![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/913DdP7RflL._SL1500_.jpg?resize=193%2C300&ssl=1\")
By Carlos Ruiz Zaf\u00f3n\nTranslated by Lucia Graves
\n\u00a9 February, 2005
\n487 pages
\nISBN-13: 978-0143034902<\/p>\n
By Carlos Ruiz Zaf\u00f3n
\nTranslated by Lucia Graves
\n\u00a9 February, 2005
\n487 pages
\nISBN-13: 978-0143034902<\/p>\n
When Daniel\u2019s father takes him to visit the cemetery of forgotten books for the first time, Daniel finds the novel Shadow of the Wind, written by Juli\u00e1n Carax, and is immediately hooked on the author\u2019s story. But when he sets out to find other books by this same author, he finds that someone has been systematically searching out and destroying every single copy of Carax\u2019s books. No other copies of any Carax books are known to exist, and Daniel wants to know why. Every question he asks uncovers a bit more of a mystery that goes deeper and deeper, exposing a web of deception and secrets that even threaten Daniel\u2019s life\u2014and those of his loved ones.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been a while since I read a book that wasn\u2019t speculative fiction. Shadow of the Wind is, as classified by Stephen King, a gothic novel. It\u2019s a perfect description for this character-based drama \u2014a bit historical, a bit scary, with a healthy dose of mystery that keeps you turning the pages, and just a hint of romance with a dash of eroticism. It\u2019s also a tale of Daniel\u2019s coming-of-age, spun in a classic, literary way that endeared the character to me forever. In addition, some of the side characters\u2014especially Ferm\u00edn, Daniel\u2019s best friend and mentor\u2014slink their way into your heart and take up permanent residence, while others, like Fumero, take on the role of the character you love to hate.<\/p>\n
Shadow takes place in Barcelona, Spain, and opens in 1945. Politics of that era do touch on the story in how the government\u2019s actions and rulings affect the characters\u2019 lives, but it\u2019s a light brush that fits well into the storyline. There is representation of the very rich and the desperately poor within these pages, a blend that lent reality and richness to the texture of the whole. Zaf\u00f3n\u2019s mix of story elements is enchanting, captivating. I often found myself reading past my bedtime to follow the mystery he sets up in these pages. With so many layers to the tale, it was easy to get lost in the narrative, following Daniel\u2019s investigations into the Carax mystery, yes, but also in his fumbling attempts at romance, his blossoming friendship with the beggar who changes his life, his search for courage, his relationship with his father, and so much more.<\/p>\n
But the story always comes back to the mystery of Carax. At about the 60% mark, I thought I had figured out who Carax was. Boy, was I wrong. Not only that, Zaf\u00f3n\u2019s twist on who that mystery really centers on was just one of numerous twists that I did not see coming. At one point, I admit my jaw dropped and I said out loud to my living room, \u201cOh. My. God. No way!\u201d But yes, it was totally believable. The way the author led me right into that unexpected discovery was brilliantly done. Bravo!<\/p>\n
I could go on and on, but I\u2019ll stop with this: If you love a mystery, expertly told, with touches of romance, historical backgrounds, and the innocence of a coming-of-age tale, you will love this book. Most highly recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Carlos Ruiz Zaf\u00f3n Translated by Lucia Graves \u00a9 February, 2005 487 pages ISBN-13: 978-0143034902 When Daniel\u2019s father takes him to visit the cemetery of forgotten books for the first time, Daniel finds the novel Shadow of the Wind, written by Juli\u00e1n Carax, and is immediately hooked on the author\u2019s story. But when he sets…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8n0kX-1zQ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3486,"url":"https:\/\/www.dremadeoraich.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/24\/monk-and-robot-books\/","url_meta":{"origin":6066,"position":0},"title":"Monk and Robot Books","author":"DremaDeoraich","date":"August 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A Psalm for the Wild-Built By Becky Chambers \u00a9 2021 TorDotCom ASIN: B08H831J18 Kindle version; file size 3476 KB Paperback, 151 pages. 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