable story about unbelievable events. The characters are captivating, and I couldn’t put the book down. I’m looking forward to reading other books by this author!
This was probably one of the best books I’ve ever read. It is extremely well written and I hated when I was getting close to finishing the book. I have given this book to numerous friends who have also enjoyed it.
Can I give this ten stars?
So, I shall tell you a story which, when done, will amaze you for the simple fact of the which book I chose, or rather, the one that chose me. I’m not lying!!
In one of my many wanderings through indie bookstores and mega-bookstores, I decided to spend an afternoon just perusing titles at my local Barnes and Noble. I had no idea what I was looking for, so I just randomly went down aisles picking up titles or covers that grabbed me, read the back cover and ALWAYS the first line. If the first line (or sometimes paragraph) does not do the trick… well, back to the shelf it goes.
I was not having any success, so I went all the way to the Z’s and decided to try there. After all, an author with such a name starting with Z, hahaha, well, it made sense to me at the time. First and foremost, I must tell you, I did not, nor had I ever heard of Carlos Ruis Zafon before noticing the front cover of the book tucked neatly on the shelf in between two other authors of whose names completely escape my memory.
There it was – The Shadow of the Wind. The name immediately caught me. I picked it up and read the back cover. Hmmm, I am intrigued. Opened to the first page and read… “I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time.” Hooked. I did not need to go any further. Book in hand, I went to the register and bought it without looking at the price. It was mine and I was taking it home. For any who has read the book, now you know why I said the book chose me… just like Daniel. For those who have not read the book… well, you need to be like Daniel – go get it, keep it, never give it away.
I still have the copy I bought all those years ago in 2005.
A masterpiece is the best way I can describe this book. I love the way someone described the book in the description on Amazon – “…a triumph of the storyteller’s art.” The beauty of the words, the crafting and haunting all-encompassing way Zafon leads you, guides you, and drags kicking and crying sometimes will stay with you forever. The copy I still have, which I have now read at least ten times, is marked with a highlighter of passages that changed me as a reader. Once you taste the most exquisite wine (I have an affinity for a red Coteaux Champenois), it is hard to go back to the Black Box. Thus, I am always seeking the next book that will forevermore find a resting place in my personal library.
The Shadow of the Wind will not ever be forgotten.
Synopsis: Barcelona in 1945 is healing from war. A young boy named Daniel is mourning and healing the loss of his mother when his father, an antiquarian book dealer, takes him to the mysterious Cemetery of Forgotten Books. His father tells him, “According to tradition, the first time someone visits this place, he must choose a book, whichever he wants, and adopt it, making sure that it will never disappear, that it will always stay alive. It’s a very important promise. For life,” explained his father. “Today it’s your turn.”
He selects The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. When he sets out to find other works of Carax, he discovers that someone has been destroying every copy of every book Carax wrote. Daniel’s book may be the last one. Soon, Daniel’s quest opens the doors of some of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, leading him through a labyrinth of murder, madness, and doomed love. How Carax’s life changes a young man in grief is simply stunning.
This book will never leave you.
All-time favorite.