"The Shadow of the Wind" Discuss Everything "Spoilers Allowed"

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

A few questions to get us started:


1. What did you think of the world?
2. What did you think of the characters?
3. What worked or didn't for you?
4. Overall thoughts?

[Ellen]

I don't want to worry about spoilers so I'm putting this here. I'm 300 pages in and struggling with it. It has a lot of locker room talk between the male characters that I could do without. Once or twice I could deal with but it is repetitive . It also has repetitive violent altercations. I want to find out what happens but don't know if I can stand much more.

[CJ]

Yeah, I opted out of rereading it for those reasons.

[Nicol]

I came here to see if any one else was annoyed/grossed/perhaps disgusted how women are described, talked about or treated in this book. I’m about 30% in and not sure if I should DNF or just try to get through it. I have a hard time DNF books with my completionist attitude but I am seriously considering it here.

[Cynda Reads]

I have read the novel and appreciate it which is only sometimes the same as enjoying it. We know the novel will have a darker vibe as can be gathered from its title. Shadow here refers not only to dark times and places in Barcelona but also to the dark shadow places within human beings.

Reading this book required that I be prepared to go into places lacking light perceived by eyes and into places that lurk in my imagination.

This novel is not for everyone.
For those who grid themselves up with a sense of brace adventure may find this world an interesting and worthwhile place to travel into which sitting comfort in a favorite reading place.

I wish I had time to reread. I owe a stack of books already.

[P.E.N.]

I get what you’re both saying, that aspect didn’t sit comfortably with me either at times. It can feel repetitive and a bit exhausting depending on how you’re reading it.

What shifted it for me was seeing a lot of that as part of the world Zafón is portraying rather than endorsing, there’s this constant undercurrent of moral decay and damaged people, especially in how relationships are handled.

It doesn’t make it easier to read, but it made it feel more intentional to me rather than just stylistic.

That said, I think it’s one of those books where if it’s not clicking, forcing it probably takes away what it does best. Curious if it improves for you or just keeps pushing you away.

[Nicol]

P.E.N. wrote: "I get what you’re both saying, that aspect didn’t sit comfortably with me either at times. It can feel repetitive and a bit exhausting depending on how you’re reading it.

What shifted it for me wa..."
You make a good point. Portraying versus endorsing the behavior. But I have to say I find it hard to distinguish many times what the authors intends without them explicitly saying so because we can all read that differently. I decided to continue it because I do find it hard to DNF, I guess in some ways I am optimistic that maybe an author will turn it around. I’m now at more than 80% and have to say I felt like the violence against women and just the casual misogyny was more gratuitous to me than something that drove the novel or set up the atmosphere. If that makes sense. I really like historical fiction, add fantasy or sci-fi and even more. I don’t expect Zafon to set Spain during Franco’s terror to be light or fun but I would prefer a MC or side character, just someone that says hey that’s not right like they did about the brutality of the Franco’s police. The way the men speak to each other about women I just found unnecessary to the plot or anything significant to the novel.
I guess it did just keep pushing me away.
It’s funny with our assumptions, I totally thought I would like this more than the other selection this month, All That We See or Seem and it ended up being the opposite, I really enjoyed that and look forward to reading more Liu. I would give Zafon another chance.

[Mai]

Y’all gonna hate me bc Fermin’s focus on demeaning sex talk about women aside, I enjoyed his (otherwise) brilliant dialogue. To me, the novel wasn’t about sexualizing women, neither did it celebrate violence for the sake of violence. It was about loving someone obsessively and following a trail deeper and deeper to discover the hidden parts of a story to make up a whole. I think this author delivered a well-written book and I understand that it doesn’t appeal to everyone. So be it.

[Ellen]

Cynda welcomes prayers for health. wrote: "I have read the novel and appreciate it which is only sometimes the same as enjoying it. We know the novel will have a darker vibe as can be gathered from its title. Shadow here refers not only to ..."
You make a good point Cynda. I pushed through and finished the book (I also hate to DNF). I can say that I appreciate it more than I enjoyed it. I also agree with Nicole about the violence against women (and also children) plus the casual misogyny felt gratuitous . It wasn't just once to set a tone , it kept happening.
Although I didn't like all the content it was a good story with a satisfying ending.
And Fermin, even with his foul mouth, was my favorite character.

[P.E.N.]

That makes total sense, and I think you’re putting your finger on the exact tension in the book.

There’s a point where portraying darkness starts to feel indistinguishable from dwelling in it, especially when it repeats without contrast. I felt that fatigue too at times.

And I agree with you, even in darker settings, having at least one voice pushing back can change how everything is perceived. Without that, it can start to feel less like a world being explored and more like a tone being sustained for its own sake.

It’s interesting though how the same elements that pull some readers out are exactly what others read as atmosphere or realism.

Out of curiosity, would you have connected more with it if there was a character resisting that tone… or do you think the repetition itself is what breaks it regardless?

[Nicol]

P.E.N. wrote: "That makes total sense, and I think you’re putting your finger on the exact tension in the book.

There’s a point where portraying darkness starts to feel indistinguishable from dwelling in it, esp..."

It was definitely the repetition for me, every time I found myself connecting with the story or enjoying the writing, it would be interrupted by it. I see that many others could enjoy it even though they too did not appreciate it, so they were able to look past it and enjoy the book. But that for sure wasn’t the case for me.

Can I ask P.E.N. what you enjoyed most about the novel? I really liked what you said in our team horror chat.

[P.E.N.]

What stayed with me the most was the idea that stories don’t really disappear… they just wait for someone to remember them.

That whole “cemetery of forgotten books” concept felt less like a place and more like a metaphor for memory itself, fragile, selective, and a little haunting.

And I think that’s why the darker elements didn’t fully push me away, even when they felt excessive at times. It all feeds into this sense that the story we’re reading is already decaying, already slipping into obscurity, unless someone chooses to carry it forward.

It made the book feel less like a mystery to solve and more like something you’re trying to preserve before it’s lost.

Curious if any part of it stayed with you after finishing, even with everything that pulled you out of it?

[Nicol]

P.E.N. wrote: "What stayed with me the most was the idea that stories don’t really disappear… they just wait for someone to remember them.

That whole “cemetery of forgotten books” concept felt less like a place ..."

No but I love the way you describe it and I want to read a book that makes me think about those things. This is part of a series right? Did anyone read the other books?

[P.E.N.]

Yeah, it is part of a series, but interestingly, the books don’t follow a strict linear path. They circle around the same world and themes from different angles, almost like fragments of a larger memory being uncovered piece by piece.

Some people actually connect more with the later books, especially when the focus shifts and the tone becomes a bit more grounded.

That said, I think what you mentioned is key, sometimes it’s not even about the specific book, but about finding stories that linger in that space… the ones that stay with you after you close them.

Those are the ones I keep chasing too.

[Pili]

Spanish reader here (and my first "review"). I did actually really enjoyed this novel. I was a big reader of Carlos Ruiz Zafón in my teenage years, and it was wonderful to reconnect with his writing. I hadn’t read a book in Spanish for more than ten years, so I did struggle a bit at the beginning, but it soon started to feel natural again.

Unfortunately, the violence and the way some men speak about women in the book were quite common during that period in our country. Back then, some men saw women, including their daughters and wives, as their servants and possessions, and certain ways of speaking to and treating them were even expected and celebrated by their peers. I thought the novel portrayed these people, and the unfortunate lives of others, very well. Although I do agree that this behavior was quite too much at times.

Regarding the way different characters repeat the story, although it can become annoying at times, I think it did actually help connect some points that we did not noticed before.

[Olga]

I'm only 17% through, so haven't read comments above yet for fear of spoilers. But I'm bursting with questions :))

Though this is not a horror book (right?), the dark figure with burned face makes my hackles rise. I’m a bit scared of how he’s going to react to Daniel hiding the book. Can he get into the Cemetery of forgotten books and just burn them all, like he did with the warehouse of the publishing house?

Also, Neri turned out to be a bully out of a sudden?! I pictured him as a meek struggling musician, not a berserker who would beat the hell out of a kid to show that he’s tough and got the girl.

And I thought better of Clara as well at first. But in the years that the narration skipped, instead of talking to Daniel (or just cutting ties), she let him have the keys to her flat and continued being his ‘friend’. Yes, she did her best to not be alone with him, but she was also the adult in the room. She and other adults should have acted instead of shifting responsibility for ending the relationship on Daniel. They could not even refuse his invitation to the birthday dinner, instead taking the low route of not showing up under lame excuses. This whole situation began as very cute one and turned into something I don’t quite understand and find disgusting and disturbing.

[Nastia]

The historical backdrop of 1900s–1950s Spain hit me like a brick. Zafón's Barcelona feels completely alive, and the social realities of that era are so vividly portrayed that you can feel their echoes in the present day.

Every character is drawn with lots of details. I despised Inspector Fumero from the moment he appeared — which honestly speaks to how well-written he is. The cast pulled real emotions out of me: sympathy, hatred, injustice.

The stories-within-stories structure worked beautifully for me — I spent every chapter speculating how it would all end and never once got close. If anything, some of the tragedy felt almost overwhelming, but the ending made it all worth it.

[Becky]

Pili wrote: "Unfortunately, the violence and the way some men speak about women in the book were quite common during that period in our country. Back then, some men saw women, including their daughters and wives, as their servants and possessions, and certain ways of speaking to and treating them were even expected and celebrated by their peers. I thought the novel portrayed these people, and the unfortunate lives of others, very well. Although I do agree that this behavior was quite too much at times."

I agree that Ruiz Zafon was trying to display the "attitudes of the time" as it were, but the over the top excessiveness of it, the choices he made to portray nearly every single man being a repugnant, misogynist pig, of even the "good guys" or the most trivial of side characters being given the platform and microphone to hold gratuitous soliloquies of objectification, sexualization, and lecherousness... and especially the fact that so often those attentions and comments were directed at teenaged girls, yeah, that ruined this book for me. Even as a re-read, which I had previously enjoyed - a fact that now boggles my mind. But people and times change, and I definitely am a more critical reader now.

-----------

P.E.N. wrote: "What stayed with me the most was the idea that stories don’t really disappear… they just wait for someone to remember them.

That whole “cemetery of forgotten books” concept felt less like a place and more like a metaphor for memory itself, fragile, selective, and a little haunting.

And I think that’s why the darker elements didn’t fully push me away, even when they felt excessive at times. It all feeds into this sense that the story we’re reading is already decaying, already slipping into obscurity, unless someone chooses to carry it forward.

It made the book feel less like a mystery to solve and more like something you’re trying to preserve before it’s lost.

Curious if any part of it stayed with you after finishing, even with everything that pulled you out of it?"

I have some thoughts on this.
1) What WAS the story? My understanding is that The Shadow of the Wind (the book-within-the-book) is a fictionalized version of Carax's life and love and the forces trying to destroy him/it. So we have a triple narrative that is about... young love and loss? But those aren't stories that are forgotten or need remembering BY OTHERS. We all experience them - they are part of the human experience. What about this story deserves to be remembered?

2) There seems to be a conflict of intention in this book. We have the Cemetery, which, I agree, IS about preserving books and stories. But "It all feeds into this sense that the story we’re reading is already decaying, already slipping into obscurity, unless someone chooses to carry it forward." This makes me think about Coubert's motivation. His goal is to burn the book - to let it disappear and fade. Yet by choosing this path, he actually accomplishes the opposite, and draws more attention to the book and Carax. The Streisand effect before it had been created.

Mostly what has stayed with me after this second readthrough is a feeling of intense disgust & dislike.

The women and girls in this book were treated extremely poorly - not just in their lives, but also by the man who created them. I agree that Clara probably should have been more direct with Daniel, but why is it HER responsibility to manage HIS emotions and feelings? She was nearly a decade older than him WHEN THEY MET. He was 10. She was 19. Absolutely no way is she responsible for a 10 year old child's inappropriate aspirations toward her. His father should have set him straight on that. Why her ADULT SELF having sex with someone that she clearly wanted to have sex with was an affront and an offense to FOURTEEN YEAR OLD DANIEL is beyond me. She owes him nothing but friendship - which she had given. His inability to take a bucket-load of hints is on him.

Likewise, with Beatriz. Daniel claimed to hate her for most of the time he knew her, until he realized that other people may be attracted to her, then he wanted her. He demanded to know her innermost feelings and intentions toward her established and longstanding betrothal... THE DAY THEY RECONNECTED. She is right to tell him it's none of his business... but then because Daniel cannot be refused (according to Ruiz Zafon, apparently), she tells him anyway. She has no agency to even withhold her THOUGHTS from him.

The more I think about this book, the more I find to dislike.

[aPriL does feral sometimes]

I've never understood the psychology behind the tolerance of many people, especially women, to be abused for years even when they are given a route to escape. But it is a thing in every community or group or culture. Men do hazing and built-in excessive punishments in the many varied types of social and business hierarchies they manage. The book is merely a reflection of society then when it was written, and unfortunately it rings true for many societies today.

[Becky]

aPriL does feral sometimes wrote: "I've never understood the psychology behind the tolerance of many people, especially women, to be abused for years even when they are given a route to escape. But it is a thing in every community o..."

Women were literally the property of men for thousands of years. Marriage was originally a contract between men - the current owner (father) and the future owner (husband), and the woman had no say or agency. Unfortunately, this attitude has not changed much, especially in religious communities. Societal expectation was that the marriage was forever, and men held all the power in them. It wasn't until 1974 that women in the US could open a bank account without their husband's signature.

Even today, women face the most danger after leaving or trying to leave abusive men. Not 2 weeks ago, the former Lt. Governor of Virginia shot and killed his wife (who was trying to divorce him) and then killed himself. With their kids in the house. Horrifying, but still far too common. :(

[Chris]

I enjoyed the book at first, but it overstayed its welcome. The author tried to cram too much plot into the situation, so we got some long info dumps when characters who knew Julian told their stories. Was anyone else annoyed by the slips into third-person omniscient, with the characters telling more than they could possibly know?

The degradation of women weighed on me. I get that the early 20th Century in Spain was very sexist, but we didn't get any pushback or counterexamples. Even the core idea of romantic love was a shallow instalove based on female appearance. The angry possessiveness of fathers for their teen daughters was certainly true to life, but no one in the novel questioned their right to be that way.

I disagree that Fumero was well written. He was a melodramatic caricature of a villain, rotten since childhood. His scenes were predictable and stereotyped.

Fermin was hilarious comic relief.