Last night, I finished reading “The Shadow of the Wind” by Spanish novelist Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
I first came across this book in a Waterstone’s in London, and it seemed very interesting, still I didn’t buy it because I had already bought a bunch of books and couldn’t keep going forever putting things in the already heavy shopping basket. A year and a bit more later, early this year, I encountered the book again at another Waterstone’s, only this time in Manchester, and it that’s when I bought it.
The events of the story take place in Barcelona in the year 1945; The city lies shrouded in secrets after the war, and a boy mourning the loss of his mother finds solace in his love for an extraordinary book called The Shadow of the Wind, by an author named Julian Carax, that he got from the Cemetary of Forgotten Books where his father took him.
When the boy searches for Carax’s other books, it begins to dawn on him, to his horror, that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book the man has ever written. Soon the boy realizes that The Shadow of the Wind is as dangerous to own as it is impossible to forget, for the mystery of its author’s identity holds the key to an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love that someone will go to any lengths to keep secret.
I personally really enjoyed reading this book, it takes you on this beautiful ride, solving this mystery with the main character and diving into its smallest details.
I did guess a number of things earlier on in the story than the main character did, but still the book kept me engaged, wanting to know more and go deeper.
I really recommend this book, it’s a really good and enjoyable read.