I read “The Shadow of the Wind” for my local book club.

Read my review to see if I enjoyed the story and where you can buy the book.

My Review of  “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This is a book that I suggested for our local book club, and I was excited to read it. The blurb describes a “cemetery of forgotten books” and that instantly captures my attention and my imagination. I didn’t relate to the characters particularly but that might be because they are men, and the story is set in 20th century Spain which is not something I am familiar with. The story gave me an interesting history lesson about subjects that I would not ordinarily explore, so I am glad that I read the book for that reason. I also enjoyed the descriptions of architecture in Barcelona, especially the Gothic undertones. While the book didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I did enjoy it, and I do recommend that you read it.

About the Book

Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the ‘Cemetery of Lost Books’, a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Julian Carax.

But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find.

Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from the book, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax’s work in order to burn them.

What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind…

Buy the book: Amazon; Waterstones; WH Smith.

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