The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) in Reading with Style

Jun 06, 2012 Sam rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, books-of-2016

This is the kind of book that reminds me why I love reading. It's everything I could possibly want in a novel, and the execution is beautiful! It's dark and Gothic, filled with mystery and intrigue, romance and scandal, twists and lies, all wrapped up in phenomenally beautiful prose.

This book grabbed me from page one and never let up. The atmosphere and the mystery of the novel absolutely mesmerized me and sucked me in completely. I loved all the twists and turns, and apart from one big one whi ...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Nancy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013-books

3.5 stars
There were parts in this book that I loved and parts that I hated. The overall story was good but it was too complicated. There were too many times when I had to go back to verify or remember something that had happened earlier. Also parts of the story were told over and over from different voices. Overall too much redundancy.

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Dec 29, 2011 Kelly rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Within the first few pages, I fell in love. That love grew so much that I wanted to cry because I had finished it. Daniel is granted one book from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret haven for books that have been left behind waiting to be discovered and loved once more. He grows so enamored with the story that he wants to read everything the author of 'The Shadow of the Wind' has ever written. To his dismay he discovers that there are little to none to be found because a mysterious figure ...more

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Mar 16, 2017 Hilary rated it it was amazing

"You cannot understand such things right now, because you're young. But in good time you'll see that sometimes what matters isn't what one gives but what one gives up."

Amazing book. Wish I could read it in Spanish because the English translation is poetic. I can imagine that it's even more amazing in the original form. ...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bookish-challenge-summer-2013, around-the-world, world-lit-europe-spain, found-in-translation, books-about-books, literary-awards

Set in 1945 post-war Barcelona, this is the story of a young boy, Daniel, and a book that he chooses to protect from "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books". It was believed that all copies of this book had been destroyed, sometimes violently, all over the world. When others discover Daniel has a copy he is offered increasingly large amounts of money for it. Someone else wants to destroy it. Daniel loves the book and sets about discovering all he can about the author. Does the author have more stories ...more

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Jul 20, 2022 Kim rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, read-again, books-about-books, historical-fiction, europe, fantasy, magical-realism, libby, 1000books, series

There was so much to love about this book. The language is beautiful, there are many memorable passages that especially speak to people who love books. The way that Daniel's life parallels Julian's, the gothic elements, the mystery, and the setting all add to the way it just draws the reader completely into the book.
I alternately read and listened to the book, and both experiences were great. Highly recommend. ...more

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