Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #93906 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-30
• Original language: Spanish
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews

If you only read one book this year make it this one
This is a beautifully written book, wonderfully evocative of post civil-war Spain. It's probably the best book I've ever read - I couldn't put it down and stayed up all night to finish it! Now I've had to buy the Spanish version to enjoy it in it's original form. Apparently there will be more in a series, and I can't wait!

A light shade of grey
Following the enormous success this book has had in Spain and abroad, I decided to purchase it. And the novel it was not a dissapointment at all. Ruíz Zafón has written a nostalgic, hard and grey story. Exactly as it was Spain after the civil war. And that is probably one of its main values. The ability for depicting the misery and lost that people felt in those terrible years. La sombra del viento drinks, literally and literarily in the sources of the most classical tradition of novels in Spain. Since Pio Baroja, to Galdos and the whole generation of the 50's. A careful depiction of sceneries and people that helps the reader to get into the story. And even when this is a mistery novel we can find also some slight touches of the traditional "feulletin". So I would say it is a very enjoyable novel. Easy to read, very well written and I had a great time reading it. But, yes there is always a but , there is not so original as the beging made me thought. The idea of a cemetery of books was really appealing but slowly the story turns to be a good thriller written with a very good style. And the end although correct for the developement of the story left me wanting more. No more drama or story but depth. I have the feeling the writer wanted to end as soon as possible, and this is really disapponting.

Ruiz Zafón has the skills and the manners but I think he could be more adventurous and reach the last consequences of the story.

One of the best books I have read lately!
This book has really surprised me. When someone got it for me as a present I was expecting an uniteresting drama about a book, however I found it excellent both in terms of content and in terms of style. The fact that the story is not about the book that is introduced at the beginning of the story but about the life of the author who wrote it is very surprising. It held my attention throughout the whole book and allowed me to imagine all corners of Barcelona even if I don't know the city very well. Highly recommend it.