“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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One of my most favorite books ever!
Reading this novel I was intrigued within the first few minutes – a building that houses forgotten books? Sign me up! I quickly learned that the Cemetery of Forgotten Books played a small role in the growing mystery of the author Julian Carax and his disappearing books. I wish there had been more about the lost books but The Shadow of the Wind kept my interest with its themes of love, despair, horror, hope and friendship. A lot of the plot details were supplied by long monologues (and in one case a letter) which can be troublesome especially when those characters were revealing details that they would never have known (e.g. the feelings and intentions of others, what went on behind closed doors, etc.).
I read this book years ago when it was first published and it is one of the few books I plan to read again. It has something that appeals to all readers regardless of genre.
Beautifully written book. The prose was outstanding. Wonderful characters. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. A masterful story.
The aspects of books and writing are interesting to me and as they are cleverly dealt with i this book, i really enjoyed it.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. Kept me turning pages late into the night. Ruiz ranks with Umberto Eco in my opinion. A brilliant and beautiful book.
This was fascinating. I would love to study it further. Should be included in all World Lit classes.
Loved it
I love books that are somewhat unusual, unpredictable and with characters that I get to know – those are the books that keep me reading. Shadow of the Wind, was one of those books.
So well written
This is the type of book that makes one think about the ways we impact our lives by the choices we make. it also illustrates a passion for life and interestingly for books. I will remember this book for a long time.
Magical & easy to be transported to the streets of Barcelona as you read
This book introduced me to the talented author, Carlos Ruiz-Zafon and to the characters in his book series The Cemetary of Forgotten Books. Shadow was originally written in Spanish and beautifully translated…
Why did I love this and all the CofFB so much? The world and characters created by Ruiz-Zafon captured me and took me along for the ride through the streets of Barcelona. It is so well written, checking off all the boxes I didn’t even realize I had.
The words flowed through me like a soft early summer breeze. Each chapter was like a smooooth dry red wine soaking through my veins. I always gush my recommendation to others, not quite capturing why they MUST read this and all his books in the series. Thankfully, in any given conversation there are others close by who can better articulate exact reasons…character development, fantastic plot…blah blah blah…for me, it is an entire out of body experience. Which most other “super readers” (a term I found in one of the Eyre Affair series by Jasper Fforde) seem to completely understand.
It’s hard to know what to say about this book. It is beautifully written. It is convoluted. It is depressing. It is way too long which is usually a good thing for me, but not this time. I could not stop reading. But I did not want to read the next one.
This book was a joy to read
Prepare for a roller coaster of emotions as you read this unforgettable novel. Although it is poignant and tragic, there are moments of hysterically funny witty commentary that had me laughing hysterically.
I will definitely be reading all his other novels.
This author is a GEM!
The magical realism portrayed the complexities of human nature.
Loved this book!
I am a sucker for books about books and this one was very original.
He also has a good feel for his characters and I was totally surprised
by the end – wasn’t what I was expecting.
Without putting too fine a point on it, this is quite possibly the best book I’ve ever read! If you haven’t read it….you should.