The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Hidden away in the back streets of Barcelona is the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and when ten-year-old Daniel Sempere is introduced to it by his father he’s allowed to choose one book from the millions of dusty volumes stored there. His choice is “The Shadow of the Wind” by Julián Carax and when he reads it he’s completely enchanted. It’s 1945 and the world is emerging from war and Spain has the added burden of the memories of the Civil War. As the years pass Daniel realises that a lot of people are strangely, dangerously interested in his book. What begins as curiosity about Carax, his life and his other books becomes an obsession to discover the truth behind the ...  Read the complete review

This isn't my type of book. Generally novels set between the 1920s-1990s spark little interest, the only reason why I bothered to read it was because it was suggested that it might be something I'd like. That doesn't happen very often especially when it was recommended by a librarian. I've been going up to our local one regularly since I was in primary school and it's the only time I've ever remembered any of them actually speak to me! The Shadow of the Wind written by Carlos Ruis Zafon, was released in 2001 and is a worldwide bestseller. If I'm honest I'd never even heard of it or the author despite how appreciated it has become over the years. It is all ...  Read the complete review

Shadow of the Wind was one of those books I've often seen in bookshops and have wondered about, but have never quite been curious enough to part with my hard earned cash for it. However, when the opportunity arose to swap it on Read it Swap it, I seized the chance. The plot follows the trials and tribulations of Daniel, a young Spanish boy who discovers an obscure, long-forgotten book and sets out to find out as much as possible about its enigmatic author. In style, Shadow of the Wind is very reminiscent of the Victorian style novels of Charles Dickens, and in particular, reminded me very much of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. I suspect this association ...  Read the complete review

========================================== This is my first book review and I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me how to improve on it as I know it is lacking somewhere, regards. ========================================== Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a spanish novelist, who has been living in LA for 15 years. He released Shadow of the Wind in Spanish in 2001, meeting with wide success, selling more than millions of books worldwide. ' The city is a sorceress, you know, Daniel? It gets under your skin and steals your soul without you knowing it....' I was drawn to the book that I saw standing in the window display at ...  Read the complete review

The blurb of this book doesn't go anywhere near what you will actually find within its pages. It's a bit like saying a cheeseburger contains bread! There is so much more to it. Love, loss, laugh out loud humour, serendipitous coincidences, supernatural thrills, adventure, this book has it all. As a young boy, Daniel Sempur is taken, by his father, to the cemetery of forgotten books. Here he finds The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. As he sets about finding more about the book and the author, he finds that it is the only copy in existence and that every other copy (and copies of all Carax's other novels) have been destroyed. Unravelling this mystery brings ...  Read the complete review