The Shadow of the Wind

De: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Narrado por: Jonathan Davis

Barry Award

Book Sense Book of the Year

Borders Original Voices Award

Gumshoe Award

Horror Guild Award

Joseph-Beth and Davis-Kidd Booksellers Fiction Award

NYPL Books to Remember

Barcelona, 1945: Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his 11th birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona's guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again.

Daniel's father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax's work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love.

An uncannily absorbing historical mystery, a heart-piercing romance, and a moving homage to the mystical power of books, The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller's art.

Translated by Lucia Graves.

©2001 Carlos Ruiz Zafon; 2004 Lucia Graves (P)2004 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“Gabriel Garcia Marquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[T]here is no question that [The Shadow of the Wind] is wondrous. . . [M]asterful, meticulous plotting and extraordinary control over language. . . . The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero.”—Entertainment Weekly

A book about books for romantics.

“Well, this is a story about books."

“About books?"

“About accursed books, about a man who wrote them, about a character who broke out of the pages of a novel so that he could burn it, about a betrayal and a lost friendship. It's a story of love, of hatred, and of the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind."

“You talk like the jacket blurb of a Victorian novel, Daniel."

“That's probably because I work in a bookshop and I've seen too many. But this is a true story.”
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind

My friend who recommended this book to me said that this was not a book for everyone. That rascal, now she tells me after I purchased and started reading it. But that is kind of the thing, isn’t it? As that author says, “Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you.” Oh, that’s all wrong here. That’s not why this book is not for everyone.

I liked this book a lot but I do not think that it is perfect. The story reminded me of Kate Morton’s Forgotten Garden. Both books are multifaceted. Both are books about books. Both books contain stories about multiple characters whose lives and stories intersect. Both books are mysteries and gothic in style. The setting for this one is Barcelona, Spain and takes place mostly around the first half of the 20th century. The language, tone and manner of expression is very Spanish. Originally written in Spanish, some have commented that much of the prose might have suffered in translation. While I cannot confirm that and while some of the phrasing did seem a bit clumsy in places, by and large, the prose worked just fine for me. I do think, however, that parts could have benefited from improved editing.

The book is about cruelty and great kindness, romance and heroism. The story’s many aspects of love stood out for me. These were familiar, platonic and intimate in nature. Much of the love is of the unrequited kind and this was the case for many of the characters. Much of the frustration, however, is resolved in the end, one way or another. Probably more ladies than gents are drawn to romantic novels. However, most of the loves in this story are described from the male perspective. Perhaps there is something here that can be gleaned and appreciated by both genders.

The narration in my Audible selection is outstanding but again the production leaves something to be desired. The author wrote the solo piano pieces that pepper the story. I like pepper but too much of the spice can spoil a meal. This was the case in a few places of the story. The music would crescendo and almost drown out the narration. Otherwise, the music was probably a nice touch especially for a book of this kind.

Can I recommend this book to everyone? Probably not but, like my friend, I cannot say exactly why. It kept my attention most of the way through and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was well written but I think it was the wonderful narration that made it really good for me.

Good and Interesting - but not great.

A thoughtful and well written story. It gets better as it goes - but for the longest time not much is happening. The narration by Jonathan Davis is outstanding - as usual. The music sucks and there should be an option to turn it off!

Excellent

This is an excellent book. The story is very dramatic and keeps you guessing until the end. I was quickly engrossed in this enchanting and sometimes heartbreaking tale set to the backdrop of the turbulent years after the Spanish Civil War. It made me want to read more by this author and learn more about that period in history. The narration was excellent. I look forward to hearing more from this narrator. He really enhanced the story. I also liked the music that transitioned chapters, it added to the haunting loneliness that underscores the story of Julian Caraix and Daniel's search to discover more of the life of this forgotten author.

Just as good listening as reading it!

I loved this book when I first read it, and it was also great listening. This is probably one of the best books I've read in years. Beautifully written, suspenseful, wonderful love story set in mysterious Franco era Barcelona. Would recommend for a book club reading.

Absolutely incredible

The writing is beautiful. The narrator is talented and animated. Quite an exciting and wonderful journey.

A Character Study, An Interesting Concept

I found this book to be an interesting character study, a well-thought out story, an engrossing book to listen to on audiobook. It was epic in scope. The overall story dealt with family issues, romance, political intrigue, with an overall feel of the main character coming-of-age. With incidences of humor, horror, and mystery. it also kept me in suspense. The book takes place between 1945 post-WWII Spain, the Spanish Revolution, and through to bout 1960. It is told in first person by several of the main characters.

The narrator, Jonathan Davis, did a wonderful job. As mentioned by other reviewers, he really is one of the best things about listening to this book.

I recommend this book to all who enjoy historical fiction containing several interwoven stories and characters. It is a long book, not to be read in one sitting, although one may have the compulsion to try. The intermingling of historical fact an fiction here make it a good read; the twists and turns of the story make it a fascinating one.

Like a Vacation in Spain.

This was a very enjoyable book. I bought it because it was on the S. King's recommended list. I really liked the author's unique style. The characters were all very full. The narator's voices were great and each unique. This book will not fail to keep you glued to your headphones.

Disappointed

This book has a decent, although predictable, story line and probably is quite good if you read it yourself. The reader does many great character voices and transfers between narrator and character flawlessly. He also has an excellent Spanish accent! However, there is this very melodramatic piano music that goes on for far too long and is far too loud. It is distracting and at at times is so overpowering that it makes it difficult to hear the reader and follow the story. This is my main complaint. The music adds nothing to the story and in fact makes a mockery of the more sensual or emotional parts of the story. The reader also seemed to read these very same paragraphs (that should've held an intensity for the listener) with the over dramatic elements that I imagine a Harlequin Romance Novel would be read. Dreadful! It's unfortunate that the producer of this book felt that the music was so necessary. I think if that were omitted it would lend more weight to what was being read. I have listened many audiobooks and this is the first time I was truly disappointed and at times put off by the production. I was actually glad when the story ended. If this is a story you think you might be interested in, don't bother LISTENING to it... READ it. I believe that you'll get more enjoyment out of it that way.

I really like this book

I liked the story and how mirrored the story in the book the main charactor read. I liked listening to the names of the streets and towns and people of Spain, I could almost imagine I was there.

I have listened to about six books and have choosen ones that I tried to read but could not get into. This is the first book I've listened to that really caught my ear and it has hooked me on audio books. It will not replace my love of reading but I hope it will inhance it.

I thought the narrator was very good.

Deeply engrosing for a page-turner

I expected this book might be more cheesy and romantic than my usual fare since it was recommended to me by my mother. It lived up to this expectation, but I barely noticed. Instead, I was surrounded by the author's deep characters and the complex tapestry into which he wove them.

Perhaps even more memorable than the book is narrator Jonathan Davis's captivating performance. His voice brings romantic flare the characters' passion and the pronunciation of the Spanish environment. Like an elite few narrators, Davis recreates the spirit of each character so fully and uniquely that you'll forget there is only one person reading. I guarantee that for months afterwards, when you hear a name or place featured in this book, you'll recall Davis's rich interpretation its post-war Barcelona counterpart.

'The Shadow of the Wind' is a worthwhile dip into romance, intrigue and mystery.