The Shadow of the Wind

The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Evan’s ESS = 10 out of 10

Erin’s ESS = 7 out of 10

Content = PG-13 (Adult Content, Violence, Brief Nudity, Over Exciting Ending)

"Once, in my father's bookshop, I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later—no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget—we will return."

Why:  Remarkable is defined by Webster as: worthy of being or likely to be noticed especially as being uncommon or extraordinary.  This explanation is way too cumbersome.  A more accurate definition would be to simply state: The Shadow of the Wind.  What Zafon has created is one part ghost story, one part love story, one part mystery, two parts awesomeness - and a prize to any book lover.  The plot is advanced through first person narratives, letters, interviews and a few flashbacks thrown in for good measure.

We’re also giving The Shadow of the Wind high marks for creating one of the coolest locations for any true Bibliophile: the Cemetery of Forgotten Books (Not really a cemetery, but a huge and secret collection of books).  The main character is allowed to select one novel which, as it turns out, unlocks hidden secrets, friendships, and a little thing we like to call destiny.  What follows are numerous plot twists and turns that lead the reader deeper and deeper into the secrets surrounding a journeyman writer and a creepy guy that smells like smoke.  Brace yourself, because the end will stick with you for several days. What we love about this book is that Zafon writes with an understanding that books are an essential need in life, and all of his heroes and heroines agree.

Editor’s Note: We should also give some props to Lucia Graves who translated La sombra del viento into English.  You rock girl!   

 The OTHER Editor’s Note:  It was a good read – most definitely, but I feel the above review is overstated just a teeny tiny bit. 

Editor’s Note: I don’t