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| View Larger Image | The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
by Lucia Graves
| | List Price: | $15.00 | | Price: | $10.20 | | You Save: | $4.80 (32%) |  | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours | | | | | Sales Rank: | 1044 | | Studio: | Penguin (Non-Classics) | | | Binding: | Paperback | | Number Of Pages: | 487 | | Publication Date: | February 01, 2005 | | Publisher: | Penguin (Non-Classics) |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Barcelona, 1945—A great world city lies shrouded in secrets after the war, and a boy mourning the loss of his mother finds solace in his love for an extraordinary book called The Shadow of the Wind, by an author named Julian Carax. When the boy searches for Carax’s other books, it begins to dawn on him, to his horror, that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book the man has ever written. Soon the boy realizes that The Shadow of the Wind is as dangerous to own as it is impossible to forget, for the mystery of its author’s identity holds the key to an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love that someone will go to any lengths to keep secret. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 509 reviews)
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Brilliant..addicting..superbly written 
"There are worse prisons than words"
This book has been on my Amazon recommended list for some time but I never got around to reading it. A co worker of mine had it sitting in his drawer so I figured I'd give it a shot.
I read it in two days, reading till my eyes hurt.
It's difficult to classify this book. Historical fiction? Mystery? Suspence? All that and more.
The book takes place in Spain, in the mid 1900's. A young boy, who's father owns a book shop takes him to a place of lost books. Daniel picks out a book to keep as his own and is so captivated, he reads it in a single night never putting it down. He's captivated by the world the author has created. It's not until he starts to track down more works by the mysterious author that the real story begins.
Over the course of Daniel's search (the main story is told over the course of a decade or so) for the mysterious author Julian Carax, he uncovers a tragic tale of love, loss, betrayal and revenge. In addition, the further he digs into this pit of mystery, the more he notices parallells between his own life's path and that of the very man he's seeking.
In a way, this book reminds me of The Historian (if you haven't read it, you should stop reading my review now and get yourself a copy..it's THAT good) in that much of the story is revealed by way of the past. In the historian it's primarily letters discovered by the protagonist whereas in this book, it's personal accounts; memories.
The unique hook of this book is that it's a book about a LOVE of books in a way. The main character has a love of literature, he works in a bookstore his father owns, and the mystery starts off with a book that's gone forgotten by the world. This makes him instantly identifiable to any would be readers because if we didn't love to read, we wouldn't be reading this book in the first place, right?
Twists and turns abound, and the characters are a joy to read, especially a special friend whom Daniel meets during the course of the story. I won't spoil it but this friend of Daniel's is absolutely hysterical, without even trying to be which makes it all the funnier.
Zafron is a superb writer, detailing the events and locations in the book with flair and descriptiveness without being tedious.
This book is utterly fantastic. And any fan of literature, no matter what genre, should give it a shot. Don't let it sit in your Amazon recommendations list for months like I did!
August 28, 2008 | |
Oh, Barcelona... 
This book is a homage to Latin American and 20th century European Latin Mediterranean literature. Barcelona is a huge character here. The fact that the Spanish Civil War is in the background could also classify this book as a historical novel. The end result is excellent.
August 20, 2008 | |
The Shadow of the Wind
I just finished the Audio Book of "The Shadow of the Wind", and I personally think it is one of the best novels I have ever had the pleasure of having in my collection.
The author, Carlos Ruiz Zafon is a master of interweaving personalities, situations, and things into a marvelous read.
This was my first Zafon book, but it certainly will not be my last.
August 16, 2008 | |
Incredible book
I can't even begin to describe what a wonderful book this is. It is definately top 5 for me. The characters in this novel are rich in depth. Emotionally and physically I had a vivid picture in my head about each and every one of them. The pain of a father, a son, an author, a historian (book collector) as well as a lover. Twists and turns pulling you in to every page. Page after page of magnificant words put to paper to tell what I feel is the most gripping story I have read in a long time. This book had no "drag" times for me. It followed a smooth trail from start to finish. Carlos Ruiz can write. Read him!
August 01, 2008 | |
Great read - excellent literature. I loved it.
This book kept me hooked from start to finish. Very well written. Recommended it to family and friends, and they loved it. Can't wait for the next novel from this author to get released in English.
July 19, 2008 | |
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