I have to begin by saying that no review will ever do justice to the magnificence of this novel. Carlos Ruiz Zafon is not just a writer, he is a craftsman and his is the age old craft of story telling.. where the author uses a magician's tricks of smoke and mirrors so that the more you read, the more you are mystefied... where the advancement of the story only leads to more complications of the plot till you are in the middle of a labyrinthine web of stories, rich with character and atmosphere.
David Sempere is the son of a bookseller in Barcelona. In 1945, when he is 10, he discovers a novel "The Shadow of the Wind" by an unknown writer, Julian Carax.. and over the next decade Daniel carries his obsession with the doomed author. Daniel is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding Julian and protect Julian's legacy of literature from complete destruction at the evil hands of Lain Coubert, a mysterious figure who has threatened to burn every copy of Julian's books. The sinuous path of the story leads the reader to a host of characters who offer clues of Julian's existence: his star-crossed love affair with Penelope; the loyalty of his lifelong friend, Miquel; the unrequited love of Nuria; and the treacherous intentions of his lifelong enemy, Inspector Fumero.
One of the most unforgettable characters in the book is Fermin .. Daniel's friend and ally .. the self confessed admirer of all things female, whose wandering eyes belie a steadfast and loyal heart. Fermin's contempt for the anti-democratic Nationalist forces that came to victory after the bloody Spanish civil war of the 1930's, serve to showcase the tumultuous times of the novel's setting. But those events are not at the center of the story - at its core, the book is a gothic mystery, and the imagery conjured by the author of dark, sinister houses, shadowy figures, and ominous symbols will both shock and delight your senses. The story is an experience, an exercise of the reader's imagination.. the author will take you on a journey that comes full circle, and on the way you will be spellbound by the sheer magic of his story telling.
