This group has been designated for adults age 18 or older. Please sign in and confirm your date of birth in your profile so we can verify your eligibility. You may opt to make your date of birth private.

From the Bookshelf of Read a book from each country…

The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1)

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Oct 01, 2023 Daren rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, europe-western, spain, spanish-author

Second catchup review.

People love this book, and sure it was a really easy read with the story rolling out, satisfying all the loose ends. I readily admit this type of book is probably not for me - this type of book just doesn't provide me with any satisfaction.

The characters are all largely what is expected - good guys and bad guys, all with back stories and all who wrap together. The setting was excellently described - Barcelona with an edgy almost gothic face - for me probably the highlight. Second catchup review.

People love this book, and sure it was a really easy read with the story rolling out, satisfying all the loose ends. I readily admit this type of book is probably not for me - this type of book just doesn't provide me with any satisfaction.

The characters are all largely what is expected - good guys and bad guys, all with back stories and all who wrap together. The setting was excellently described - Barcelona with an edgy almost gothic face - for me probably the highlight. The plot was offered twists and turns as layers of information were added, and it was here that the biggest issue I had came to light. When characters along the way told their 'story' it was not only their story but provided information, but information that this character just would not have had - the personal thoughts and secret actions of other characters. This didn't happen just once, which might have been overlooked, but several times. Maybe this was not supposed to be information the protagonist received, just the reader? In that case, when resolving a tangled mystery like this is seems wrong that the reader operates with different information than the protagonist. Maybe it is just me.

Secondary issues, there were just too many coincidences for me. Things fell into place due to them, and it was all just a bit easy for the protagonist to step his way through the complex background. I know it took nine years for Daniel to resolve it all, but mystery-wise, too easy. I especially disliked the story being wrapped up by the receipt of a long letter which just tied it all up...

I also thought that the prose was a bit over the top. Yes the setting was 1940s and 50s, but it was a bit overwritten for my simple tastes. The more I read the more I was convinced it was going to turn into some sort of awful parable like The Alchemist, God help me. Thankfully it never came to that.

Last gripe - the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. I wanted to understand what this was, why it was and how it came to be. It is introduced on page 3, but given no real explanation. I know there are several other books in the series but this needed improving for me.(view spoiler)

As I say, other readers love this book, and I see all the 5 star reviews in my friends and following, but while I found it an easy and fast paced read, there was too much to annoy me on the way. I have another book of this series in my shelf, and I might give it a go to see if CRZ up's his game, but not in a hurry.

For me, with my unpopular opinion, this reached 2.5 stars, rounded down. ...more

47 likes · Like · see review

Aug 04, 2018 Heba rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

نصيحة لا تتعجل وتغلق الرواية سيفاجئك الكاتب، هذه الرواية تؤكد على سحر الكتب وما يمكن أن يسببه كتاب واحد لحياة الإنسان اقتبس منها(كل كتاب أو مجلد هنا تعيش فيه روح ما. روح من ألفه وأرواح من قرؤه وأرواح من عاشو وحلموا بفضله، وفي كل مرة يغير الكتاب صاحبه أو تلمس نظرات جديدة صفحاته ،تستحوذ الروح على قوة إضافية.)
شكرا للمترجم الذي كان سببا رئيسيا لقدرتنا على الإستمتاع بهذه الرواية الرائعة :)

1 like · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Tsvetelina rated it it was amazing

Nov 25, 2012 Visinica rated it liked it

Shelves: mistery

Jan 27, 2013 Majo's Library. added it

Shelves: my-home-bookshelf, non-fiction, to-read-again, español, gothic-fiction, jazmin-tea, classics

Feb 06, 2013 Liliana marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Feb 10, 2013 Susana Silva marked it as to-read

Jul 25, 2013 RER rated it really liked it

Shelves: a-book-from-every-country, spain

Oct 21, 2013 Olga rated it it was ok

Shelves: series

Oct 27, 2013 Hanna marked it as to-read

Nov 20, 2013 Livi marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Jan 18, 2014 Agnieszka rated it really liked it

Jan 28, 2014 Linda marked it as to-read

Shelves: _global_reads, mystery, european

Feb 21, 2014 Kjersti marked it as to-read

Feb 24, 2014 Tove R. rated it liked it

May 09, 2014 Maria marked it as to-read

Shelves: books-i-own

May 22, 2014 Ana rated it liked it

Jul 10, 2014 Crina Toth marked it as to-read

Shelves: spanish-literature, recommendation, kindle

Jul 29, 2014 Caroline marked it as to-read

Nov 22, 2014 ｱﾑﾒ marked it as to-read · review of another edition

1 like · Like

Nov 30, 2014 Michael rated it it was amazing

Feb 11, 2015 Cameron Maveal marked it as to-read

Nov 03, 2017 Nada Ammar rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: روايات, الأدب-الأوروبي

Sep 27, 2015 Kiana marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 21, 2015 Jose Pablo Lara marked it as to-read

Feb 12, 2016 Anna marked it as to-read

Apr 11, 2016 Albaraa Najjar marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Dec 17, 2016 Rita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

1 like · Like

Feb 13, 2018 Gina_Vulpes rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2018

Apr 06, 2017 Jana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favourite

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 next »

Group Home Bookshelf Discussions

Photos Videos

Send invite Members Polls