The Shadow of the Wind
Synopsis
This story is set in 1940s Barcelona. We follow Daniel, the young son of a bookseller who is grieving the loss of his mother. One day, his father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, where he must select a single novel to cherish and protect forever. He chooses the mysterious Shadow of the Wind and is instantly mystified by it. As Daniel grows older, he comes to obsesses over the book and the history of its author, Julian Carax, who has since disappeared. Daniel doesn't realize the dangers of his fascination until some strange characters emerge, and the race to find Carax's last surviving novels begins. The book motif is essential to Zafón's story, and symbolizes the immortal connection between memory and storytelling, obsession and love, and goodness versus corruption.
Review
This ode to literature is full of magical realism, who-dunnit mystery, murder, and romance. While I loved this book in theory, the execution seemed to fall a bit flat. It reads as a kind of family saga and I really enjoyed the misty, gothic backdrop of Barcelona as its primary setting. The third act was rather hard to get through, and in general I don't enjoy when a twist in the plot dispels the magic that was set up from the beginning of the book, which occurs in this instance. This feels a little too deceitful to the reader, and not in a meaningful way. It's important to note that this was translated from Spanish, which will definitely affect the reading experience for better or for worse. Finally, the characterization of Daniel and Julian Carax reflect one another markedly, but they never reconnect in the way it felt the book was leading up to. With a bit more forethought and plot development, this could be a much more well-rounded piece. I enjoyed it overall, but not enough to continue on with the series.