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The Shadow Of The Wind (Paperback)

by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Author) "A SECRET'S WORTH DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE FROM WHOM IT MUST be kept ..." (more)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Ruiz Zafón's novel, a bestseller in his native Spain, takes the satanic touches from Angel Heart and stirs them into a bookish intrigue à la Foucault's Pendulum. The time is the 1950s; the place, Barcelona. Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed bookstore owner, is 10 when he discovers a novel, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julián Carax. The novel is rare, the author obscure, and rumors tell of a horribly disfigured man who has been burning every copy he can find of Carax's novels. The man calls himself Laín Coubert-the name of the devil in one of Carax's novels. As he grows up, Daniel's fascination with the mysterious Carax links him to a blind femme fatale with a "porcelain gaze," Clara Barceló; another fan, a leftist jack-of-all-trades, Fermín Romero de Torres; his best friend's sister, the delectable Beatriz Aguilar; and, as he begins investigating the life and death of Carax, a cast of characters with secrets to hide. Officially, Carax's dead body was dumped in an alley in 1936. But discrepancies in this story surface. Meanwhile, Daniel and Fermín are being harried by a sadistic policeman, Carax's childhood friend. As Daniel's quest continues, frightening parallels between his own life and Carax's begin to emerge. Ruiz Zafón strives for a literary tone, and no scene goes by without its complement of florid, cute and inexact similes and metaphors (snow is "God's dandruff"; servants obey orders with "the efficiency and submissiveness of a body of well-trained insects"). Yet the colorful cast of characters, the gothic turns and the straining for effect only give the book the feel of para-literature or the Hollywood version of a great 19th-century novel.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From AudioFile

Carlos Ruiz Zafón has written a masterful novel of hope, mystery, and love, made more superb on audio. Originally written in Spanish, the story begins when young Daniel no longer remembers his mother's face, and his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. There he finds THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, a novel by Julian Carax. Enchanted by the book, Daniel embarks on a search for other works by Carax, and eventually for Carax himself. During his quest, Daniel becomes enveloped in murder, intrigue, and love. Jonathan Davis's reading is brilliant, and the book is a certain Audie Award nominee. Davis uses a light, but effective, Spanish accent, offering the listener a remarkable sense of authenticity. Davis imbues Daniel with a mix of reverence and innocence that shines through every word. The audiobook also contains periodic musical accompaniment, composed by Zafón, that works surprisingly well. THE SHADOW OF THE WIND has been translated into 20 languages; with its translation into English, American readers can share the beauty of what is destined to be a literary classic. D.J.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
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A SECRET'S WORTH DEPENDS ON THE PEOPLE FROM WHOM IT MUST be kept. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

69 Reviews
5 star:
 (55)
4 star:
 (7)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (69 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem of Fiction From Pure Genius, April 15 2007
By Dr. Mario E. Martinez - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Shadow Of The Wind (Paperback)
"The Shadow of the Wind" is one of those rare books that entice readers to face their existential fears with the power of human dignity. Rather than describe the content of the story as other reviewers have so aptly done, I want to focus on the psychological fabric that Carlos Ruiz Safón weaves for us. As a clinical psychologist and author of a psychological novel, I can arguably state that Safón is one of the most gifted wordsmiths of this decade. And I dare say that, if he continues to develop his craft, he could inheret the best of Dumas and Proust for the twenty-first century.
Through his cast of characters, Safón explores the depth of evil, the bitter-sweetness of our first unrequited love, and the invincibility of the human spirit when confronted with darkness. Rather than feeling pity for the emotional and physical traumas that his characters endure, Safón exalts them to serve as examples of how honor overwhelms shame, and how forgiveness subdues bitter rage.
Safón's book exceeded my expectations and inspired me to become a better writer.


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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars From one author to another: a terrific story, Nov 11 2006
By Larry Ketchersid "author of Dusk Before the Dawn" (Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: Shadow Of The Wind (Paperback)
was reading this novel just as I was putting the finishing touches on my own first book; Senor Zafon's characterizations and scene descriptions encouraged and discouraged me at the same moment: encouraged because I was reminded that authors can put pictures into people's minds, pictures so vivid that the author's world becomes real; discouraged because he showed me what a long way to go I have as an author (and I wasn't even reading it in the native Spanish!).

The places, like the library and the mansion, were visible to me.

The main characters respect for his father, for the books, and his longing for the women in his life, was incredibly well described and laid out.

And the plot yanks you in. I was reading this on a beautiful beach in Greece, and it continually brought me away from that reality into it's own world. I had to pass it to my wife and my son to read, and they also devoured it on the same vacation. It is that kind of read, the kind that you cannot put down no matter where you are.

I eagerly search the Internet for news of Senor Zafon's next work.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars For dreamers and lovers, Oct 23 2007
By Stef (Ottawa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Shadow Of The Wind (Paperback)
I found this book entirely by acccident, in a shopping mall bookstore where I was killing time before catching a bus. I wandered all the way into the Z's, way over in the back corner behind a pile of boxes, and reached for the very last book on the very last shelf. I was hooked on page 2, standing right there in the bookstore, holding my breath and thinking: "Where the heck have you been all my life?"

The plot has been described by other reviewers, but my main impression after reading "The Shadow of the Wind" was of emerging from a strange, beautiful, luminous dream, the kind of dream that leaves you blinking at the world and noticing poetry in the most trivial things around you. This is a book for dreamers and lovers, for people who can still remember being seventeen and deliriously in love, for those of you who smile at the full moon even when they're in a hurry.

Lucia Graves' translation is nothing short of miraculous. I don't know enough Spanish to pass a technical judgment on it, but the result in English is a thing of true beauty.

The storyline itself is a page-turner, but you'll want to pace yourself just to make it last longer.

One last comment: I've heard this book compared to "The Name of the Rose" and "One Hundred Years of Solitude". Don't let it scare you. This one will take you by the heart and take you on a flight you'll never forget.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read
This book is a great read. The corny romance plot could have been removed, hence the 4 star. Memorable characters that will make you laugh out loud.
Published 25 days ago by Will Shakes

5.0 out of 5 stars very intriguing mystery
I listened to the audio book and the narrator Jonathan Davis did an outstanding job with the characters. Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. Jacques

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing read!
I did think this book was going to be anything great... but it was really one of the best books i have read. I hope you enjoy it!!!
Published 2 months ago by Holly K. Jacques

2.0 out of 5 stars A plot driven bore.
There must be a new kind of mystery novel out there, one that doesnt involve a murder, one with mystical elements, one that starts with an event and moves back and forth through... Read more
Published 3 months ago by L. Ramsey

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome. Fantastic. Incredible.
Wow. This book was awesome. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. Part thriller, part mystery, part romance, part historical fiction. Read more
Published 7 months ago by NorthVan Dave

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
I think this was an excellent read. There's a lot to get acquainted with in the beginning and the events are so strange, it takes a while to put things into perspective, but... Read more
Published on Sep 4 2007 by I LOVE BOOKS

4.0 out of 5 stars A different world.
While the book is full of page-turning melodrama and intrigue, the real power of it lies in its ability to draw you into the world of Barcelona during that era. Read more
Published on Jun 21 2007 by M. Catalano

5.0 out of 5 stars A captivating soap opera
A wonderous tale. I honestly couldn't put this one down. OK, in retrospect, there are some soap-opera twists that certainly up the entertainment value but are a little cheap... Read more
Published on Jan 30 2007 by A reader

5.0 out of 5 stars Els Quatre Gats : Favored by Picasso and Sempere
Carlos Ruiz Zafon was born in Barcelona in 1964. He won the Premio Edebe for his first novel, "El Principe de la Niebla" (Prince of the Mists). Read more
Published on Jan 26 2007 by Craobh Rua

3.0 out of 5 stars Chase that dream
This book started off slowly for me and I nearly put it down at one point. I perservered and by about half-way found it a very engrossing story. Read more
Published on Dec 30 2006 by Mundoo

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