R&R 005 | The Shadow of the Wind

Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Shadow of the Wind
Penguin
487 pages
Book borrowed from Wil
Flickr post

At age 11, seven years since his mother’s passing, Daniel is introduced by his father to a secret place: The Cemetery of Books, where he finds the novel “The Shadow of the Wind” by Julian Carax.

The book has a profound impact on Daniel, so much that he wishes to learn more about the author and his other work, only to quickly discover that someone out there has been burning all of Carax’s work. Daniel, however, refuses to let it go; he is determined to understand the man who has moved him so through his writing.

In a post-WWII Barcelona, Daniel comes of age while unraveling a mystery so dangerously well hidden, a secret so well kept, the search leaves serious consequences for Daniel and everyone else involved.

Two parallel stories – that of Daniel and that of Julian – are told so colourfully next to eachother, it’s hard not to admire the storytelling abilities of the author. His diverse and well developed characters each in their own way add to the plotline – even the warmly described city of Barcelona plays her part in the background.

All in all, the book has certainly been an interesting and innovative read with memorable characters; however, due to predictability not suitable for a mystery novel as well as the almost quick resolve to the story, the book receives a 4/5 rating from me, even though it seemed promising enough for a 5/5.

Whereas Carax’s “The Shadow of the Wind” enraptured and shook Daniel incredibly, Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind did not move me the way I’d hoped; it seemed all it could do for me was provide me with entertainment.

But… successfully so.

4/5.
February 1st 2008.

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