Product Description

Sales presenter, poster, header

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #757 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Review
"A sensation across Europe... a page-turning mystery... a coming of age tale... And it's a hymn of praise to all the joys of reading, stylishly caught in Lucia Graves's entrancing translation." -- Boyd Tonkin INDEPENDENT "crowd-pleaser in the mode of The Da Vinci Code... Intertwining playful detective caper, compelling political thriller and sweeping historical romance, the narrative coils back beyond the savagery of the civil war to the world of the tainted Spanish aristocracy, before slowly unravelling the dark secrets born of Franco's tyranny. Zafon's novel... leave the reader with a palpable sense of enchantment." SUNDAY TIMES "This week's book barely needs an introduction. Almost every book group I know about had read The Shadow of the Wind... the book is about a boy who becomes obsessed with an author. It is set in Barcelona during a bloody time in Spain's history and there is, as you would expect from a bestseller, plenty of death, murder, love and heroism." THE TIMES BOOK CLUB "It was only The Da Vinci Code that stopped The Shadow of the Wind from hogging the top of the bestseller charts last year... an astounding critical success. There's an intricate plot, a gothic atmosphere and an elusive quest, as well as murders, intrigue and star-crossed lovers." THE GUARDIAN "a wonderful portrait of Barcelona - not the sunny, culture rich and fun loving city break destination that most visitors know - but a shadowy, at times dark and atmospheric picture of the city centre streets in the years following the Spanish Civil War." LIVING SPAIN "This bewitching novel has all the hallmarks of a classic Holy Grail story complete with mystery, mayhem, romance and labyrinthine plotting. What elevates it above all others in the genre is its emotional energy, making it a richly rewarding read." DAILY MAIL "one of the most engaging, funny, moving, lyrical books" IRISH EXAMINER "The best book I've ever read" -- AMANDA LAMB WOMAN AND HOME "a magical tale of romance" -- CECELIA AHERN SUNDAY EXPRESS "I couldn't put it down but didn't want to rush is as every sentence is beautifully crafted and every character unique." -- SANTA MONTEFIORE EVENING STANDARD "A page turning exploration of obsession in literature and love" SUNDAY EXPRESS "a great thriller" -- CECELIA AHERN MARIE CLAIRE " the main character's deep love for books and their respective, secret libraries" -- CECELIA AHERN IRISH TIMES 'A real page-turner of a mystery that will have you hooked from beginning to end' SPAINSH MAGAZINE

Review
"A sensation across Europe... a page-turning mystery.... a coming of age tale.... And it's a hymn of praise to all the joys of reading, stylishly caught in Lucia Graves's entrancing translation." (Boyd Tonkin INDEPENDENT )

"crowd-pleaser in the mode of The Da Vinci Code... Intertwining playful detective caper, compelling political thriller and sweeping historical romance, the narrative coils back beyond the savagery of the civil war to the world of the tainted Spanish aristocracy, before slowly unravelling the dark secrets born of Franco's tyranny. Zafon's novel... leave the reader with a palpable sense of enchantment." (SUNDAY TIMES )

"This week's book barely needs an introduction. Almost every book group I know about had read The Shadow of the Wind... the book is about a boy who becomes obsessed with an author. It is set in Barcelona during a bloody time in Spain's history and there is, as you would expect from a bestseller, plenty of death, murder, love and heroism." (THE TIMES BOOK CLUB )

"It was only The Da Vinci Code that stopped The Shadow of the Wind from hogging the top of the bestseller charts last year... an astounding critical success. There's an intricate plot, a gothic atmosphere and an elusive quest, as well as murders, intrigue and star-crossed lovers." (THE GUARDIAN )

"a wonderful portrait of Barcelona - not the sunny, culture rich and fun loving city break destination that most visitors know - but a shadowy, at times dark and atmospheric picture of the city centre streets in the years following the Spanish Civil War." (LIVING SPAIN )

"This bewitching novel has all the hallmarks of a classic Holy Grail story complete with mystery, mayhem, romance and labyrinthine plotting. What elevates it above all others in the genre is its emotional energy, making it a richly rewarding read." (DAILY MAIL )

"one of the most engaging, funny, moving, lyrical books" (IRISH EXAMINER )

"The best book I've ever read" (AMANDA LAMB WOMAN AND HOME )

"a magical tale of romance" (CECELIA AHERN SUNDAY EXPRESS )

"I couldn't put it down but didn't want to rush is as every sentence is beautifully crafted and every character unique." (SANTA MONTEFIORE EVENING STANDARD )

"A page turning exploration of obsession in literature and love" (SUNDAY EXPRESS )

"a great thriller" (CECELIA AHERN MARIE CLAIRE )

" the main character's deep love for books and their respective, secret libraries" (CECELIA AHERN IRISH TIMES )

'A real page-turner of a mystery that will have you hooked from beginning to end' (SPAINSH MAGAZINE )

SANTA MONTEFIORE, EVENING STANDARD
"I couldn't put it down but didn't want to rush is as every sentence is beautifully crafted and every character unique."

Customer Reviews

the shadow of the book
Despite the encouraging review this book fail to match the expectations.
The plot is fragmented, unnatural and often inconsistent. The female characters are stereotypes or worse.
Moreover the style is questionable and not convincing (translator did not help).
I'm sure there are much better choice.
Good luck

brilliant !!
One of the best novels I've read for years. Poetic, funny. Sometimes hilarious. Very likeable characters. A very human, often sad story ... Read it and enjoy !!

A couple of minor faults but otherwise enjoyable
Let me start with the good points. The concept behind this book is quiet brilliant, the writing at times is very poetic an poignant and one cannot but compare with ones own life and maybe feel that things could have and can be done better. Barcelona also is a star character.
However, I have a few minor problems with this novel. It is overly sentimental and at times reads like Mills and Boon trash. It could easily have been 100-150 pages shorter and is very slow to get going. The coincidences or is it fate at times are all a bit much. The may be the authors plan but to me it detracts from a clever storyline. Things do not always have to be tidied up to this degree.
Overall, please read and make up your own mind. This book is not time wasted however I do feel it is shame that it never quiet fulfilled its potential to be truly great.