Shadow of the Wind, The
Zafon, Carlos RuizDaniel, the son of a bookseller is taken by his father to a secret place 'The Cemetery of Forgotten Books'. He is invited to select one, with the promise that he will be its protector for his lifetime. Thus begins a journey starting in Barcelona in 1945, that combines several genres; gothic, mystery, romance and thriller, to create a powerful and enthralling story. [Big read}
Comments from Groups
Great read. Enjoyed by all. Hastings 007On the whole we loved the book - especially Zafon's description of the characters and Barcelona. Dunedin 012The group agreed they enjoyed sections of the narrative for its style, characterisation, plot and atmosphere. However, the multiple characters were difficult to recall in discussion and the book was viewed as overlong and complex. Wellington 120Very mixed feelings about this one. Many thought it a marvellous book - to be read again, but a few felt it was just "over the top". Upper Hutt 002Group enjoyed this book, although depressing. A worthwhile read. Te Puke 006
Pages
536
536
Year
2004
2004
Reviews
30-09-2022
Some gave up, but those that finished it, loved it. Full of detail and mystery, held interest right until the end.
15-10-2021
We loved the book. Interesting perspective.
10-03-2020
Of the eleven in our group, only four finished the book which is a surprise after it was highly recommended by one of our members! Of those four, two rated it as brilliant and loved the writing style and complexity of the characters. The other two found it hard to get into, as was the response from the seven that didn't complete the book. Our rating is for the four who read the whole book.
13-12-2019
Another book that most of us rated highly. We enjoyed the writing style and the characters, finding it evocative and descriptive. We were delighted to discover there are a further three books in the Cemetery of Lost Books series and some of our members have continued on to read them. We felt this was very skilled writing and enjoyed the parallels of the back story throughout the book. Recommend it as a worthwhile read.
10-04-2019
Worth persevering with! Compelling and beautifully written, but slightly confusing at times.
10-04-2019
Most of us enjoyed the book. Multiple plots and a variety of characters made for a really interesting read. Even the weather was dramatic.
10-04-2019
This book did what no other book has managed so far this year - we ALL loved it and want to read more of his work! Superb writing and it had so many layers.
08-04-2019
Excellent book, but long. Some members didn't start or finish. Beautiful language and intriguing story.
08-04-2019
Mixed opinions - good translation. Rather long but the short chapters made it easier. It was difficult to remember and pronounce all the characters' names, but Fermin was our favourite!
08-04-2019
Very floral prose, which some liked and some hated. Great twists at the end!
08-04-2019
If you persevered through the first 1/3 of this long book, you were rewarded by a great story, a thriller, a history and geography lesson - as all the threads laid down at the start come together. Those who finished the book really enjoyed it - but many gave up in the first third.
08-04-2019
This book had a bit of a WOW factor for our group. We loved it. A story within a story, and then some very unexpected revelations. Would recommend it to other groups.