The Shadow of the Wind

Book Details

Library

Author

Carlos Ruiz ZafÓn

Category

Mystery

Publisher

The Text Publishing Co

Printed By

Griffin Press

Country

Australia

Personal

Year Published

2004

Date Read

10/08/2006

ISBN

1920885102

Personal Rating

5/5

Binding

Trade Paperback

Purchase

Pages

520

Acquired from 

Marlborough Library

Overview

It is 1945 and Barcelona is enduring the long aftermath of Civil War when Daniel Sempere's bookseller father decides his son is old enough to visit the secret Cemetary of Forgotten Books. There Daniel must 'adopt' a single book, promising to care for it and keep it alive always. His choice falls on The Shadow of the Wind.

Bewitched, he embarks on an epic quest to find the truth about Julian Carax, the book's mysterious author. Soon Daniel is consumed by strange discoveries about love and obsession, art and life, and how they become entangled within the shadow world of books.

Comment

I read this in two days. It was impossible to put down – it was one of the most magical and tragic tales I've ever read. The mystery surrounding Carax deepens and twists until you're as impatient to know as Daniel is. His own lovelife becomes as tangled as the truth he is searching for, and his fate is entwined with that of the author whose life was an incredible story on its own.

This was a book with a villain that everyone hates, a hero that everyone loves, and a huge cast of characters that, amazingly, I kept track of without getting confused. Everyone has their own distinct personality, and for the most part they are likable.

This book is one that I want to buy – it's already a firm favourite.