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Il palazzo della mezzanotte by Carlos Ruiz…
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Il palazzo della mezzanotte (edition 2009)

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Series: Trilogy of Fog (2)

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1,2435415,456 (3.39)22
When a mysterious threat reenters the lives of twins Ben and Sheere, separated as babies and reunited as teenagers in 1930s Calcutta, the siblings must confront an unspeakable terror, with the help of their secret society of fellow orphans.
Member:woland64
Title:Il palazzo della mezzanotte
Authors:Carlos Ruiz Zafón
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The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

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» See also 22 mentions

English (38)  Dutch (5)  Italian (4)  Spanish (2)  Catalan (2)  French (1)  German (1)  All languages (53)
Showing 1-5 of 38 (next | show all)
I am extremely conflicted about this book. On one hand, I found the story really original and unique, blessed with a great setting and Ruiz Zafón's usual breathtaking prose. On the other hand, however, I just could not shake the feeling that the whole thing was just a bit too rushed to satisfy me.

The suspense and mystery were constructed very well, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. The way it was delivered, however, really disappointed me, mainly because the solution to every enigma came from very long scenes of character speech rather than action. To me, this just seemed a bit too convenient and really not as engaging as it could have been. For the rest, I had the same problem with this novel as with The Prince of Mist: sometimes, I just could not understand why certain things were happening, and I was left slightly confused and wondering just what the characters' reasoning behind some of their choices was.

As for the characters, I really liked the kids. The members of the Chowbar Society were everything I would expect from children of their age, each with their own set of talents and peculiarities that made them unique. The only thing is I would have liked to see them more developed, both as individual characters and in relation to each other as a group. The adults in this book, instead, were markedly absent, coming in only to provide the explanations necessary to keep the story going, which would really bother me if this weren't a YA novel where children are typically the main focus of the story. As for the villan, he was creepy in all the right moments and, although he too lacked some depth and the story of his origin left me with more questions than it answered, he performed his role incredibly well.

Overall, this was a rather enjoyable read. It's a good story, with enough mystery and suspense to keep you going until the end. If, unlike me, you're not too bothered by the fact that not everything is explained, you'll probably love it. If not, I think it's still worth reading, if only for the author's beautiful writing style.

You can read this review and more on my blog. ( )
  bookforthought | Nov 7, 2023 |
I liked it, but the fantasy element was not well done. It remained foggy and unclear, and at times a little unnecessary. The writing was beautiful, though. ( )
  mariu911 | Sep 6, 2021 |
For the past few years the Midnight Palace has been home to the secret club of the Chowbar Society, a select group of people who live by two hard and fast rules. The first is to share all knowledge they possess, learn and come by. The second is to protect each member of the group with their lives. Now at sixteen years of age and legally adults, the members of this group are meeting up for the last time.

Growing up as orphans in 1930's Calcutta, the seven members of the Chowbar Society all believed themselves to be children with no past and therefore the future was free and open. However one of these members was about to discover not only a dark past filled with lies, murder and the family he never new existed, but there was still the threat of danger alive today from a man long dead out to kill again.

The Midnight Palace is a tale of friendship, family and demons from the past. While the ghost of those long dead return, restless and seeking out the living for their own haunted purposes, it is the living that will have to sacrifice one of their own for a chance at peace. A dark and tragic tale of friendship, loss and love written as only Carlos Ruiz Zafon can produce. ( )
  LarissaBookGirl | Aug 2, 2021 |
Aardig verhaal dat zich afspeelt in Calcutta.

Een groep wezen weet dat ze op korte termijn uit het weeshuis weg moeten omdat ze de 16-jarige leeftijd hebben bereikt. Een van de jongens is Ben, 16 jaar geleden kwam hij in het weeshuis terecht. ( )
  EdwinKort | Oct 18, 2019 |
This book is my first Carlos Ruiz Zafon experience, and I loved it. I read it in two settings (and if weren't for work, I could've read it one). I absolutely loved the cast of characters. They were each unique, but came together to create a great friendship. I also loved how Ruiz Zafon established a clear line between good and evil, and then blurred that line with a plot twist. The action in the book kept me turning pages. It's not often that I book will bring me to tears, but I'm not going to lie...I cried. I can't wait to get started on the Cemetery of Lost Books series. I may have a new favorite author!!! ( )
  tntbeckyford | Feb 16, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 38 (next | show all)
There's a lot to like about this novel. It's fast-moving and never hesitates, and it quickly sketches the eight young people who inhabit its pages as quirky and likeable individuals, from the taciturn artist, Michael, to the fiery and intelligent Isobel. It's also a story about stories: tales from the past are woven into the narrative in an elegant way, with the whole book framed by the narrative of the last surviving member of the group.

The book is not without its flaws, however, containing some simple contradictions that can be an irritation to the reader: to give an example, one moment we're told that Ben and Sheere are worried when they learn that Jawahal has penetrated their father's secret house, while a few pages later, they settle down to sleep in that house, safe in the knowledge that "if . . . Jawahal had been able to get in, he would have done so already".

Despite this, however, The Midnight Palace is an enjoyable novel, with a wonderfully sinister villain, plucky and resourceful heroes and some visually arresting imagery, most notably in the depiction of the Firebird, a deadly weapon whose fire engulfs a phantom train of murdered orphans.
 

» Add other authors (13 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Carlos Ruiz Zafónprimary authorall editionscalculated
Davis, JonathanNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Graves, LuciaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Grüneisen, LisaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Maspero, FrançoisTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
וולק, ארזTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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I'll never forget the night it snowed over Calcutta.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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When a mysterious threat reenters the lives of twins Ben and Sheere, separated as babies and reunited as teenagers in 1930s Calcutta, the siblings must confront an unspeakable terror, with the help of their secret society of fellow orphans.

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Set in 1930's Calcutta, The Midnight Palace is the story of orphan twins Ben and Sheere. Separated at birth, they must join together to fight a mysterious hostile force.
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Penguin Australia

An edition of this book was published by Penguin Australia.

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