The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Bravo!  It is difficult to imagine a book lover who could not connect in some way with this complex novel.  Themes abound:  father/son, 1st. love, devil vs. innocent, social study/political study, historical mystery, romance...all set in post-war Barcelona circa 1945.  Long and engaging, Lucia Graves' translation shares all of the artistry of Zafon's Spanish best-seller.

The best scene, for me, was Daniel's 16th. birthday party at which his widowed father, a bookseller, gave him a special gift after a worrisome night.

My favorite character was Fermin Romero de Torres, "...bibliographic advisor for Sempere and Son."

So absorbing that my life was on hold while I read it, I even borrowed the audio book from the Nutley Library to keep the story going while I was driving, quilting, and cooking! Jonathan Davis' flawless accents and pronunciations of Spanish proper nouns on the audio reading gave the story even more flavor. I was reluctant to hear the story end. A great book for vacation reading, I recommend it to lovers of great novels.
5/7/2011

The "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" chapter which precedes chapter 1 reeled me in.  The premise so unique and beautifully written that I put the book aside to clear other projects from my list before giving it my full attention.  It is snowing today.  I have not been able to put it down. -Mom JoAnn 3/23/2011



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