The Shadow of the Wind

By: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Narrated by: 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

Critic reviews

“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

Narrator is brilliant; piano is distracting

As others have noted, Zafon's own piano score does not help this narration. Davis is a great narrator who does the Spanish impeccably and adds distinctive touches to each character's voice, but when the piano came on I was so distracted. It tends to crank up whenever a woman appears, too, as if we are supposed to take notice of how very ephemeral and mysterious she is. (All his female characters are ephemeral and mysterious.) I hope the producers take note of these comments and consider removing that piano from later editions. I also agree wholeheartedly with the comment to have the physical book on hand (mine was from the library) to keep the characters and especially the POV character straight. When we went into Nuria's POV, I began to get very confused, and even Davis's narration couldn't help me. Otherwise, very enjoyable listen.

Well written melodrama.

This is a well written book, yet it seems to imply that it will be more of an intriguing mystery than the love story it really is. It uses the world of books, novelists, and fictional characters as a background for the convoluted lives the characters lead. There are many vivid passages, and amusing characters. Yet I found the plot lacking the consistent surprise that might make me love it more. The reader is talented, yet I feel this book is best read, not listened to. Try this one if you like romances, and if you enjoy a hint of mystery to them.

Loved this Book!

I started reading this book, not remembering much of what it was about. I was immediately captivated by the story line, the wonderful descriptions, and characters. What an adventure. It was hard for me to stop listening!

The narrator, Jonathan Davis, was wonderful; and his depictions of the many characters were flawless. I will be looking for more books authored by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and more books narrated by Jonathan Davis.

Almost, But Not Quite...

The idea of a "cemetary of forgotten books" was just too much for me to pass up. What a beautifully romantic idea.

I liked this listen, but didn't love it. At it's heart it's more the story of Daniel's coming of age in post-WWII Barcelona. And, as such, it is touching, though banal. The literary mystery, while interesting, is oddly paced and doesn't really take off until about half way through the book. Ultimately, the stories of the mysterious author, Julian Carax, and his circle of friends and enemies is far more compelling than the story of Daniel and *his* friends and enemies.

The stories within stories within stories is a structural conceit I generally enjoy, but found it didn't quite work here. Perhaps there was a bit too much emphasis on hammering home the parallels between Daniel's life and Julian's life. Additionally, I think the book could've benefited tremendoustly from a strong editor's hand prior to publication.

Still, there is much to like about this book. The characters are well-rounded. The sense of place is rich and detailed. The narrator is good. It's the plot that doesn't always keep up.

Generally I'm a big fan of unabridged works, but in this instance, I'd recommend checking out the abridged version of the book (if it's available).

Lyrical

A beautifully crafted book superbly rendered by the narrator!!

A forever story

Would you listen to The Shadow of the Wind again? Why?

Great story, with many layers and characters all of which you believe to be real. Beautifully read. Its a committment though, because its 17 hours and because of all the people you have to keep track of with spanish names and places. Someone suggested using the book as a reference while listening if you get lost. Good idea. If you read Cutting for Stoneor Pillars of the Earth or any other stories like that you wil enjoy this too.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Shadow of the Wind?

Daniel's experiences in the old deserted spanish home of Julians long lost love. The house becomes a central point for drawing all the characters and sub-plots together.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He is an excellent narrator. His voice never detracts or overwhelms the story itself.

If you could rename The Shadow of the Wind, what would you call it?

It really is a love story, a book within a book.

Wonderfully written and narrated, TERRIBLE music!!

This is one of the most enjoyable audiobooks I've listened to in quite some time. A complex and nuanced story with many characters, it can be somewhat difficult to follow at times but I never had a problem. Jonathan Davis expert narration renders each of them easy to recognize with distinct pitch and tone, hard to believe he is not a native Spanish speaker. It was a bit hard to get into at first and not until about 1/2 way through the first book did I find that I couldn't put it down, but because the writing is so beautiful I was sad to see these characters go however very satisfied with the ending.

The music however, is another story. I found myself abruptly pulled out of the story and laughing at critical moments because of the cheesy music that they play intermittently to emphasize a dramatic point. What a mistake, I found myself fast forwarding through those parts because it was so awful. Please no music in the audio books - not necessary!

Wonderful historical fiction

Where does The Shadow of the Wind rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The story and narration were great, with lots of action, unexpected twists and turns, and beautifully constructed plot and characters. My only complaint is the music underscore, which is often inappropriately timed and placed such that it pulls you OUT of the novel and is distracting.

A book that can swallow you up.

What did you love best about The Shadow of the Wind?

The character development was excellent, and the plot had great depth. I found myself easily identifying with the protagonist and caring about the characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Danielle. No comparison.

Loved the reader and the story

Great story, interesting characters, good reader, overall I really enjoyed it.