Last updated on October 6, 2020
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is an intriguing book involving a book set inside another. It is the first book in a series, set in Barcelona in the post-war 1940s. If you’re looking for a post full of spoilers, that reveals the ending of the book, visit here.
The narrator, Daniel Sempere, is the son of a bookseller. He lives alone with his father after the death of his mother when he was 4. As a boy, on his tenth birthday, his father takes him to The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Daniel gets to choose one book out of thousands for himself. He chooses a rare book written in the 30s, one that is written by a barely known author, Julián Carax. Daniel loves the story and feels connected to the protagonist, so he wants to find out all that he can about the author.
In his quest, Daniel enters into Carax’s world, meeting the people who knew him. As he tries to learn more about Carax, he makes an unlikely friend, Fermín. Fermin claims to have been a spy and seems to have friends in hidden corners. They pair up to learn about Carax and his books, attracting the attention of the brutal chief of police, Ignacio Fumero, in the process. As they learn more about Carax and his books, they have to figure out who they can trust to uncover the truth while staying safe from Fumero.
Final Verdict
There is a lot happening in The Shadow of the Wind, but the twist and turns keep me interested. I wanted to solve the mystery along with Daniel. As the story develops, we also see Daniel mature, first from an infatuation with Clara, to the attraction of a much older woman, and finally to falling in love with the woman he marries.
There are parallels between Daniel and Carax. As a child, Daniel wanted to be a writer and owned a pen that belonged to Carax. He gets to pass the pen on as the story continues, completing the circle. Following the story of the pen is another one of the marvelous twists of The Shadow of the Wind. It builds on the magical elements of the book. Did Daniel choose the book from the cemetery or did the book choose him. How much of this quest was destined?
The ending is gratifying with some unexpected revelations. I was pleasantly surprised by a marvellous discovery of a unique feature in this book.
To me, the key message of this book is that history repeats itself, and in the best cases, it brings redemption.
I recommend The Shadow of the Wind if you love books, and enjoy many twist, turns and thrills in unravelling a mystery. There is a lot of imagery in the language, maybe even a bit too much. I give this book 4 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Be First to Comment