Book Review: The Shadow of the Wind

Reviewed By: Cheryl - RAM

The Shadow of the Wind     Amazon US TPB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada TPB Amazon Canada HC
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Class/Genre:   Fiction   Historical

"The Shadow of the Wind" is a twentieth century take on the Victorian gothic novel, with all the unlikely coincidences, lurid violence, horrible tragedies and tragic love affairs of the genre. The tale follows the intertwined lives of booksellers, writers, translators, publishers through most of the first half of the twentieth century. There are enough plot twists and touches of fantasy to ensure that the book is very hard to put down.

Daniel, who has dreamed of becoming a novelist since childhood, narrates most of the story. He describes how he adopted the book 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax in 1945, when he was only ten. He was fascinated by the story and overwhelmed by the world created by the novel. Like any reader in such a situation, Daniel decides to seek out copies of everything else written by the author. But Carax and his work are an intimate part of a still unfinished story about complex relationships among some very dangerous people.

Almost all the action takes place in Barcelona, which is a character in her own right. The story could not have taken place anywhere else. Through war and peace, in crumbling tenements and mansions, spread between the mountains and the sea, Barcelona is dirty, cruel and indifferent - and yet fascinating.

Lucia Graves' translation from the original Spanish reads as though the book was an English original without losing the feel of the Catalan story. The turns of phrase and word choice always strike just the right note.

I enjoyed this book, gothic melodrama, fantasy and all. I was drawn into the tale instantly, and recommend it to all readers who love books, particularly books with vivid, improbable tales.

Cheryl - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Cheryl - RAM