Shadow of the Wind is an enchanting and romantic story of Dickensian proportions that depicts a complex story populated with intriguing places, strange characters and complex details. The setting is Barcelona, Spain from 1945 to 1956 with flashbacks to the turn of the century. It's a complex virtual world of lights, shadows, beauty, mystery, and dangerous allure. As the mystery to be solved is developed in the story it becomes apparent to the reader that there are many ominous parallels between the young protagonist's life and that of the story of the past that he is investigating. Will history repeat itself? And at the very end the story comes full circle to an endearing end.

Now for the down side. The narration is a bit over the top for me. One really needs to have a romantic heart to appreciated this story. I guess I'm getting too old to be carried away by this story. There's a bit too much unrealistic falling in love at first sight for my tastes. The story pivots on the existence of a place call the "cemetery of forgotten books," which rings of too much fantasy for my ears. There's one character in the story that shows too much machismo and braggadocio concerning his male virility. It's always night time when something sinister is happening, it's raining when something scary is about to happen, and in the end it's snowing when there's an ethereal epiphany of insight into the mystery. I acknowledge that it's skillfully structured writing, but it just didn't carry me away.

The book was originally written in Spanish, and has been translated into many different languages. I listened to the English translation. The following is the review of the book from my PageADay calendar.

Mysterious Doings
The Shadow of the Wind is a word-of-mouth darling among avid readers. It appeals to book lovers in part because it is about books—one volume in particular that a rare-book dealer in 1950s Barcelona finds and that acts as gateway to an adrenaline-pumping mystery. Gothic atmosphere and eccentric characters in a ripping good plot lead to a book that is compelling and easy to recommend to friends.
THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Penguin, 2005) ( )

A lyrical story about war, passion and storytelling set in Barcelona in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, this book thrilled me right in the beginning, as a father tells his son:

"Every book, every volume... has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit growns and strengthens....in truth books have no owner. Every book.. .has been somebody's best friend."

And almost immediately, it is the choice of a book that precipitates the central quest, to solve the mystery of its vanished author, Julian Carax. The search leads back before the war to four schoolboys of unequal but tangled parentage, forward through stories of violence and betrayal, as the memory of one set of people almost destroys another.

Throughout there are allusions to other authors and stories, Victor Hugo, Umberto Eco, a noir gloss of madness and beauty, and flashes of comedy and tenderness.

“The Shadow of the Wind,” written by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves, is a gothic mystery and “coming-of-age” novel about young Daniel Sempere set in Barcelona in 1945. It also is the name of a long forgotten novel by the mysterious Julián Carax that Daniel finds when his father takes him to the “Cemetery of Forgotten Books.” It’s a book within a book, because as Daniel’s compulsive investigation into the fate of Carax unfolds, it becomes apparent that many events in Daniel’s life parallel those of Julián’s. The convoluted story unfolds in twists and turns narrated by a large cast of characters.

Early in the story, the Daniel is infatuated with the coy blind beauty Clara Barceló to whom he spends many afternoons reading. He is forced to face harsh reality when he stumbles upon Clara and her lover who proceeds to beat Daniel up. Out in the street, Daniel is befriended by the amiable vagrant Fermín Romero de Torres who comes to work in the bookshop owned by Daniel’s father. Daniel and Fermín become partners in the investigation of the mystery surrounding Julián Carax, who seems to have left Barcelona for Paris many years before. Why is some sinister, badly burned and mutilated character named Laín Coubert (after a character in Carax’s novel) seeking out and destroying all copies of Carax’s books that he can find? Fermín and Daniel discover the answers to the mystery bit by bit. Much of the story goes back to four childhood friends: Julián Carax, Miquel Moliner, Javier Francisco Fumero, and Jorge Aldaya. Carax and Moliner remain steadfast friends throughout the story, but Fumero and Jorge Aldaya become enemies of Carax, seeking revenge for past events. At the center of the enmity is the doomed love affair between Carax and Jorge’s sister Penélope that occurred in 1919 and led to Carax’s departure for Paris. This love affair is paralleled by Daniel’s passion for Beatriz Aquilar, the sister of his friend Tomás. Daniel’s story ends much differently than Carax’s, and Carax ultimately plays a crucial role in the outcome.

One interesting thread in the story is a Montblanc Meinsterstück fountain pen that Daniel sees in a shop window early in the story. It purportedly belonged to Victor Hugo and consequently the asking price was very steep. Daniel’s father manages to buy the pen for him for his birthday. Later, we find that the pen was previously purchased by a woman named Nuria Monfort for Julián Carax in Paris. Back in Barcelona and much later in the story, Carax makes a devastating discovery about the fate of Penélope, and leaves the pen for Nuria Monfort (who worked for his publisher in Barcelona and was his lover for a brief two weeks when she visited Paris). She pawns the pen to raise money to keep herself and Miquel Moliner afloat. At the very end of the story, Daniel gives the pen back to Carax who promises to write again and does – Daniel receives a parcel with a book called “The Angel of Mist” by “Boris Laurent.” It’s inscribed with blue strokes of the adored Victor Hugo pen: “For my friend Daniel, who gave me back my voice and my pen. And for Beatriz, who gave us both back our lives.”

The book can be confusing due to the presence of a large cast of characters and exposition that unfolds during two different time periods (early 1920’s to 1930’s and 1940’s to 1950’s). There are many unexpected surprises, but the diligent reader is rewarded at the end with answers to everything. It’s not high literature, but it’s a tense, compelling story that will hold your attention throughout. ( )

Le premier livre que j'ai donné en cadeau à mon doux. Je l'ai lu juste avant de le lui offrir. Une belle histoire, avec certains passages mémorables, mais un peu moins bon au final que ce à quoi je m'attendais.

Where to classify this book is a much of a mystery as the story itself. And by that I dont mean I didnt understand the book, just that at its heart this is a tale of Mystery. But is also a story of love and family. It does one thing that I love about stories and that’s write about books, flooding my brain with images of dusty bookshelves and a sprawling mysterious libraries. Wonderful themes with flawless prose. There were one or two occasions where I thought the narration could have done with being speeded up but then again, I can see this is adding another layer to the overall mystery of the book. An engaging read. ( )

Excellent. A very good story weaving past and present into a mystery and a thriller. ( )

very good - excellent translation. I guessed the "secret" pretty soon into it though which may have been somewhat of a letdown as I continued to read. Did not care for the ending. Dude should have died. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. The mystery of it all, wondering about this mysterious author Carax right along with Daniel. The characters in this book are just wonderful from all the main characters to the characters like the dirty old man in the “asylum/old folk’s home”, characters that have a way of staying with you. The character of Fumero was such a creep/psychopath talk about holding a grudge.
I enjoy books about books and this one was no exception. It is historical fiction in my mind although it is set in the 20th century.
If you enjoyed People of the Book I think you’ll like this one too even though they are very different they have a similar “feel”. ( )

A very good story, but not enough for great literature. The characters were mostly filled out with a good plot that kept you intrigued. Daniel's exploration of the mystery behind Julian Carax is enough to keep your attention, but his personal relationships leave you wondering what is so attractive that others care and love him.

A very good read, but not enough to make one of my favorites. ( )

Maybe it was the translation, or maybe this book was just over-hyped, but I didn't like it much. I found the characters to be rather shallow, and the plot was irritating. ( )

Daniel bor alene med sin far, som har en antikvarboghandel. En dag tager faren Daniel med hen til ”De glemte bøgers kirkegård”, det gør han for at Daniel skal blive ”indviet” som en slags ritual. Der er tusindvis af bøger, og han vælger ”Vindens skygge” af Julian Carax - men i virkeligheden er det måske bogen som udvælger Daniel... ( )

A young boy grows up surrounded by books. Loved the sense of place and time that Zafron seems to have captured ( )

Reviewed by Mr. Kome ( )

I read a lot of books, and usually quickly because it's either a reincarnation of a story I've read before or it's simply not really grabbing my attention. But this book is truly a unique concept and I found myself taking longer than usual to make sure I didn't miss anything. I brought this book everywhere with me because I didn't want to leave it behind in case I had time to read!

It's truly amazing and as soon as I finished it, I gave it to a friend for her to read and I can't wait until she's finished. I just know this book is for everyone!

It has been far too long since I last read a book that I was simply unable to put down, I am so happy I found this.

The plot is complex and full of murder, love, friendship, betrayal and everything in between. At times I did find myself wanting to rush through just to get to the end and know the truth, but it's worth the wait. Some books finish terribly and leave you irritated and feeling robbed o your time, this ending left me satisfied without taking anything away from the long journey I had just been on.

The writing captures your attention, as do the well written characters, each with their distinct voice.

Although there is happiness in this novel, I felt it was still enshrouded with sorrow.

At times the descriptions may become a little repetitive in all their gloominess but I still found that the story was fluid and kept you interested.

I hadn't heard of this book, I happened to read a short blurb which mentioned a 'Cemetery of Forgotten Books' and that idea alone grabbed my attention.

Overall, it isn't going to become a 'classic great' but it is an entertaining read.

Favourite line: There are too many to list, but here is one example - 'My father sighed, hiding behind the sad smile that followed him like a shadow through his life.' ( )

Daniel, der im grauen Barcelona der Franco-Ära aufwächst, betritt zusammen mit seinem Vater eine geheimnisvolle Bibliothek, den "Friedhof der vergessenen Bücher". Hier darf er ein Buch auswählen. "Der Schatten des Windes" ist der Titel, den er sich greift. Der Autor ist ein gewisser Julian Carax. Daniel ist fasziniert von der Geschichte, die er liest. Er macht sich auf die Suche nach dem Autor, möchte mehr wissen über diesen Menschen. Doch was als neugieriges Spiel beginnt, wird rasch zur Bedrohung: Ein Mann mit einer Ledermaske taucht auf. Er ist hinter Daniels Buch her ... ( )

A very captivating, "old-fashioned" mystery, perhaps oriented more towards young adults and teenagers (no downside there). I love books about books and people who love books; I agree that there is something magical about them. At first I was thrilled by the possibility of mixing fiction with real life, but this book wrapped it up in a more mundane manner.

There are elements of romance and horror in this book. The horror is very "realistic", just a youngsters view of intimidating people and situations. The romance on the other hand was high-flying. The emotions described were so over-the-top. Perhaps Zafón goes for a teenagers wild emotional life, or it's just a gimmick of romance writers. Some of it just felt like it can't really make sense. Also some other "poetic" descriptions, aphorisms and such seemed more like just pretty words.

I liked the structure of the book. In the beginning, the parts on Julián Carax's life were relayed like a parallel storyline, kept appropriately mysterious, and in the end -- Nuria's letter -- the whole thing is gone through very intensely.

All in all, it's a greatly entertaining book. No deeper lessons to be learned here, save perhaps one on storytelling. ( )

While the initial plot seems interesting the story dulls due to poorly written character types and cliched themes. The female characters lack any depth and are portrayed as motherly figures or sexually ruined women incapable of breaking the gender stereotype. Dialogue in this book is rather bland as well. The protagonist Daniel while aging some ten years in the book never develops a broader dialogue then his original ten year old self hindering any meaningful interaction between him and Zafon's other characters. Finally, the 450 page length makes this book excessively slow, while the pace is intended to slowly build suspense it often moves so slow that all interest in the plot is lost. ( )

This is a long rambling tale (much too long and rambling) of Daniel, who discovers a book written by a mysterious man that he attempts to locate. We get every stereotype that can be crammed into 450 pages, which is considerable. The patient, long-suffering widower father, the brash protagonist, the beautiful women who betray him, the evil Inspector Fumaro, the disturbed author.....on and on and on. The backstory of living in Barcelona in the first half of the 20th century was the only redeeming feature of this book. Ho hum. ( )

The overwhelming positive critics convinced me to read this book. However, I cannot share the enthusiasm. It's well written with likeable characters, each one having a unique style and personality. The female characters were a little bit weak though, I interpreted their behaviour as common for the time (1920 - 1950) but this might be wrong. I also liked the mystery around the book Shadow of the Wind and the Barcelona after World War II.After finishing roughly half of the book I began to ask myself what it's all about. The nice surface couldn't hide the missing depth and the plot started to become trivial. Still, I kept on reading. Then the last quarter started and I felt annoyed. The whole mystery turned into a kitschy, mediocre something turning into a big-bang final with a lot of action. Oh my gosh!I am pretty sure that people will like the novel but don't let other convince you that this is high literature. It is not. ( )

The overwhelming positive critics convinced me to read this book. However, I cannot share the enthusiasm. It's well written with likeable characters, each one having a unique style and personality. The female characters were a little bit weak though, I interpreted their behaviour as common for the time (1920 - 1950) but this might be wrong. I also liked the mystery around the book Shadow of the Wind and the Barcelona after World War II.After finishing roughly half of the book I began to ask myself what it's all about. The nice surface couldn't hide the missing depth and the plot started to become trivial. Still, I kept on reading. Then the last quarter started and I felt annoyed. The whole mystery turned into a kitschy, mediocre something turning into a big-bang final with a lot of action. Oh my gosh!I am pretty sure that people will like the novel but don't let other convince you that this is high literature. It is not. ( )

This story occurs in Barcelona and begins in the summer of 1945 when motherless Daniel Sempere is ten years old. His father, an antiquarian bookseller, takes him to the mysterious Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a huge secret library where "every book, every volume you see here, has a soul...of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens...In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands....According to tradition, the first time someone visits this place, he must choose a book, whichever he wants, and adopt it, making sure that it will never disappear, that it will always stay alive." (pages 5-6)

The book that calls to Daniel is "The Shadow of the Wind," by one Julian Carax. After reading it in one night, Daniel tries to find other books by Carax. Daniel learns that the book is quite valuable as all of the other copies, and everything else Carax has written, have been destroyed. Over the next ten years, Daniel is consumed by a compulsion to find the mysterious author and solve the puzzle of what happened to him and his books. Daniel himself describes his quest (page 178) as “about accursed books, about the 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.” (And his girlfriend Beatriz teasingly responds, “You talk like the jacket blurb of a Victorian novel.”)

This makes for an incredibly riveting story, full of convolutions and surprises. There are complicated characters and lush language is used to describe Gothic settings and evoke dark moods. Originally written in Spanish by Zafon, translator Lucia Graves did an excellent job. Recommended for a fun yet intriguing read, particularly for bibliophiles. ( )

Julian Carax was once heard to say that we only exist as long as there is someone to remember us. According to all reports Julian Carax had died many years ago, but thanks to a small boy, Julian Carax is about to exist once more amongst the living.

Awoken in the night by the cries of his young son Daniel, a father makes a decision that will change his son's life forever. Daniel is introduced to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and it is within these numerous dust filled shelves that Daniel discovers Julian Carax, and a mystery that will haunt him and bring danger to everyone he loves.

From the moment Daniel picked up the book The Shadow of the Wind at the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, he became enthralled with the author Julian Carax. The only problem was that no one seemed to know much about how to locate any of his other books, if they still existed, and even less was known about the man himself.

Determined to discover all he can about the man whose books mean so much to him, Daniel embarks on a journey into the past. Hidden beneath secrets and around dark corners, Daniel is slowly able to put together the life of Julian Carax, a life that is not so different from his own, but will he live long enough to see it through to the end of the story.

This is a story about first loves, and true loves, and loves of literature. This is a story about danger, and murder, and wars; a story of secrets and mysteries. In this story madmen roam the streets with all authority and characters escape the confines of their pages to walk amongst their readers. This is a story about The Shadow of the Wind. In this, you will be taken in, unable to escape the mystery that burns within; a brilliant and unforgettable read. ( )

I thought this book was incredible. The mystery, the intrigue. I want to visit the book graveyard. ( )

I enjoyed the plot, a real page turner. The story is Dickensian in it's design, however I was disappointed that Zafon could not reveal the relationship between the characters and their history without resorting to using a manuscript written by one of the main characters to explain it. ( )