“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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Be prepared to be mesmerized. I didn’t want it to end. One of my all time favorites!
the English translation is gorgeous and lyrical. I’ve read the book in the original Spanish, as well – but I fear that my skill is not enough to judge the writing. Zafon captures the angst of youth, the horror of fascism, the beauties and trails of 1st loves, depths of relationship. this book is in my top 10 for life, and I read a lot.
The characters in this book come to life.
One of my favorite books of all time. Could not put this down. Beautiful use of words. Excellent writing.
Hard to get through the first 80% of the novel. I enjoyed the last bit, but it took me weeks to read as opposed to a few days.
This is what I call a ripsnorter. A great read.
Hard to classify – literate yet haunting
An original read with gothic atmosphere, historical background, old world romance.
Such glorious writing and compelling story. I felt like the author took me on a journey. Highly recommended.
For the Love of Books
Good read. Strong characters. War torn Spain yields already venomous policia with a vendetta against an author. When a politically powerful parent wreaks havoc on Julian, his career, his future, his life forever hangs in the balance.
One of the best books I have read in a long time. Keeps you engaged, wonderful characters, original story premise and beautiful prose.
This is one book I always recommend
Fabulous story, wonderful characters
Truly an unusual suspenseful novel, really enjoyed it!
great story by a great story teller
This was a real novel, rather intense and well written.
Absolutely beautifully written novel.
I loved this book and am now obsessed with this author. This is the most original entertaining book I have read in a long time. It takes you to a facinating world with wonderful characters that take you along for the ride. You’ll find it hard to put it down. I highly recommend this book. I am now on the 3rd one and enjoying every word!
I struggle whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars – I wish I could do 3.5. This is a unique story within a story. A young boy, Daniel, discovers a lost book that captures his very being. As he gets older, the mystery, danger, and intrigue of the book take over his life. He finds himself searching for clues and answers about the author while simultaneously living out the story himself.
I liked the characters and the premise of this story, but I found it rather long. and drawn out – a little tedious at times. The tale picked up speed about 2/3 of the way in and the author finally brought everything together. I think if you have ever been to Barcelona (which i have not), this book might be more relatable. I also couldn’t quite categorize what genre this book fits in, so it was hard to set my expectations appropriately. This was an interesting read, but I’m not sure how strongly I would recommend it.
I could not read this fast enough. Truly a talented writer.
A rare and beautiful find, reminiscent of the classics of old.