The Library of Shadows

The Library of Shadows was written by Mikkel Birkegaard and translated from Danish into English by Tiina Nunnally.

The author has conceptualized people who have the ability to influence your thoughts and feelings through reading. This concept is highly original as far as I'm aware and I was gripped by the idea immediately.

Set in Copenhagen, Luca Campelli is the owner of an antiquarian bookshop containing many old and rare texts as well as new releases. He and his son Jon have been estranged for many years, until Luca's sudden and unexpected death interrupts Jon's career as a highly successful lawyer. After his funeral, Jon finds himself inheriting the bookshop and becoming curious about the secrets his Father kept from him.

Jon soon show more learns about the secret society of gifted bibliophiles who possess powers as either transmitters or receivers. This subtle supernatural theme continues throughout the novel, as Birkegaard attributes these society members with the ability to influence, manipulate and brainwash people with their powers.

This is an exciting read and you'll find mystery, intrigue, action and danger along the way. I feel compelled to add that the translation contains several flaws which disrupted the natural pace of the novel. The romance between Jon and a supporting character was ridiculous, and the seduction scene in the shower was laughable and completely unrealistic - making me shout "as if" out loud while I was reading.

However; connections in the book to the great Library in Alexandria were absolutely tantalising and I thoroughly enjoyed these snippets. All in all, The Library of Shadows is a book with a great deal of promise, however in my opinion it failed to live up to its potential. show less

When evaluating a book, or indeed any sort of artistic expression, the first and often unconscious step is establishing the thresholds or criteria against which it should be fairly judged. Not all plays ought be held against the standard of Shakespeare, nor all novels Dostoevsky. From the moment you first pick up a book, thoughtfully heft its weight in your hand, absorb the cover art and typeface, and casually skim the publisher blurbs and reviewer call-quotes, you begin a process of shaping expectations. These "first impressions" are typically completed -- occasionally refuted, but certainly concluded -- as you slowly begin picking your way through the opening sentence, paragraph, and page.

By the end of the first chapter, the show more experienced reader will have established a ready model of the audience for whom this book was intended, the literary tradition it builds from and chooses to extend, the ancient themes it has picked up and will shortly re-tell with variations anew. Consciously or otherwise, the reader has already begun cross-referencing an index of comparison points: other books with similar style, comparable diction, analogous theme, congruent historical or geographical setting, parallel plot, etc. These will become the benchmarks against which this new entry will be measured -- and the water mark will be high, for indeed "novel" comes from the Latin novus or "new", and readers will expect recent entries to build upon and therefore plausibly surpass the achievements of those who have gone before; mere regurgitation or mimicry merit little praise.

And therein lies my problem with "The Library of Shadows", the latest submission in the subgenre of supernatural literary thriller. The author dearly wishes to be placed on a shelf alongside recent bestsellers such as "The Club Dumas", "The Dante Club", Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian", and even masters such as Umberto Eco. This categorization is not subjective on my part: Arturo Perez-Reverte is mentioned by name in the text, as is "The Name of the Rose", and special attention is given to a reading of "The Divine Comedy". These unsubtle allusions could be amusingly self-referential in a genuine genre entry, but come across as almost embarrassingly pleading in a novel of this calibre.

For the fact is that "Library" does not measure up to the standards it self-selects and so desperately echos. Its fantastic suppositions beggar belief, lacking even the internal logic so critical to establishing suspension-of-disbelief and effective empathy between reader and text. The "whodunnit" aspect of the mystery, the morality play of motivations, as well as the supernatural element which sets the plot in motion, are all presented with such clumsy cliches that I found myself wondering if this was a book written for children. Indeed, with one or two snips of the editor's scissors, this could make excellent juvenile fiction, an easy on-ramp to spark interest in better books featuring similar themes: dark and dank libraries filled with forgotten folios, musty old tomes of legend and lore whose cryptic secrets spell ecstasy or horror for the unwary reader.

Sadly, this book is unlikely to be ever placed in those hallowed back-rooms, held behind counter and glass for curious cognoscente or discerning dilettante; I fear it is bound to remain ever caged in the sunlit paperback racks fronting friendly High Street shops. At best, it may provide an early map, a hint to precocious young readers that books do exist which can carry the recondite connoisseur down circuitous paths to more vivid visions and rewarding resolutions, when the time is right.

Today, two stars; for too little, too late. show less

It's always frustrating to read a really good book in Danish, because I know the chances of it getting translated into English are very slim, and I want to recommend it to others and discuss it with them!

And the first half of this book was "really good". The set-up was interesting, the writing captivating, I got really fond of both Jon and Katherina, and I was completely fascinated by the concept of influencing/manipulating others through reading.

Unfortunately, about half way through the book, a blatant plot-device was used to move the story along. I'd seen it coming a mile off, so it annoyed me that Jon and Katherina hadn't too, and that they were trusting and unsuspecting enough not to see it. The same effect could easily have been show more achieved in a different way.

The last 100 pages seemed rushed, and not as well thought-out as the rest of the book, leaving me not quite as blown away as I'd expected to be, and with a number of questions left unanswered.

Edit: turns out this book actually has been translated. I stand corrected. show less

Great book! The translation is wonderful; so I'm thinking the original must be flawless. I admired the way the narrative keeps you reading, and reading, and reading like the Energizer bunny. I loved the main plot: books can affect you in countless ways and reading is a very powerful thing. I wish I could visit Libri di Luca; by reading about it, I was able to visualize it to the letter, and most important of all, I was almost able to smell it... wonderful place. Jon and Katherina make a great pair in all senses: romantically and powerful-wise. The rest of the characters play along nicely; but nothing like the main pair and Luca, the long lost father. I totally recommend this book: great suspense and most important of all: it's for all show more of us book-lovers. show less

One of those books that might have been excellent, but instead turned out rather meh. There's a bit of really nice description about the power of books and reading, and some lovely, lush bookstore scenery, though, but the main plot line leaves quite a bit to be desired.

While the general premise of the book isn't terrible (that there's a small group of readers who have particular abilities to influence the way other people experience the reading of a book), the way this works out in practice just gets somewhat silly and nebulous, and all breaks down toward the end of the book.

For some reason, the tone of this book reminded me of the 1970s TV horror movies: an ordinary person somehow gets drawn into a disturbing situation full of odd happenings and emotional betrayals. In the movies, the evil tended to win the day. That's not the case here.

A lawyer inherits a bookshop from his estranged father, and learns that some people possess strange powers related to reading. Transmitters can influence the listener, while receivers can get inside the head of anyone reading. While the bookstore has been the center of a local group of Lectors, there appears a different organization with malevolent designs. A showdown of readers drives the book toward its conclusion.

The abilities of Lectors puts a different spin on the show more imagined influence that libraries can have. While here the power involves actually reading, a different view is offered in the Invisible Library series in which librarians speak The Language to which the world must respond. These descriptions of the power hidden within the library and its books can be captivating to anyone that thinks libraries are special, even without the magic powers.

Plot-wise, the story probably doesn't survive close scrutiny, but that's beside. show less

I can see the appeal in the world the author imagines. Having power to transfix people when you read to them. Being able to sway a reader to emphasize certain aspects of a book simply through your thought processes. Even being able to persuade a person to act differently than he or she otherwise would.

I can imagine, too, that if persons such as these existed in our world, they could become dangerous and they could also become targets. Thus the world of the Lectors- transmitters and receivers. People with special powers based on actual physical books, the older the better. In fact, books that absorb the power of their readers and become more powerful over time.

It's an intriguing idea that Birkegaard has taken to the level of a thriller, show more complete with dramatic scenes and colliding worlds. At the center is Jon Campelli, successful lawyer who has been estranged from his father for many years. When he attends his father's funeral he learns about more than the status of the book shop the old man owned. He is drawn into a mysterious world of readers with unusual powers, and he learns that he too may possess such powers. He also learns that it may be dangerous to be in his place.

In other respects the story does follow the outline of many thrillers, including a love interest that might overcome the odds. It moves right along in spite of its length, but over time I became less attached to it. The characters didn't especially move me and I didn't feel compelled to follow them. show less