The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Review by Deya

A patron suggested this book to me sometime in March. I checked it out and it sat on my coffee table for at least 6 weeks(bad, bad, bad librarian). I finally picked it up and was immediately intrigued. And then the Summer Reading Program started and it returned to its spot on my coffee table. Finally, in the midst of those weeks of running like crazy, reading to kids, throwing water slide parties, and setting up art shows, I picked this book back up. And I couldn't put it down.

Daniel, our hero, is the son of a book store owner. His mother passed away when he was very young and his father, whose quiet solidity makes him likable right away, has raised him. We meet Daniel when he has been introduced to the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" and his father tells him that he may pick one book to take with him, to protect. Daniel finds "The Shadow of the Wind" and it is here that things start to get a little creepy.

The author of "The Shadow of the Wind" is Julian Carax, a figure steeped in mystery, never particularly famous, presumed dead. As Daniel delves into the story behind the book he finds that he will be forced to do more than just scratch the surface; this is no simple author's biography. With each new discovery the tale deepens and Daniel's danger grows. Who is the mysterious faceless man who smells of burning paper and offers to buy the book? Why does a vicious police detective suddenly have Daniel in his sights? And why have all the other copies of Carax's books disappeared?

"The Shadow of the Wind" tells two tales, Daniel's and Julian's. They mirror each other in many ways, most particularly in rather melancholy and sad ways. And yet, there is always some sense of hope. Zafon manages to keep us hoping, and guessing, to the very end.

I did have a hard time getting into this book, hence the coffee table respite. I cannot tell you if it is because the book gets boring early on or if I was just too busy to be able to get into it. I can tell you that I stayed up too late on a couple of work nights because I didn't want to put this down for the last 1/2 of the book.

Good for:
Afternoons on a porch with iced tea
Beach, lake, and river reading
Book discussion
Just because
If you like novels translated from Spanish