The shadow of the wind carlos ruiz zafon ebook

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Rolling Prairie Digital Consortium. Search Search Search Browse menu. Sign in. The writing is absolutely gorgeous. The book is full of incredible quotes, wonderful, beautifully strung out sentences. I never underline in books. This book, however, required a pencil at the ready at all times, because I couldn't pass up underlining some amazing parts. Though the plot isn't super strong, there is a mysterious and magical quality to the book that propels you through it, page after page.

The characters feel so real, and thus their lives seem to be playing out for you in such a real way that you are concerned and invested, wanting to know what happens next. I loved the setting of Barcelona. This is also a book translated from Spanish, which is even more impressive on the part of the translator. I think the translation was incredible. Overall, this is a book that I will return to again in my life, I am sure. It is captivating and a new favorite. View all 12 comments.

Look, it's not my thing to mince my words, so I'll give you my opinion and ultimately, you'll decide what to make of it anyway : as far as I'm concerned, The Shadow of the Wind is overrated and, to say the truth, a bit of a smokescreen. Despite its obvious qualities, I have to admit that I'm a little baffled of its status given that all the flaws, if found in some random YA book, would be called out without any doubt.

It's pretty simple, actually : the good girls are those who get pregnant or are desperate for it, and all women are portrayed through their looks.

All of these characters were flat and forgettable in my book. In the past I've read historical novels that let me furious about the way women were treated and categorized into little boxes mother, virgin, whore, if you're asking but in The Shadow of the Wind I never felt that the issue was handled or acknowledged, or barely they do mention it in other men, but for me they were no better.

All the time, and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to care about characters - Fermin and Daniel, for example - who constantly objectify women, when they're not busy expressing stereotypes like, "women can't do Maths", or, "women who let you touch them the first time are whores", etc, etc. I felt like drowning. Far from me the intent of spoiling the story to you, so I'll just say this : there are three couples in this story, and the THREE OF THEM suffer from major instalove the kind where people see each other once, talk twice, and share iloveyous.

What the hell?! Again, if this book was called The Storm and The Thorns , and some generic YA bullshit, it would have annoyed me, because I cannot feel invested in a romance if there's neither growth nor depth. Why in the world should I feel differently this time? I do not. I couldn't care less. Even with the interesting view spoiler [meta narration hide spoiler ] , it felt like such a cop-out.

I wish the descriptions of Paris would have reached this level of brilliance, but I didn't really mind. Albeit the difficult times described, reading The Shadow of the Wind made me want to come back there, and I probably will very soon. From the first page I was hooked, and my interest didn't falter before reaching the second half but I already explained why.

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but in the end, the story didn't convince me, and even the message - no matter how great it was, or wanted to be - felt a bit superficial because spoiled by the lack of depth of the characters. View all 43 comments. Agree with your review wholeheartedly. V Draper this is the gothic style. I think that's the point, and to me what makes it amusing. Jul 03, Matthew rated it it was amazing Shelves: tear-jerkers , own , favorites , coming-of-age , historical-fiction , book-a-book-club , mystery , revenge , general-fiction , This is an excellent piece of literature.

It contains poetic storytelling, shocking twists, thoroughly developed characters, symbolism, humor, romance, betrayal, action, sentimentality, nostalgia, and much, much more. For book lovers it is perfect because it revolves around the mysteries of a little known author Julian Carax that the main protagonist, Daniel, stumbles across in a secret stash of literature called the Cemetery of Forgotten books.

From there it quickly develops into a fantastic This is an excellent piece of literature. From there it quickly develops into a fantastic story of good vs.

I saw some complaints that this book is slow. I can understand that - it is not a light book and it is not a quick read. But, the payoff from getting immersed in the thick narrative is totally worth the extra time in the end. View all 38 comments. Nov 03, Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it Shelves: fiction , 21th-century , crime-mystery , spanish , literature. He helps Daniel in a number of ways, but their probing into the murky past of a number of people who have been either long dead or long forgotten unleashes the dark forces of the murderous Inspector Fumero.

View all 4 comments. Oct 17, Kevin Ansbro rated it it was amazing Shelves: magical-realism , wry-humour , coming-of-age , human-cruelty , human-kindness , human-imagery , romance. He chooses an obscure novel, The Shadow of the Wind writte "Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. Over time, the book awakens this socially awkward boy to fresh possibilities and new friendships in a city still handcuffed to its recent history.

Daniel, himself, describes the novel thus: "It is a story of love, of hatred and of the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind. The story has heart and soul and it nobly champions the underdog in an unjust world. But, oh! Alas, damnation and gadzooks! Did you hear me? The author somehow snatches defeat from the jaws of victory by allowing his dazzling story to become bogged down by a warehouse load of wearisome narrative in the middle orders of the piece.

He didn't hear me. And where's a book defibrillator when you need one? Editing out a hundred or more pages would've done this a power of good.

I'm still awarding it 4. Its sublimity outweighs its imperfections. And listen up, my Goodreads' brothers, sisters, funsters, pseuds, bibliophiles and savants. Daniel Sempere's book epiphany is one which will resonate with each and every one of you. For each of us, there is one book that has been waiting for us from before we were born. I wonder which one is yours? Jul 08, Simon rated it it was amazing. It's been a couple years since I read this book so I shouldn't and won't go into details, but the effect has lingered all this time.

There's no other book I'm quicker to recommend than this one. It's not that it's particularly important in a lot of the ways "important" books are, it's just that it works as pure reading pleasure and sometimes, isn't that enough? Buy it ne It's been a couple years since I read this book so I shouldn't and won't go into details, but the effect has lingered all this time.

Buy it new, breathe in the perfume of those pages, tell your friends and family you're going to be busy for a few days and disappear into it. View all 21 comments. Oct 20, Whitney Atkinson rated it it was amazing Shelves: read-in , made-me-cry , favorites , favs-of I loved this book so much that I feel like my tears should speak for themselves and I don't even need to review it. At the same time, I want to shout from the rooftops about how good this book is.

So here I am. This book is the perfect mix of dark brooding mystery with a wistful romance and a melancholy, bookish main character. There's so many elements that are effortlessly held afloat by the gorgeous, melodic, and yet digestible writing. I tabbed the everloving sunshine out of this book because I loved this book so much that I feel like my tears should speak for themselves and I don't even need to review it.

My only issue throughout the book was the way the mystery unfolded, but it was more of a user error because I took so long to read this book that between sittings, I would forget all the details about which character is who. Also, the perspective jumping from character to character could be a bit startling, but by the end of this book when I spent the last 50 pages sobbing and hugging my cat as I read on, I couldn't give a single damn about this minor storytelling blip.

Very few books earn the title of a masterpiece from me, but this is one of them. It takes you on a complete journey with characters so lifelike and human, eccentric and lovely, twisted and vile. I foresee this being a book that, when I pass it in a book shop, I will stroke its spine lovingly and remember the hours I spent cuddled with it, lost in its alternating gloomy and hopeful moods.

View all 11 comments. Sound the alarm! Unpopular opinion to follow! Making this review a bit more personal than usual, because I can't slam a one-star review on this highly popular title without giving some explanation for my disappointment.

To put it simply: verbose and wearying. In The Shadow of the Wind , a man does not simply urinate, he " discharge[s] his generous, steamy cascade. Female characters fall into one of two categories: either beautiful and voluptuous, with tremulous breasts, shapely calves, and a body suitable for impregnating, or unattractive old women whose haggard appearance deems them unsuitable for bedding. Every sex scene is so awkward, I found myself repeatedly wondering if this book was penned by a virgin.

Death is a constant threat - at every turn, for every character - until it bears no gravity. I should have heeded my intuition and saved myself eighteen grueling hours of slogging through this tiresome audiobook. The opening scene that planted the first seed of concern: On that June morning, I woke up screaming at first light.

My heart was pounding in my chest as if it feared that my soul wanted to carve its way out and run off down the stairs. My father hurried into my room and he held me in his arms, trying to calm me. For the first time, I realized my father was growing old. He stood up and drew the curtains to let in the pale glint of dawn. I want to show you something," he said. At five o'clock in the morning? That line reeks of contrived drama.

I wanted to like this book, truly, but it wasn't the right fit for me. Between the bloated writing, sexism, and exhausting abundance of drama, reaching the final page was an absolute chore. View all 33 comments. Foreboding Mysterious, atmospheric and compelling! The tradition for those that are for Foreboding Mysterious, atmospheric and compelling!

Or the book picks him! Years later, out walking one night, through a misty, chilling Barcelona, a mysterious rasping voice calls Daniel from the shadows and offers any amount of money for the book. By match-light, Daniel sees a burnt, grotesque, and mutilated face demanding the book be handed over, and for his sake and the sake of his friend Clara he better give it to him.

Daniel keeps the book and searches for the truth and secrets that lie behind it and its author. Shadow of the Wind is a wonderfully written story with subtle complexities and layers, creating a blanket of chilling apprehension as you follow Daniel uncovering the good, the bad, and the ugly retribution surrounding Carax. The hot, misty, atmospheric Barcelona is exceptionally well characterised and seems to seep through the skin, which adds to the mood of suspense and mystery.

A masterpiece and one of my favourite books of all time. I would highly recommend this book. View all 54 comments. Rereading the series in preparation for one of my most anticipated releases of the year, The Labyrinth of the Spirits. This book was never even on my radar until I heard someone talk about it by chance. I was intrigued by what they said and bought it t Rereading the series in preparation for one of my most anticipated releases of the year, The Labyrinth of the Spirits.

I was intrigued by what they said and bought it that same day. Thus, I come to you half a year later - that's right, it took me half a year to get here- BUT worry not for I remember every detail as if I read it yesterday.

The Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a secret place, where a huge collection of books that have been forgotten or have fallen into oblivion is kept. Daniel's copy of book seems to be the only one left in existence. So begins an incredible journey that carries Daniel through a gothic city filled with fantastic bookstores, exotic cafes, abandoned mansions and spirit-haunted graveyards.

And as the story threads its way into Daniel's life, the lives of both begin to intertwine. Daniel sees, bears uncanny resemblances to that of the protagonist in The Shadow of the Wind but in order to uncover the mystery as to how and why he'll have to dig deeper into Carax's biography.

The book is populated with a cast of characters filled with dark and mysterious pasts, the tortured souls, guilt-ridden lovers, doomed and solitary eccentrics and more. I loved his father and their bond so much that I was constantly terrified that something would happen to jeopardise their relationship.

Fermin Romero de Torres was definitely one of the most interesting characters in here. He's eccentric, clever and charming and his deep friendship and loyalty to Daniel, combined with his sharp wit and cunning are the comic relief of the dark and gloomy tone of the book. His dark, mysterious character takes monumental twists and turns as his story slowly unravels to be one of tortured past and full of heartache.

Thinking about him gives me chest pains much less writing about him. Just know that he plays a big role in the lives of many of the characters and Suffice it to say, I loath him.

TSoTW is an atmospheric book full of passion and revenge, heartbreaking love, grave disappointments and mysteries whose layers peel away ever so slowly. The world is corrupt and cruel where the scum come out at the top and the inexorability of human destinies are grimmer than any ghostly stories Read it is all I can say, my friends. View all 23 comments. The writing is along Dan Brown lines, with flowery metaphors mixed until they become meaningless. From page 1: "My father sighed, hiding behind the sad smile that followed him like a shadow all through his life.

Then on the next page someone is described as having "vulturine features", but in the following sentence he has an "aquiline gaze". This sloppiness is everywhere. The whole thing feels like it desperately wants be seen as some k Dire. The whole thing feels like it desperately wants be seen as some kind of profound parable, but the only result is that the characters are just implausible symbols.

They are too bland even to hate — unlike the book itself, which I loathed. View all 62 comments. Robin Yes, dire is right!

Agree, agree, agree with this review. I, too, have a cemetery of forgotten books. A mental one, if you will. And I am filing this one under "to forget" straightaway. This book has been on my to-read list for what feels like 11 years, but was probably between 2 and 4. It seems like required reading for anyone who a likes books, b likes genre-bending blends of literature and fantasy, or c enjoys fun books but is also pretentious.

I'm all three, so this seemed dreamy. And then I found a copy of it in a used bookstore and the cat lady ca I, too, have a cemetery of forgotten books. And then I found a copy of it in a used bookstore and the cat lady cashier recommended it as I was buying it which is always a good sign , and it seemed dreamiER. And then it took me almost two weeks to finish it because I dreaded even picking it up. Everything about this fell apart for me. The pacing, the characters, my interest, the treatment and discussion of women, the themes, the setting.

I hate to be aggravated. I don't even understand how people like this book. And that almost never happens to me. Bottom line: Sorry, everyone! Except really I feel like you should apologize to me. I found this novel by accident, while quickly browsing shelves at the local library, and let me just say it was the best accidental find i've had in years.

From the very first line to the end i loved it, and as a reader i am not easily pleased by anything. I love stories out of the ordinary that captivate my imagination and run away with it. That is exactly what The Shadow of The Wind did. Right off the bat the plot intrigued me, Daniel Sempere is taken to the a secret labyrinth of forgotten book I found this novel by accident, while quickly browsing shelves at the local library, and let me just say it was the best accidental find i've had in years.

Right off the bat the plot intrigued me, Daniel Sempere is taken to the a secret labyrinth of forgotten books - the place where books are brought for their final rest after the world has forgotten their existence - and told by his father to pick one to always care for and protect. He chooses The Shadow of The Wind and his life is forever changed by his fascination with the book, its author and his determination to uncover the mystery surrounding the doomed fate of all other works by the author.

What fascinated me most as Daniel started to get entangled in the mysterious web of the book and its author's history, was how Daniels life began to mirror Carax the author of the book.

The writing is almost poetic yet simple to follow and enjoy, their are subplots that run alongside the major plot so the book isn't one dimensional and boring. Overall this is a fascinating read that is sure to take you on an adventure that will make you wish there were more pages to read after you turn the last page. Highly recommended for those who are not afraid to explore other worlds or allow a book to engulf their senses completely. Aug 28, EmBibliophile rated it it was amazing Shelves: 5-stars.

All I know that after finishing it I felt so sad and so happy both at the same time. I was experiencing different kind of emotions all at once. This book made me feel so warm. It was completely captivating, haunting, and overwhelming. This book was just perfect. It gave me time to absorb everything. I felt so connected to those character and everything was making me so freakin emotional.

I just love it so much. Such an unforgettable book! It's a story of love, of hatred, and of the dreams that live in the shadow of the wind. View all 30 comments. Shelves: did-not-finish , partialprejudicedandignorantopinion , fiction , 21st-century , goth-goth-baby. Trying too hard. I wonder if I hadn't read this right after Jonathan Strange and Mr.