Title: The Shadow of the WindAuthor: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Translated By: Lucia Graves
Publisher: Phoenix
Publication Date (English Edition): 2004
Source: My own copy
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
In 1945, in the heart of the old city of Barcelona, Daniel, a ten year old boy, is taken to the 'Cemetery of Forgotten books' by his father. He is allowed to choose one book from the collection of forgotten novels where he chooses The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. After reading the book Daniel goes in search of information about the author and encounters a mystery surrounding the books and the author along with a rumour that a disfigured man has burnt every other copy of the book. As Daniel grows up the mystery surrounding the life and death of Julian Carax increases and he finds himself tangled up in a web of secrets.
I loved the beginning of this book. The descriptions of Barcelona and of Daniel's relationship with his father were exquisite. I was certain this was going to be a wonderful book and I would love it. Unfortunately the beautiful descriptions and the unique flow of the book seemed to wane by about the middle of the story. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the story was sound but I found the story telling got a little lost along the way. My biggest disappointment came in chapter 35, barely two thirds through the book (if you hate even the tiniest bit of a SPOILER skip the next paragraph) ...................................................................................................................................... when the author reveals something that will happen during the ending. I hate when they do that. It completely throws the story off for me and I'm constantly trying to work out how the story will unfold to make it happen instead of just getting enveloped in the story. So that really threw it for me sadly.
.......................SAFE TO READ AGAIN.
So all in all I enjoyed this book but I didn't love it like I thought I would during the first 5 chapters.
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I am one of those crazy people that loves it when things are revealed and then you spend the rest of the book finding out how the characters reached that point. I love it when the start of the book is the end of the story, and then they go back and we see how it all unfolds to that particular point. For me it reinforces that its the journey, not the destination, that is the best part :-)
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