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The Shadow of the Wind (El cementerio de los libros olvidados #1)

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Lucia Graves (Translation)

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 135,580 ratings · 13,083 reviews

Barcelona, 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. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroyin...more

Hardcover, 487 pages

Published April 12th 2004 by Penguin Press HC, The (first published 2001)

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Mar 26, 2011 Jamie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone. So good.

Recommended to Jamie by: The girl at the Ferry Building Bookshop

There's probably nothing much I "learned" in the introspective sense, but this is a novel like a novel ought to be. This is an epic film on paper, gloomy and engaging, smokey, noir with crumbling ruins, young love, disfigurment, lust, torture...the stuff of Dumas, DuMauier and, as of late, The Historian. I woke up at five a.m. and had to sweet talk myself back to sleep: all I wanted to do was read. One Friday, after work, I took sanctuary in The Hotel Biron, those little tables in the dark, page...more There's probably nothing much I "learned" in the introspective sense, but this is a novel like a novel ought to be. This is an epic film on paper, gloomy and engaging, smokey, noir with crumbling ruins, young love, disfigurment, lust, torture...the stuff of Dumas, DuMauier and, as of late, The Historian. I woke up at five a.m. and had to sweet talk myself back to sleep: all I wanted to do was read. One Friday, after work, I took sanctuary in The Hotel Biron, those little tables in the dark, pages flickering with candles and drank a glass of wine in solitude, completely enthralled in the world of 1940's Barcelona.
I walked home from the train at night and found myself saying the characters names beneath my umbrella, hoping no one would hear me talking to myself, but they were, quite simply, too beautiful to ignore: Julian Carax, Daniel Semepere, Beatriz...Tomas, Penelope Aldaya and Nuria Monfort.
In a movie this would be too many people, but for this novel they were perfectly seamed, each point of view more entralling and taxing than the one before.
Most refreshing, clearly the author wasn't poisoned with the desire to simply keep the reader in the dark: instead this story, with attention, was something you could figure out--because that's the way life is. The mystery itself isn't supposed to shock you intensely into thinking a book is good, that's a dirty trick. Instead, the STORY carried you. You cared about the story and it was a tragity and mystery all the same, simply because you were invested in these people and what became of them. To know them so intimately from childhood to adulthood and old age, to know them through various degrees of point of view seperation--to hear there is no Penelope, and then to know she is a sister, a love, but to some non-existant...well, it's gothic literature at it's very best.
With a book like this I am almost, ALMOST tempted to give up my most pedantic and pretentious thoughts, paralells and character development--this story is a story and it's just that good. It is the Phantom of the Opera, those dark tunnels and pressure points, a lake with candles or drawing rooms with no fire in the grate and crazy wives being stored in attics over head. This is, quite literally a timeless tale, and yes, reading it will make you smarter, more interested, more cultured (the back of the book includes a walking tour of Barcelona. I missed Barcelona but I am quite determined to go now, with my copy of A Shadow of the Wind in hand, just like wanting desperately to visit Eastern Europe after I finished The Historian and see it all), but more importantly real life simply fades to black as you become completely, totally and fantastically helpless and wrapped up in the lives of others.
While there are fun hybrids--Crash Topics in Calamity Physics, for one, which combine a courses, authors, quotes and plot lines from a thousand famous novels, this book really makes that unnecessary. This is a classic without any help, no cheat cheats necessary. Read it. Read it. Read it.

**I write on books and other stuff at www.snapshotnarrative.tumblr.com (less)

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Sep 07, 2008 Annalisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: some language and sex

Recommended to Annalisa by: book club

Shelves: historical-fiction, mystery-thriller, magical-realism, book-club

I read the opening few pages and instantly knew 3 things:
1. I was going to love this book.
2. I needed a whole pad of post-its to mark quotes.
3. I wanted to read this in Spanish for the rich poetry the language would add.

A young boy Daniel is taken by his father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and told to salvage a book which he must take stewardship over. He choses a novel—or maybe it chose him—that touches him, stirs his desire for literature, and forever entangles him with the fate of the b...more

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Oct 19, 2007 Lola rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-suspence, fiction-literature

I found this novel by accident, while quickly browsing shelves at the local library, and let me just say it was the best accidental find i've had in years. From the very first line to the end i loved it, and as a reader i am not easily pleased by anything. 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.

Right off the bat the plot intrigued me, Daniel Sempere is taken to the a secret labyrinth of forgotten book...more

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Lady of the Lake Yes great review..: isn't it like that often when looking for the "next great read" .. It's sometimes overwhelming walking into a giant book store!!!...more
Apr 03, 2013 02:06pm

Lola Hi lady,

I absolutly know what you mean, when you see that certain book and you click with it there is nothing better than when the book cover is just...more
Apr 04, 2013 12:35pm

Nov 13, 2012 umberto rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In fact I came across this novel some few months ago at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Bangkok but I decided not to buy it then, I thought I didn't have time to finish its 500+ pages. I wasn't sure if it's a page-turner and I had never heard of Carlos Ruiz Zafon or read his book before.

However, I bought a copy from one of the booths in our annual Book Expo XVI held early this month in Bangkok. Surprisingly, its first page thrilled me with words I've never read before: "The only thing I can recall is th...more In fact I came across this novel some few months ago at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Bangkok but I decided not to buy it then, I thought I didn't have time to finish its 500+ pages. I wasn't sure if it's a page-turner and I had never heard of Carlos Ruiz Zafon or read his book before.

However, I bought a copy from one of the booths in our annual Book Expo XVI held early this month in Bangkok. Surprisingly, its first page thrilled me with words I've never read before: "The only thing I can recall is that it rained all day and all night, and that when I asked my father whether heaven was crying, he couldn't bring himself to reply." So I kept reading on and on and found this exceptional novel interesting in the following aspects:

1) It has no chapters, rather the whole story was subtly dissected into short or long sections headed by mysterious titles: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, Days of Ashes 1945-1949, An Empty Plate, True to Character 1951-1953, City of Shadows 1954, Nuria Monfort: Remembrance of the Lost 1933-1955, The Shadow of the Wind 1955, Postmortem 27 November 1955, The Waters of March 1956, and Dramatis Personae 1966. These help our reading pleasurable, chronologically, we don't have to endure endlessly like travelling in a literary labyrinth.

2) Poetic words enticing its readers to follow and imagine while reading reign supreme due to fine translation from Spanish by Lucia Graves, for instance:
- Gustavo Barcelo had a way of listening that seemed both contemplative and Solomonic, like a doctor or a pope. He observed me with his hands joined under his chin and his elbows on his desk, as if in prayer. (p. 312)
- '... Pay attention to me. Throw off these morbid thoughts and get some fresh air. Waiting is the rust of the soul' (p. 336)
- A young man, already showing a few grey hairs, walks through the streets of a Barcelona trapped beneath ashen skies as dawn over Rambla de Santa Monica in a wreath of liquid copper. (p. 520)
etc.

3) This novel suggests a classic way of presenting a story within a story within a story ... like "The Arabian Nights", that is, when we read its final page, the characters and the context are almost the same as the first page.

4) Naturally, we also learn from what we read, so what do you think when you read this one? - Bea says that the art of reading is slowly dying, that it's an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us, that when we read, we do it with all our heart and mind, and great readers are becoming more scarce by the day. ... (p. 516)

5) Eventually, this last paragraph signifies mystery and nostalgia, that is, it's beyond words to describe. Just read this and you'd know what I mean:
- Soon afterwards, like figures made of mist, father and son disappear into the crowd of the Ramblas, their steps lost forever in the shadow of the wind. (p. 520)

In brief, find a copy and enjoy!

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Jul 05, 2008 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction

Ruiz Zafón has created a near-perfect novel: seductive and intriguing characters, a brilliant Spanish locale, and a lyrical style reminiscent of past literary masters. I found myself reading passages countless times just to savor the words. The language was so solid and mesmerizing, I could not believe it was a translation. The story lingers in your mind hours and days after reading it, and I become nostalgic; wishing I could read it again for the first time.

When Daniel Sempere first enters the...more

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Oct 08, 2007 Dracolibris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2007

This book had me hooked when the young protagonist is taken to "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books" by his father in 1945 Barcelona. There he is allowed to choose one book that he will "adopt" and take care of, making sure it is never forgotten. He picks, seemingly at random, a book titled "The Shadow of the Wind" by an unknown author named Julian Carax.

But problems arise when, as the years go by, it becomes apparent that someone wants to make sure that all of Carax's books are not just forgotten,...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, mt-tbr-challenge

This novel begins with a visit to an amazingly evocative location. A father takes his ten-year-old son Daniel to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret labyrinth visited and maintained by Barcelona’s second-hand booksellers. Daniel must choose a book to treasure and keep with him all his life. He chooses a novel written by Julián Carax, an author who has disappeared and whose books have been sought out and destroyed by a strange, shadowy figure named after a character from one of Carax's nove...more
This novel begins with a visit to an amazingly evocative location. A father takes his ten-year-old son Daniel to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret labyrinth visited and maintained by Barcelona’s second-hand booksellers. Daniel must choose a book to treasure and keep with him all his life. He chooses a novel written by Julián Carax, an author who has disappeared and whose books have been sought out and destroyed by a strange, shadowy figure named after a character from one of Carax's novels - a character who represents the devil. Thus begins a tale of intrigue, love, hate and most of all, obsession.

There is so much I love about this work. In many ways it reads like a Victorian sensationalist novel: lots and lots of words, multiple twists and turns in the plot, strange characters, mystery, suspense, gothic elements, melodrama and sentimentality. There are some wonderful characters, in particular Fermin Romero de Torres, whose humour, loyalty, intelligence, resourcefulness and ability to come up with snappy one-liners for every occasion made me fall in love with him. The novel is full of quotable quotes, especially about books and reading. In addition, Zafón gives the novel a great sense of time and place. I’ve never been to Barcelona, but I felt like I was right there during the dark days of the Civil War and during the time of the fascist regime which followed, walking its streets, meeting its people, smelling its smells and seeing its sights.

The novel has some weaknesses. Some of the mystery was predictable and I worked out a couple of the major plot points before the big reveal. Not all of them though; so that while I could see where the narrative was heading at about the half way point, I didn’t predict exactly how it was going to be resolved. In addition, part of the narrative (which is developed from the point of view of a number of different characters) is in the form of a very long letter written by one character to another. This section is almost all exposition and, while it advances the narrative, it is less compelling than other parts of the novel. In addition, a few of the things the writer of the letter discloses seem to be beyond what the writer could have known, which is a little jarring.

Making up for any weaknesses in the middle section of the novel is a truly page-turning final section and a very satisfying ending. Or at least, it wasn’t literally a page-turning final section for me, as I listened to the audiobook edition of the novel. However, it made for totally compelling listening. The narration, by Daniel Philpott, is excellent. The translation, by Lucia Graves, is also excellent. At any rate, I presume it’s an excellent translation, as there was no point at which this felt like a novel which had not been originally written in clear, idiomatic English.

As noted above, this novel starts with a visit to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I feel like I have a Cemetery of Forgotten Books in my home. Although I obtained the audiobook to listen to relatively recently, I found the paperback version of this novel on a bookshelf in my bedroom a few weeks ago. It has clearly been there for some time, as the sticker on the back indicates that it was bought at Dubai Airport. If it was purchased by me – and I have no memory of having done so – then that would have happened in 2004, as I haven’t been to Dubai Airport since then. It may have been purchased by someone else and given to me, but I also have no memory of that occurring. Regardless of how I obtained it, I’m very glad I decided to pick up this novel from my Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I’m going to remember it for a long time.

This gets 4 ½ stars for now, just because there are a few weaknesses in the writing. However, if the characters hang around in my head the way I think they might, that could change to 5 stars. Highly recommended, but only for readers who like lots of words and who can cope with over-the-top melodrama.
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Aug 22, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Becky by: Me

Shelves: owned, historical-fiction, mystery-and-thrillers, 2012, dystopias, highly-recommended, real-life-bookclub, reviewed, romance, young-adult, challenge-1010

I've had this book on my mountainous To-Read list for well over three years. It's not the longest that a book has been on the list, but it's up there, and I think it's a shame it took me this long to get to this book.

Because I really loved it. I thought it was gorgeously written, compelling, and intriguing, and it engrossed me almost from start to finish. I really enjoyed the characters, and man, would I have LOVED to read Julian Carax's books. They sound amazing.

*ahem* Mr. Ruiz Zafón? I hope...more I've had this book on my mountainous To-Read list for well over three years. It's not the longest that a book has been on the list, but it's up there, and I think it's a shame it took me this long to get to this book.

Because I really loved it. I thought it was gorgeously written, compelling, and intriguing, and it engrossed me almost from start to finish. I really enjoyed the characters, and man, would I have LOVED to read Julian Carax's books. They sound amazing.

*ahem* Mr. Ruiz Zafón? I hope you wouldn't take it the wrong way if I were to ask if you might have copies of Carax's books, and say, if I were to humbly request that you publish them in English post-haste and then send me review copies? Whattaya say? Ehh?

No? *sigh* Well, a girl can dream.

I did love the circular nature of the story, and how every little story was a piece to the larger story, and how all of them were entwined with each other. If I had one complaint, it was that Daniel's and Julian's stories mirrored each other a little too closely. But that's a minor complaint, because I did like the similarities and the feeling of deja vu this led to, but it just seemed constructed that way, and I would have liked a little more variance than just the good luck vs bad luck divide.

I was fascinated by Javier Fumero. He's the epitome of patience and planning, and that's what makes him so creepy. You never know where he's going to be, what he'll do, or when... you just know that he will be there some day, waiting for you, with an authority that allows him to do anything and get away with it. Terrifying!

On the flip side was Fermin, who was hilarious and never ever at a loss for words. I loved his character, and I hope that maybe we might see more of him, perhaps?

I really loved the mystery aspect, and though I figured out Lain Coubert's significance about mid-way through, I didn't feel disappointed like I usually do when I solve a mystery before the big reveal. I enjoyed the journey of hitching a ride with Daniel as he figured it out for himself.

This is a fantastic story, and one I highly recommend. I can't wait to read more in this series, and more of Ruiz Zafón's (and Carax's... please please please!!) books. (less)

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Apr 03, 2008 Deb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, favorites

I bought a copy of this book last September at the library's book sale, but it languished unread on my shelf until yesterday. What prompted me to pick it up was this: I was browsing through the backlist and pre-orders at Subterranean Press because of an author I'd found who releases specialized, small run stories that I thought I'd like to read. (Caitlin R. Kiernan) Turns out her books now run about $40-60 a pop and are generally only available third hand. As I browsed down the list, I saw that...more I bought a copy of this book last September at the library's book sale, but it languished unread on my shelf until yesterday. What prompted me to pick it up was this: I was browsing through the backlist and pre-orders at Subterranean Press because of an author I'd found who releases specialized, small run stories that I thought I'd like to read. (Caitlin R. Kiernan) Turns out her books now run about $40-60 a pop and are generally only available third hand. As I browsed down the list, I saw that "The Shadow of the Winds" was priced at $75, and thought it was odd since the trade paperback was surely no more than $15.

Not only is this small press offering a $75 edition, they're also printing 26 copies of a $500 edition. That piqued my curiousity intensely--I knew the book was popular in literary circles, but I didn't think it had reached those heights. At the bottom of the page, the hook, line, and sinker read:

"We consider The Shadow of the Wind one of the most important books of the past twenty years, and aim to honor it with the lavish edition it so richly deserves."

I'm trying to read slowly: fifteen minutes here, thirty minutes there. This is a book that wants to be devoured, and I'm beginning to feel about it like I feel about Winterson's The Passion--sentences with lush philosophical gems sparkle in Zafon's beautiful prose, and I'm bending corners on the pages with the phrases that make me ache. (There are only four books that I've ever bent pages on).

The basic plot of the story runs something like this: the son of a Barcelona book-seller is taken to a graveyard of books to find and adopt one of them. He picks "The Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax and, after reading through the book in its entirety, realizes that it is the pinnacle of anything he's every read. After trying to find more books by Carax, however, the boy discovers a mystery that digs deep into both his life and the lives of those around him.

The truly interesting part is the way this novel is layered like Russian puzzle dolls, how each chapter reveals more plot within the plot. The amazing part comes when you realize the connections between the book you're reading and the book within the book: both novels are called "The Shadow of the Wind," both are the only known books in existence under the authors' names, and the main character is starting to resemble the author as well.

One more description to draw you in, taken from the Washington Post's review: "...If you love A.S. Byatt's Possession, Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, the short stories of Borges, Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, Arturo Perez-Reverte's The Club Dumas, or Paul Auster's 'New York' trilogy...then you will love The Shadow of the Wind.

Yes yes yes. Yes yes.(less)

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Jul 02, 2007 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: gothic/Romantic lit freaks

Shelves: fiction, did-not-finish, goth-goth-baby, 21st-century, partialprejudicedandignorantopinion

Trying too hard. I wonder if I hadn't read this right after Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell if I would have liked it better. They were both trying to pay homage to the gothic/Romantic era writers, except that Strange and Norrell was brilliant, and this one was.. eh. I appreciated what the author was trying to do, but he didn't do it well enough to keep me reading. Yes, Romantic lit is full of cliche, but the thing is to do it in an intriguing way and with enough wit to keep your audience intere...more

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Apr 26, 2012 Carol rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Carol by: Paul, Helen, book groups

Shelves: lifetime-favorites, fiction

Several of my GoodReads friends really loved Shadow of the Wind. Paul and Helen nudged me to move it up on my list and I can't thank them enough for this. I have just spent the last week reading one of the most engaging novels that I've read this past year. Watch out everyone. I'm going to badger you until you read it too.

Shadow of the Wind is a bit of a humbling experience; I'm truly not certain I can do it justice. If you're a book lover, someone who loves to read, who appreciates stories wit...more Several of my GoodReads friends really loved Shadow of the Wind. Paul and Helen nudged me to move it up on my list and I can't thank them enough for this. I have just spent the last week reading one of the most engaging novels that I've read this past year. Watch out everyone. I'm going to badger you until you read it too.

Shadow of the Wind is a bit of a humbling experience; I'm truly not certain I can do it justice. If you're a book lover, someone who loves to read, who appreciates stories with realistic characters and vivid locales, put Shadow on your list.

Shadow of the Wind is a book to cherish. It has it all. It's a heart wrenching love story, intricate mystery, rollicking adventure, and though serious, laugh out loud funny at times. Talk about characters that you come to know and love. Shadow possesses some of the absolute best. These include the main character Daniel, his side-kick, the down and out homeless, Fermin Romero de Torres, an incredibly brutal and evil cop, Chief Inspector Francisco Javier Fumero, some very beautiful and sexy women, and a whole cast of others that come to life on these pages.

Told over a span of many years, much of the action takes place in post-second world war Barcelona. On Daniel's eleventh birthday to his horror he can no longer picture his deceased mothers face. In an attempt to make the day special his father, a book store owner, brings Daniel to a magical place, The Cemetery of Forgotten Books and encourages Daniel to choose one book from this repository for the cast off books of the world. Daniel's selection, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julian Carax captures his boyhood imagination and undying admiration. He can't wait to get his hands on more by this author. Daniel soon learns that Carax has disappeared and his books are just as elusive as the author. Early on he discovers someone has been searching for and destroying all Carax's works. The mystery behind author and works becomes an obsession that will haunt and play a part in Daniel's life for years.

There are many beautiful descriptive passages throughout. I'll quote just one passage for us bibliophiles:

"Bea says the art of reading is slowly dying, that it's an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us, that when we read, we do it with all our heart and mind, and great readers are becoming more scarce by the day." Exquisite!

No more as they seem out of context or revealing to plot and in the end each reader finds his own favorite quotes. Suffice it to say, you're bound to find something that will remain with you here.

I had picked Shadow up over a year ago and initially wasn't certain I would like it. I had not given it time to absorb me into its plot. I didn't understand where this Cemetery of Forgotten Books was taking me or why I'd like to take the journey. So much in a story depends on mood and my level of concentration. This time out I was engrossed from the start and only wished I had more time to read to the finish. Stretching the book over a week's time was probably not a bad thing in the end as I savored the language and story as I read more slowly. I could easily read this again and will add it to my all time favorites list. Books, reading, telling stories, life and the lessons it teaches; Carlos Ruiz Zafon gets it right!(less)

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Sep 20, 2012 Tanja (Tanychy) St. Delphi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, my-little-library

The fact is that I’ll never be able to write a real review of this book. Here is why :

1. I’m not good enough.
I’m not now and I’ll never be. It doesn’t matter how many books you have read or how smart you are, you’re never good enough for that. You won’t be able to find exact words and it’s not just you. Only person who can is the author himself, but I think he already said everything he wanted.
Don’t believe me?
- “Books are mirrors - you only see in them what you already have inside you.”
- “...more

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Mar 04, 2008 Khaya rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: miscellaneousgreatbooks, favorites, greatlovestories, historicalfiction

I loved this. It had so many elements of a great novel -- romance, mystery, richly drawn characters, humor, a story within a story (with both plots equally enjoyable and dovetailing in interesting ways), and great writing -- even in translation. Someone compared it to "History of Love." I sort of see the comparison, but I think I would compare it more to "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. Anyway, I highly recommend it.

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Mar 17, 2013 Kat rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: completely-devoured, novels-you-shouldve-read, pralines-en-route, the-spooky-touch, simply-mindblowing, love-that-title

This is my favourite book out of those I keep in my bookshelf. It is very dear to me, and I intend to keep it close for the rest of my life. Not entirely because of the book itself, although it is one of the best books I ever read; I will mainly keep it close because it represents wonderful things to me.

You see, we have been through some together. I brought this book on a school trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar a few years back. It has danced in my backpack on the roof of a Jeep speeding across the...more This is my favourite book out of those I keep in my bookshelf. It is very dear to me, and I intend to keep it close for the rest of my life. Not entirely because of the book itself, although it is one of the best books I ever read; I will mainly keep it close because it represents wonderful things to me.

You see, we have been through some together. I brought this book on a school trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar a few years back. It has danced in my backpack on the roof of a Jeep speeding across the savannah in soaking sun and heat; I felt like the world was mine and lions rested in the shade so close to me that I could have touched them, had I dared to. I read it in a furnished tent in the dark of night with a mere oil lamp as a source of light next to me, guarded by the proud and strong Masai beneath Mount Kilimanjaro. It has watched as I have laughed, played and learned instruments with tanzanians in a bar where we later had shots and I didn't win. I read it on a bus trip across Zanzibar, after which we met with a wise, intelligent medicine man with skulls and herbs lining his walls. The same day I tried and nearly choked on the coconut milk I drank straight out of the coconut, and the same day we laid foundations for a school. It has seen roads framed by cocoa plantations, sugarcanes and coffee plants. And most vividly I remember that last, early morning on Zanzibar when we strapped our backpacks on and stood petrified as our teacher told us we would get wet. The rain of the monsoon flooded the streets and we ran, ran as fast as we could to the harbour to catch the ferry headed for the mainland. Of course, we were wet in a way we never had been before when we arrived, right down to our cores. Not a thing in my backpack was dry, including my book. Its pages were wet and irreversibly stained black and blue. True, its pages dried in a peculiar way and the cover is half blown to hell, but the ink is remarkably unscathed and the book fully readable.

It is such a remarkable book, and I am grateful that I bought this book at the airport before take-off. So beautifully written, this epic story about love, violence, crime and mystery completely ensnared me. It was smoky noir and it was dusty, foggy alleys. It was an absolutely compelling read. Despite all the wonderful, amazing things that surrounded me, I read whenever I had a chance to. I loved this book as I loved Africa as soon as I set my foot on the ground and smelled the air. I can't recommend it enough, it should be read by all. (less)

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Mar 26, 2013 Giovanni Faga rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

L'ho comprato perché ha stregato milioni di lettori in tutto il mondo. Hai visto mai che mi sono perso il libro che poi, tra dieci anni, un giorno qualunque che te ne stai bello tranquillo a farti le tue cose, arriva uno e ti dice:
«NON HAI LETTO l'Ombra del Vento? Ma sei impazzito? Vattene, non sei più mio amico.»
Allora l'ho comprato e tra una cosa e l'altra ci ho impiegato più di un mese a finirlo.
Non per colpa del libro, ma della vita.
E con la frase appena scritta (sopra) espongo la mia prin...more

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Jun 02, 2007 Monique Gerken rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

This is my favorite book of all time! It is my goal in life to have everyone read this. There wasn't a dull moment and it keeps you guessing.

"The time is the 1950s; the place, Barcelona. Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed bookstore owner, is 10 when he discovers a novel, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julián Carax. The novel is rare, the author obscure, and rumors tell of a horribly disfigured man who has been burning every copy he can find of Carax's novels. The man calls himself Laín Coubert-th...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Simon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's been a couple years since I read this book so I shouldn't and won't go into details, but the effect has lingered all this time. There's no other book I'm quicker to recommend than this one. It's not that it's particularly important in a lot of the ways "important" books are, it's just that it works as pure reading pleasure (and sometimes, isn't that enough?); so I find reviews from people desperate to discover structural flaws and stylistic cliches to be totally missing the point. Buy it ne...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, favourites, conspiracy, european-literature, books-about-books, literary-fiction, meta, book-club-literary-exploration, 2000s

Barcelona, 1945; Spain is still dealing with the aftermaths of the Spanish Civil War. An antiquarian book dealer’s son, Daniel, who is mourning the recent loss of his mother, finds comfort in a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. When he decides to hunt down more books by this mysterious author, he is shocked to find someone is on a mission to destroy every copy of Carax’s books. It is possible that Daniel may in fact have the very last copy of a Julián Carax book.

I think I‘m in...more Barcelona, 1945; Spain is still dealing with the aftermaths of the Spanish Civil War. An antiquarian book dealer’s son, Daniel, who is mourning the recent loss of his mother, finds comfort in a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. When he decides to hunt down more books by this mysterious author, he is shocked to find someone is on a mission to destroy every copy of Carax’s books. It is possible that Daniel may in fact have the very last copy of a Julián Carax book.

I think I‘m in love…with The Shadow of the Wind. This book has everything you really want in a story; it’s epic, mysterious, and full of adventure, as well as being haunting and beautifully written. The story is set in post–Spanish Civil War Barcelona, and follows the story of a teenage boy, who adopts a book, from the secret library known as the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. The boy becomes obsessed with this book and tries to track down the obscure author of this book.

This is an epic story of murder, madness, doomed love and secrets; while this book may seem over the top, Carlos Ruiz Zafón shows extraordinary control over the plot and language. The atmosphere in the book is beautifully created; it makes me want to go back to Barcelona. But while there is this beauty in the scenery, there is this underlining gothic feel to the whole book that just works really well for a reader like me.

Though the synopsis doesn’t really give you an exciting representation of this book, I can say this book is addictive and a joy to read. I think I became obsessed with this book. It’s like a cult following, where not just the protagonist that is obsessed but the reader becomes obsessed too. I want to adopt a book now.

This book just has something in it for everyone; it’s a rare find to find a book that can cater to such a wide range of people and I think The Shadow of the Wind did just that. If you enjoy this book check out the rest of the series, I thought the prequel; The Angel’s Game was wonderful and really need to get onto The Prisoner of Heaven in the future. It’s been a long time since I’ve read this book (this is an old review) but when the series completes, I plan to read them all again.(less)

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Nov 02, 2009 Lance Greenfield Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

A book within a book

There are so many layers, and levels, and intertwining stories within this book. The main story is begins in 1945 with a ten-year-old Barcelona boy, Daniel Sempere, being taken to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, by his bookseller father, to choose a book, which he must keep alive.

Daniel chooses The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. The book and the mystery surrounding its author, who appears to have suffered his fate in a duel in Paris, soon infatuate him.

Against the backg...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Emir Never rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time."

Thus begins The Shadow of the Wind. At once, Carlos Ruiz Zafón grabs your attention, hinting of mysteries. From that portentous opening, Zafón trails one way then another, and another, and more. The Shadow of the Wind consist of tangles of unbelievable stories set in a bewitching Barcelona, where shadows move and identities are multiplied and blurred.

Everything takes off from that fateful day whe...more "I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time."

Thus begins The Shadow of the Wind. At once, Carlos Ruiz Zafón grabs your attention, hinting of mysteries. From that portentous opening, Zafón trails one way then another, and another, and more. The Shadow of the Wind consist of tangles of unbelievable stories set in a bewitching Barcelona, where shadows move and identities are multiplied and blurred.

Everything takes off from that fateful day when 10-year-old Daniel Sempere visits the secret library of forgotten books where: "According to tradition, the first time someone visits this place, he must choose a book, whichever he wants, and adopt it, making sure it will never disappear, that it will always stay alive. It's a very important promise. For life."

Daniel gets The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. And things will never be the same again...

"I am in the business of storytelling. I always have been, always will be. It is what I've been doing since I was a kid. Telling stories, making up tales, bringing life to characters, devising plots, visualizing scenes and staging sequences of events, images, words and sounds that tell a story. All in exchange for a penny, a smile or a tear, and a little of your time and attention,"

Zafón writes on his website. One suspects a reversed curse at work: Carax was a virtual unknown as an author, a literary failure with a tragic life story; Zafón, meanwhile, is a roaring success as a writer: "After Don Quixote, The Shadow of the Wind is the most successful Spanish novel ever, and has sold seven million copies worldwide," says a piece of info in the book.

"Sometimes people ask me what piece of advice I would give to an aspiring author. I'd tell them that you should only become a writer if the possibility of not becoming one would kill you. Otherwise, you'd be better off doing something else."

The Shadow of the Wind is told in a voice of a god in full possession of his powers: to kill and bring back to life, to create and destroy, to arrange and rearrange everything. Reading it, you leave your doubts behind and get swept by the torrent of imagination, raging, triumphant. (less)

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Dec 17, 2012 Jason added it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2009

So there is this boy. Let's call him Carlos Ruiz Zafon, though that is not the name of the protagonist. He wants to find more about an author he admires, so he begins to look up the clues, which unearths a massive intrigue. In the course of events, he meets a girl who is supremely stunning who happens to be engaged to a Lieutenant in the army. For a reason unclear, she harbors some sort of an attachment to this younger boy, a friend of her younger brothers, even though they have barely spoken. O...more

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Sep 12, 2009 Hayes rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2009, to-read-again, ebook

It was a long and difficult read, not because of the book, but because I chose to read it in Italian. I'm glad I did: the translation was excellent and it gave me the illusion that I was close to the original words of the author.

An incredible mystery, love story, fantasy all rolled into one. Like the One Thousand and One Nights, this fable unravels and twists and turns a million times before coming to its conclusion; and just when you think that you have finally been given the piece of informati...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Stacey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-hardcovers, signed

Another recommendation from a friend, I devoured this one in just a couple of evenings, at the expense of sleep. It has been awhile since I've sacrificed shut-eye for a good story. The writing is very beautiful, but doesn't make you eat your veggies before getting to dessert. The action and suspense is driven, and even though I was pretty sure I had elements of the mystery figured out at various points (and I did!) I was never completely sure. This makes the reveals fun in a "I was right!" sort...more

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Jan 05, 2009 Daniel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, novels

After reading The Shadow of the Wind, I was left with somewhat mixed feelings. On the one hand, this is such a beautifully written book, and is in essence an ode to literature. On the other hand, there are some serious flaws which distracts from the whole experience.

The best thing about the book, in my opinion, is Zafon's skill in artistic writing. It reminds me of why I love to read in the first place, and makes me wish I could write as beautiful as this. The book contains lots of memorable qu...more After reading The Shadow of the Wind, I was left with somewhat mixed feelings. On the one hand, this is such a beautifully written book, and is in essence an ode to literature. On the other hand, there are some serious flaws which distracts from the whole experience.

The best thing about the book, in my opinion, is Zafon's skill in artistic writing. It reminds me of why I love to read in the first place, and makes me wish I could write as beautiful as this. The book contains lots of memorable quotes as well, definitely a good thing as far as I'm concerned.

So after about 50 pages in, I was ready to love this book as I seldom loved another book before. But as the story progressed, that resolution started to diminish slowly but surely. Ironically, one the more obvious flaws is Zafon's overuse of stylistic writing. It seems like everyone acts or talks in a very elaborate manner, even in the simplest of situations, and this can really become tiresome after a while.

The plot also isn't as ingenious as the hype would make you believe. Zafon does a good job creating a sense of mystery early on, and there are obvious parallels between the main character Daniel Sempere, and Julian Carax, the writer whose past he is trying to uncover. But ultimately, the stories of Daniel and Julian are seperate ones, and they just happen to interconnect with one another more by chance than by design.

By far the most troublesome flaw is the way the mysteries are "resolved". All too often, answers are given by having some side character or another tell his or her story for pages. Nowhere is this more evident than at the end of the book, where literally every single detail is revealed in the form of a (very) long letter, even details which the writer of the letter never could have known, since she wasn't even involved in those events. It's as if Zafon did not have a clue or the motivation to write a logical conclusion, and decided to just dump all the information in one place.

With a bit more attention to actual plot and character development, this could have been one of my favourite books. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed reading the Shadow of the Wind. It's just a shame that it falls some way short of its potential.(less)

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Jan 26, 2008 Suzy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Patient readers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 05, 2007 Ben rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adultfic, booktalked

My favorite book since Blindness . A must read for bibliophiles and a pretty good mystery, if you like that sort of thing. Below is my booktalk for this one, also from library school.

The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

On Daniel Sepere’s 10th birthday, his father takes him to a cemetery. Instead of holding people, however, this cemetery is an underground library, and it is the final resting place of books. It is the Cemetery of Forgotten books, and it houses books that have been aband...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like stories about books

Shelves: fiction, spain, mystery, 2011-reads, books-about-books, favorites, france

Zafon combines romance and mystery in this coming-of-age thriller to perfection. The only thing I could knock it for would be that some of his characterization isn't well-defined. A couple of the characters are quite similar in speech and personality. This normally would be a big deal to me, but the witty banter had me too entertained to care.

Young Daniel's father is concerned because his son still mourns the death of his mother. Hence, he makes the decision to introduce Daniel to the secret Ce...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Aly (Fantasy4eva) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, hilarious, i-ache-for-you, my-kinda-protagonist, pleasantly-surprised, you-inspire-me, digging-the-premise, own

4.5

“There are worse prisons than words.”

What a lovely book.

I can't help but smile when I think about how I first came across this book. There is this bookstore that I stumbled upon around two years ago. It was strange because even though I must have crossed it for years and years -since it leads to my local library - I never noticed it. Maybe because you would never think of it being a bookstore at face value. The name does not hinder at anything book- related nor the outer appearance. So when I...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Erika rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: español, mystery-and-thriller, historical-fiction, adult, series

This book “La Sombra del Viento” named in English "The Shadow of The Wind" was recommended to me by my boyfriend because he said it was written beautifully and was like the best book he’s ever read and it’s the only book he could give a rating 9.3/10 (he seldom gives a book a rating over 7.5, he’s super demanding concerning to books), so as I made him read several books I liked *Unwind, The Hunger Games*, he made me read this one.

I was teasing my boyfriend all the time telling him I wasn’t likin...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Ricardo Lourenço rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

“- Este lugar é um mistério, Daniel, um santuário. Cada livro, cada volume que vês, tem alma. A alma de quem o escreveu e a alma dos que o leram e viveram e sonharam com ele. Cada vez que um livro muda de mãos, cada vez que alguém desliza o olhar pelas suas páginas, o seu espírito cresce e torna-se forte. (...)
Quando uma biblioteca desaparece, quando uma livraria fecha as suas portas, quando um livro se perde no esquecimento, os que conhecemos este lugar, os guardiães, asseguramo-nos de que cheg...more “- Este lugar é um mistério, Daniel, um santuário. Cada livro, cada volume que vês, tem alma. A alma de quem o escreveu e a alma dos que o leram e viveram e sonharam com ele. Cada vez que um livro muda de mãos, cada vez que alguém desliza o olhar pelas suas páginas, o seu espírito cresce e torna-se forte. (...)
Quando uma biblioteca desaparece, quando uma livraria fecha as suas portas, quando um livro se perde no esquecimento, os que conhecemos este lugar, os guardiães, asseguramo-nos de que chegue aqui. Neste lugar, os livros de que já ninguém se lembra, os livros que se perderam no tempo, vivem para sempre, esperando chegar um dia às mãos de um novo leitor, de um novo espírito.”

É em 1945, numa Barcelona destroçada pela guerra civil que o jovem Daniel Sempere é levado pelo seu pai ao Cemitério dos Livros Esquecidos. Neste autêntico labirinto borgiano, Daniel escolhe um livro para proteger, de nome A Sombra do Vento, escrito pelo desconhecido Julián Carax, casualidade que terá importantes consequências na sua vida.
Neste romance Zafón condensa diversas influências, apresentando desde traços característicos do romance gótico a alguns vestígios de realismo mágico que, embora ténues, se vão insinuando ao longo da história, fazendo lembrar o estilo do colombiano Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Essa fusão é deliberada, revelando a ambição de Zafón em proporcionar ao leitor uma experiência cativante e intensa.

“Numa ocasião ouvi um cliente habitual comentar na livraria do meu pai que poucas coisas marcam tanto um leitor como o primeiro livro que realmente abre caminho até ao seu coração. Aquelas primeiras imagens, o eco dessas palavras que julgamos ter deixado para trás, acompanham-nos toda a vida e esculpem um palácio na nossa memória ao qual, mais tarde ou mais cedo – não importa quantos livros leiamos, quantos mundos descubramos, tudo quanto aprendamos ou esqueçamos –, vamos regressar.”

A Sombra do Vento marca profundamente Daniel, de tal forma deslumbrado que se surpreende ao descobrir que a obra de Carax não só foi um fracasso de vendas, como tem vindo a ser destruída por uma misteriosa figura que não poupa esforços para queimar todos os exemplares ainda existentes. O seu interesse pelo autor impulsiona-o a tentar descobrir mais sobre este, curiosidade que acabará por o envolver em circunstâncias cada vez mais perigosas.
Embora a perspectiva de Daniel seja predominante, a história ramifica-se nas suas investigações, efectuadas nos 40 e 50, e no passado do próprio Julián Carax, pontos a partir dos quais o enredo se fragmenta ainda mais, ora acompanhando a vida do jovem livreiro, ora mergulhando no passado das diversas personagens envolvidas com Carax, secções que normalmente se destacam pelo uso de itálico e pelo discurso na terceira pessoa.

“A sua alma está nas suas histórias. Numa ocasião perguntei-lhe em quem se inspirava para criar as suas personagens e ele respondeu-me que em ninguém. Que todas as personagens eram ele próprio.”

A acção é polvilhada por diversas considerações a respeito da relação entre o leitor e o texto, assim como da importância dos livros e do papel dos escritores. Na citação acima, Zafón vai de encontro à posição de José Saramago, algo visível num ensaio deste último, em que refere que “(...) o autor está no livro todo, o autor é todo o livro, mesmo quando o livro não consiga ser todo o autor”, pelo que não é de admirar a relevância atribuída ao autor e à sua capacidade em imprimir a sua alma nas palavras.

“O destino costuma estar ao virar da esquina. Como se fosse um gatuno, uma rameira ou um vendedor de lotaria: as suas três encarnações mais batidas. Mas o que não faz é visitas ao domicílio. É preciso ir atrás dele.”

E a alma de A Sombra do Vento está, para além das referidas considerações relativas à leitura, nas suas encantadoras personagens, das quais se destaca o excêntrico Fermín Romero, que com os seus comentários acutilantes e o seu sentido de humor nos consegue arrancar um sorriso nas situações mais inacreditáveis.
Uma obra marcante, dedicada aos amantes da literatura, que torna claro como nunca é tarde para tomar as rédeas do nosso pensamento, para deixarmos de nos submeter às crenças alheias, aproveitando ao máximo um dos actos mais enriquecedores da experiência humana: a leitura.

“Bea diz que a arte de ler está a morrer muito lentamente, que é um ritual íntimo, que um livro é um espelho e que só podemos encontrar nele o que já temos dentro, que ao ler aplicamos a mente e a alma, e que estes são bens cada dia mais escassos.”
(less)

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About Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a Spanish novelist. Born in Barcelona in 1964, he has lived in Los Angeles, United States, since 1994, and works as a scriptwriter aside from writing novels.

His first novel, El príncipe de la niebla (The Prince of Mist, 1993), earned the Edebé literary prize for young adult fiction. He is also the author of three more young-adult novels, El palacio de la medianoche (1994), Las...more

More about Carlos Ruiz Zafón...

Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Angel's Game (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #2)

The Prisoner of Heaven (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #3)

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Quotes from The Shadow of the Wind

“Fools talk, cowards are silent, wise men listen.” — 2,205 people liked it

“Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.” — 1,976 people liked it

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