The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zaf?n
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Book Summary Information
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zaf?nTranslator: Lucia Graves
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-02-01
ISBN: 0143034901
Number of pages: 487
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of The Shadow of the Wind
Book Review: "It was a dark and stormy night..."
Summary: 4 Stars
When eleven-year-old Daniel Sempere awakens early one morning, screaming,because he has suddenly forgotten the face of his deceased mother, hisdevoted father comforts him. As dawn breaks, Daniel's father, abookseller, takes him on his first visit to the Cemetery of ForgottenBooks, a secret, maze-like library which preserves books "no longerremembered by anyone, books that are lost in time." Each person who visitsmust adopt a book, guaranteeing that it will never disappear, and whenDaniel sees The Shadow of the Wind, he knows it "had been waiting for methere for years, probably since before I was born." Captivated by thisbook by Julian Carax, Daniel tries to find out more about its mysteriousauthor and locate additional novels, but he discovers that some otherunknown seeker is also searching for Carax's books--in order to burnthem.Lovers of the Gothic romance will be handsomely rewarded by theaction-filled plot, as a sensitive and loving young boy comes of age whiletrying to unravel the mysteries associated with the elusive Julian Carax.A ghostly apparition in the misty lamplight, a faceless man who seems tohave an inordinate interest in Daniel, a sadistic police inspector, and anincarnation of the devil himself all materialize as Daniel begins hissearch for information about Carax. Heavy, sensual imagery creates a senseof foreboding, while night-time mists, storms, and winter cold addatmosphere to sensational scenes and coincidences. A mysteriousphotograph, letters which go astray, false identities, an abandonedmansion with a sobbing ghost, a matricide, an evil stepfather, thwartedlove, mysterious disappearances, revenge which never dies, and murder mostfoul all complicate the action. The evil characters are truly villainous,Daniel and his father are truly virtuous, and the women whom Daniel andJulian Carax love are pure and true of heart.
Though the novel offers a good escape, it is almost six hundred pageslong. Extensive background information for virtually all the characters(and even a house) gives more information than the reader really needs,and many scenes could be compressed. Occasionally, the mood is broken bymild profanity and bathroom humor. This romance does achieve morerelevance than some others, however, by being directly connected to theworld of books, with a setting that reflects the political climate ofSpain after the Civil War and World War II. The characters are memorable,if relatively uncomplicated, and the parallels between Daniel'scoming-of-age and the story of Julian Carax offer some sense ofuniversality to this otherwise sensational melodrama. Mary Whipple
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