The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafón

"The Shadow of the Wind" is an extremely unique novel, set in the crumbling streets of Barcelona during the 1940s. It is written in the style of a classic novel even though it was published in the early 2000s and it is historical fiction mingled with mystery and horror. The story is so complex, my mind is boggled by the author's ability to create such a masterpiece. It has everything that I love in a novel: books, mystery, a beautiful setting and amusing characters.

Daniel is only ten years old when his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books where he is drawn to one particular novel, "The Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax. The beauty of the story captivates the young boy and ignites in him a burning curiosity to unravel the dark mystery surrounding the author's past. Little does he know that this will lead him into a dangerous side of Barcelona which he never knew existed.

I was pleasantly surprised by this novel's capacity to keep me engaged despite its length. This is mostly due to the several plot twists which turned up unexpectedly and kept me on the edge of my seat. Different parts of the story were told in different ways. The main part of the story was told by the main character, Daniel while another large portion of the story is told through a letter from a woman named Nuria. This allows the author to control how much information the reader knows and keep them guessing alongside the characters. Much of the backstory was told through long exchanges in dialogue which got a little boring and difficult to follow at times and there are lots of characters with Spanish names such as Fernando Ramos, Don Fredrico and Gustavo Barcelo which I struggled to remember. Otherwise, the characters had very interesting personalities, adding humour to the story and an authentic Spanish touch. 

Setting aside the complicated stories and tangled mysteries, "The Shadow of the Wind" is a story of love, loss and a young boy's discovery of the cruelty of the world. At times, it was gripping and terrifying, other times it was saddening, but in the end, it was truly heartwarming. Carlos Ruiz Zafon uses deeply descriptive language intertwined with metaphors like I have never heard before.

"a Cáceres accent thick enough to spread on toast"

Shadow of the Wind was somehow long and slowly paced while also gripping and captivating at the same time. From the moment I began reading, I was swept away into the streets of Barcelona and never wanted to come back.
~Inkpot Blogger