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The Shadow of the Wind

55 Ratings: 3.2
A book by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Ruiz Zafón's novel, a bestseller in his native Spain, takes the satanic touches from Angel Heart and stirs them into a bookish intrigue à la Foucault's Pendulum. The time is the 1950s; the place, Barcelona. Daniel Sempere, the son … see full wiki

Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Publisher: Penguin
21 reviews about The Shadow of the Wind
Showing 1-21 of 21
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review by . September 17, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Dateline Barcelona 1945 shortly after WW II, location - a dingy, obscure side street north of the Mediterranean and just a block from the well known Rambla. Daniel Sempere is allowed to peek through the stacks of a very mysterious library that his father, himself an antiquarian book dealer, calls "The Cemetery of Forgotten Books". His father gives Daniel the cryptic directions,      "According to tradition, the first time someone visits this place, he must choose …
review by . June 16, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Shadow of the Wind, written by Ruiz Zafon is by and large the surprise book of the decade for me. I am by no means a reader, I don't even like to read (to be honest), but when I do read I really get lost in the book. Shadow of the Wind (SOTW) is a book I not only got lost in but anticipated getting lost in every time I picked it up. I loved it. I do NOT want to give away anything in SOTW but I will say that it is  must read if you like adventure and mystery (and want to pretend you speak …
review by . June 15, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
   I picked up Shadow of the Wind one day because it was a highlighted book on the Chicago Public Library website and it sounded promising. I knew nothing of the author Carlos Ruiz Zafon nor any of his novels, but I must confess, almost anything with Spain as the setting will always at least get a second glance from me. I had no idea I was in for such a thrilling,  heart-breaking and suspenseful ride!     The story centers around Daniel and his father …
review by . June 15, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
From the first few pages, I was doubtful. Was this a book to instantly grab my attention? Would I need to have the book pry ed from my hands? No.. well not at first. I think it took me 3 times to read through the first chapter, but after I did, I was along for the ride. And what a ride. Twists and turns, in this Gothic novel. A novel about a lover of books, about long lost loves, with an ending that laid to rest my fears that I would be disappointed. This novel was written at a perfect pace, starting …
review by . November 26, 2010
From the first chapter when the Cemetery of Forgotten Books was mentioned, I knew that this would be an amazing read. Everything that you could want in a novel is here in The Shadow of the Wind--mystery, romance, lost love, humor, war, and hate. It's all in this stunning book, full of eccentric, unique, and entertaining characters, along with a brooding and atmospheric setting. It's phenomenal, and completely unforgettable. You won't regret buying this book.
review by . July 06, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Carlos Ruiz Zafron takes the reader through the twisted old streets of Barcelona. His captivating language shows a young boy on the journey of his life through his finding a Cemetery of Lost Books. Upon selecting a curious title, his life is transformed into a mysterious search through the most intriguing places in Spain.       Once you pick up this book, there will be no putting it down. A quick and easy read - I recommend reading it in Spanish (of Castilian) …
review by . July 07, 2010
This is a different kind of a book.  Set in Barcelona, it is the story of Daniel and his first visit to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  Brought there by his father - a bookseller, he is allowed to choose one book to take with him.  The book he chooses, or the book that has chosen him, is The Shadow Of The Wind.   Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a master storyteller, telling a story of books.  There is war, love, romance, mystery and magic in this tale.    Daniel …
review by . November 11, 2009
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
A gripping Spanish thriller by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
“The Shadow of the Wind,” written by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves, is a gothic mystery and “coming-of-age” novel about young Daniel Sempere set in Barcelona in 1945. It also is the name of a long forgotten novel by the mysterious Julián Carax that Daniel finds when his father takes him to the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books.” It’s a book within a book, because as Daniel’s compulsive investigation into …
Quick Tip by . June 28, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
I love this book! It definately held my interest through all it's twists and turns.
Quick Tip by . June 28, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
A contemporary novel in the style of romantic classics. Amazing.
Quick Tip by . June 16, 2010
I can live without it!
Quick Tip by . June 16, 2010
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
good
Quick Tip by . June 16, 2010
This book had an interesting story with a well-measured plot. Definitely one that I will be re-reading.
Quick Tip by . June 14, 2010
Half-way through
review by . August 11, 2009
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Angel's Game I was extremely excited about this book that most readers found superior. I guess I am in the minority. While this is a pretty good book it was no where as gripping as The Angel's Game.    On his 10th birthday Daniel Sempere is indoctrinated to Cemetary of Forgotten Books by his father, who is a dealer in rare books and who was a minor character in Zafon's other book. At the cemetary, a visitor is allowed to select one book. …
review by . July 03, 2007
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
This novel is one of those queer modern European gothics where the supernatural is explained away at the denouement, but never quite to the reader's satisfaction. Meanwhile through the bulk of the novel, supernatural devices are applied with a lavish hand: a haunted house; a man with no face; a cemetery of forgotten books; and characters who might or might not be dead.     If you like novels that explore horror without giving themselves completely up to ghosts, vampires, and …
review by . October 09, 2005
I was drawn to "Shadow of the Wind" by its cornerstone premise of a love for books, a love so encompassing that one becomes nearly so immersed in a good story, richly told, that life and art blur boundaries. What a magical process that is! And so I opened the cover and began turning the pages...    A boy wanders through the dusky corridors of a cemetery of forgotten books, brought there by his father. He is allowed to choose one. The reader thrills to the possibilities, just …
review by . August 23, 2005
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
If words have a life of their own, in the pages of books and the the hearts of readers, then "The Shadow of the Wind" is a story of that life; the way a good book can become a part of the reader and never be forgotten. The story lives on in the minds of those who have read and treasured it, long after the book itself is dust.    "The Shadow of the Wind" is a rich novel, in every sense of the word. It is peopled with passionate characters, filled with the lush landscapes of a …
review by . February 10, 2005
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Pretension is defined as an aspiration that may or may not reach fulfillment. "The Shadow of the Wind," aspires to literary fiction but, at least in its English translation, does not reach fulfillment. It does, however, serve as a compelling melodrama, and a look at a Barcelona that is both familiar and a city out of dream.     The characters are a mix of the broadly drawn, and the somewhat more nuanced. The primary players are the slightly callow but charming Daniel in his coming-of-age; …
review by . September 07, 2004
posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More
Let me be up front about this novel: it's one of the best books I have read in years, and considering the number of books I have read, that's a high compliment indeed! It's a beautifully written story, with mystery, suspense, romance, and wonderful descriptive sentences abounding throughout. It's also a great compliment to the translator, whose competence makes one feel as if this book were actually written in English. The characters seem so real, and the background so factual, that it seems to …
review by . May 25, 2004
As a military spouse, I only keep the books that have made an impact on me and that I know I will read again. This is one of those books. I stayed up until 3AM so I could finish reading it and it was wonderful. This book is all about how books can affect your life, particularly the good ones. I find myself thinking about the characters and the story at different times during the day, wishing there were more. This book is written like a classic - nothing too overdone but but everything is woven together …
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55 Ratings: +3.2
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