The Shadow of the Wind

[Jenny Griffin, RMR CRR CCRR CRC]

Title: The Shadow of the Wind - Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón - Written: 2001 (Eng. 2004)
Length: 487 pages - Original in: Spanish

Debi A. told me about this book, and I am so glad she did. Are you a lover of mysteries and intelligent Gothic romances? If you are looking for a good book to read to take your mind off of work for a bit, do yourself a favor and request The Shadow of the Wind from your library. Don't read any reviews as it will give away too much of the plot. If you enjoyed The Woman in White, the 1859 novel written by Wilkie Collins, you will like this. If you have never heard of The Woman in White, check that out one day as well!

This book is very compelling, and I looked forward to reading it while I would eat my breakfast and lunch every day. I finished it yesterday, and now I am about to read The Elegance of the Hedgehog, recommended by Katy. Both of these books took several weeks to reach me as they are quite popular right now. When was the last time you requested a book from your library? Now that tax day is over, treat yourself to a new book!

[dms]

Jenny's right about this being one book no self-respecting bibliophile should miss. And her comparison to The Woman in White is apt as well. Both books cover long spans of time, have characters who come and go at just the right moments, and keep you guessing about what will happen next. Shadow of the Wind also is one of the few books that actually "got me." About two-thirds of the way through the book, when the answer to a longstanding mystery is offhandedly revealed by a simple statement from one character to another, I just about choked on my tongue. I had to go back and reread the sentence three times to make sure it really said what I thought it said. I never, ever, even in my wildest dreams, saw that one coming (and you know what I'm talking about, Jenny ).

There are so many things about this book that hooked me -- from the visit paid to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in the story's opening pages, to the continuous significant appearance of Sugus candies throughout the story, to the detailed descriptions of Barcelona (a city I haven't yet had the opportunity to visit -- always wanted to and now want to even more), it's extremely rich and detailed. I even hunted up Sugus on the Internet and ordered some from a company that imports Spanish foods! Unlike the characters in the book, though, I must say I prefer pineapple Sugus to lemon Sugus.

I love the various relationships that are formed between the characters in the book, the romance, the way things work out (or don't) for various people, and especially the way the author shows us that nothing is ever really as obvious as it might seem. Like my favorite author, Anthony Trollope, Senor Zafon is wonderfully able to present a story where even good people sometimes do bad things and even bad people can sometimes surprise you with their goodness.

I'm not surprised the book is hard to obtain from libraries -- I think everybody who reads it immediately recommends it to six other friends. So like Jenny said: Go out and get yourself a copy. You'll be in for a real treat!