carlos ruiz zafon shadow of the wind series

The Shadow of the Wind announces a phenomenon in Spanish literature.' 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 storytellers art.Carlos Ruiz Zafon Opens the Doors to the Cemeteryĭespite their best efforts, modern authors haven’t been able to completely stifle the way in which modern technology has been robbing present and future generations from the desire to read after all, one can hardly compete against a zeitgeist. As one leading Spanish reviewer wrote, 'The originality of Ruiz Zafóns voice is bombproof and displays a diabolical talent. And before long he realizes that if he doesnt find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.Īs with all astounding novels, The Shadow of the Wind sends the mind groping for comparisons The Crimson Petal and the White? The novels of Arturo Pérez-Reverte? Of Victor Hugo? Love in the Time of Cholera?but in the end, as with all astounding novels, no comparison can suffice. Before Daniel knows it his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelonas darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. 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 Caraxs work. Daniels 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. To console his only child, Daniels widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelonas guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again.

Barcelona, 1945 - just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mothers face.

Carlos ruiz zafon shadow of the wind series