• Contact
  • Review Policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Book Reviews
    • Classic Fiction
    • Contemporary Fiction
    • Non Fiction
  • Literary Life
    • Bookshops
    • Reading Inspiration
  • Journal
    • Monthly Wrap Ups
    • Sunday Stories

Follow Us

  • Instagram
  • Goodreads
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
Behind Her Books

Book reviews, recommendations and stories of literary life.

The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Contemporary Fiction

The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafón

April 28, 2020

“Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.”

– Carlos Ruiz Zafón

In one of my first bookish childhood memories, I’m lying next to my mum as she reads. Already identifying as a booklover, I peer over her shoulder to read along and occasionally ask what a word means. In my memory she’s astounded by my ability to read such BIG WORDS. In hindsight however it’s more likely that she simply wished I would stop interrupting. Anyway, since I can remember I’ve read her books, although I did learn to wait till she’d finished. I tell you this because The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is one of my mum’s favourite books.

So, when I saw it for £1 in a charity shop a while back, I bought it thinking I’d get round to it. Like most other people I haven’t seen my family for weeks now. Which is why when I was particularly missing my mum one day I decided to finally pick it up.

The Shadow of the Wind begins when a father takes his young son Daniel to choose a book from the Cemetery of Lost Books, a bookshop full of obscure titles deep in old town Barcelona. He picks ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Julian Carax. As he grows up, Daniel realises the book he innocently selected is wanted by others. They are fuelled by the mystery surrounding the author’s life and untimely death. One night, Daniel is approached by a sinister man asking for his copy of the book. More so, he wishes to burn it just like he has done with all the others he’s got his hands on. From there the plot unfurls as Daniel races to discover the real story of Julian Carax, the people he left behind and why anyone would want the truth destroyed.

This book is as much of a sprawling labyrinth as The Cemetery of Lost Books it describes. Hidden within its depths are twist and turns. On top of that is layer upon layer of rich, atmospheric history which really pulls you in. It’s part gothic ghost story, part mystery with a sprinkle of humour throughout. It’s a simmering, smoky read for which post-civil war Barcelona is the perfect backdrop. The city is painted in a beautiful yet bruised light as it recovers from the war alongside its inhabitants. The crumbling, dilapidated buildings help build that shadowy sense of intrigue that surrounds Daniel’s quest.

There are a ton of characters and it’s a testament to Zafón’s writing that not only does he manage to keep a tight hold on them, when even minor characters have backstories, but you’re invested in them too. Luckily for Daniel, motley cast of characters help him along the way. A favoured device is for a loose-lipped neighbour to spill the beans to him. Now, this could get stale but I thought that it fit well with the neighbourly sense of well-intentioned interfering. You can imagine them whispering to one another across the balconies with their eyebrows raised. My favourite character is the raconteur Fermín Romero de Torres who never stops talking but who’s also fiercely loyal. I think he’d be an excellent person to discuss books with, or anything for that matter.

The Shadow in the Wind was the first in a series of three novels which I hadn’t realised. So now the plan is to get my hands on the others, if not all for £1! This book and its characters provide a welcoming, hazy warmth that I’m eager to return to. All that’s left to say that, annoying as it is, mother’s do know best.

If you fancy give it a go, you can buy a copy here.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

You might also like

Tags:

  • book review
  • ,
  • fiction

Post navigation

A Reading List for Everyone: 26 Book Ideas
Persephone Books

Never miss a post

Sign up to the Behind Her Books mailing list and receive book ideas straight to your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Follow Behind Her Books on WordPress.com

behindherbooksblog

Megan | Behind Her Books
Q: what books inspire you to get creative? One of Q: what books inspire you to get creative?

One of my biggest loves (and goal and fears all wrapped up in one) is writing. I'm currently doing daily writing prompts and setting aside time to write every day. It's making such a difference!

I read Big Magic years ago and I still think about it now. In it Elizabeth Gilbert discusses how to live a creative life (not just writing, any art) and how to co-exist with The Fear. I love her writing so much and found this to be a real eye opener.

Being creative can be kinda scary so I'll take any support I can get 😊

If you need writing inspiration I'm following the prompts @marian_keyes so generously provided on her IG Live series and they're great. Her advice is really kind, practical and fun! So I'd recommend you check them out.

#creativewriting #bigmagic #books #Bookstagram #inspiration
Review ✨ Fleishman Is In Trouble tells the stor Review ✨

Fleishman Is In Trouble tells the story of Toby who is recently separated from his 'workaholic' wife Rachel and navigating the NY dating scene with some sense of glee in his mid forties. Yet when Rachel doesn't pick up the kids and stops returning his texts, he starts to evaluate everything he though about their marriage

Where do I start about Fleishman Is In Trouble?

It took me about 2 weeks to read it which is quite long for me and I'll be honest I was the closest to not finishing than I have with any book for a long time (DNF I think the cool kids call it).

But, I stuck it out. Something made me persevere.

The writing is razor sharp, intelligent and angry. Boy is this book angry! It's a scathing view on marriage, the elite New York parents, sexism and families. It's full of interesting characters and the writer explores really big themes in a fresh way.

What I struggled with was the dense prose (which is common of literary fiction these days) and the odd narrative choice, which threw me a couple of times. I wanted to hear from Toby and Rachel themselves but their story was told by a friend, who would often slip into tangents.

(As an aside, the writing did make me want to find any essays or articles the author had written because I think I'd love those.)

So, you see, I have no idea. I was left feeling very mixed up after it and looking at other reviews it seems to be a marmite book! I'd love to know what anyone who read it thought?

#bookreview #bookstagram #igreads
#cardiffbloggers #bookaddict
Some glorious, mixed bag of books that I'm itching Some glorious, mixed bag of books that I'm itching to get round to. A mix of fiction and non-fiction, contemporary and older, all promising to be fabulous. Anyone else feel like they need another couple of hours in the day at the moment for reading? Wouldn't that be lovely.

This week has been busy and not helped by a naughty lil puppy who has decided to randomly start playing up in the nights 😵‍💫 lucky he's cute!

Let me know how your week is going and what books are you looking forward to reading? 💕
The longer lockdown goes on the bigger the risk my The longer lockdown goes on the bigger the risk my house will start looking like this 👀

I took this photo on my birthday maybe 5 or 6 years ago in Cofion Books in Tenby, a second hand bookshelf where the books are stacked precariously high and there's no apparent rhyme or reason, just books.

Can't wait to stumble across new bookshops again. What's the best bookshop you've found?

#bookstagram #bookshops #igbooks #indiebookshop #secondhandbooks
Thinking about the fact that I set myself a goal t Thinking about the fact that I set myself a goal to finish War and Peace this year after not managing a read along last year but it's still just next to my bed, buried under some other books.

Can someone give me motivation plz xo

Tags: #booksofig #bookstgram #classicbooks #warandpeace
Books with strong covers coz we love those pretty Books with strong covers coz we love those pretty books.

✨ Little - a fictionalised retelling of an orphan who goes on to become Madame Tussaud. A weird but good read!
✨ Rest and Be Thankful - an eerie story of a paediatric nurse who is exhausted from lack of sleep and whose creepy dreams seep into reality.
✨ The Silence of the Girls - an amazing retelling of the story of Troy from the perspective of Briseis, the former queen who is now a slave.
✨Homegoing - such a good book! This tells the stories of two half sisters who are born in 18th century Ghana and how their experiences diverge & the consequences on future generations.

Have you read any of these?
Review 💛 (That I can't believe I haven't writt Review 💛

(That I can't believe I haven't written already!)

If you know me, you'll know how much I love Dolly Alderton. (And Pandora Sykes btw. My boyfriend often reminds me I don't actually know them even though I talk as if I do. What a spoil sport.) So for some unknown reason it took me until Jan to read this Dolly's debut novel Ghosts.

Summary:
First off, it's not about actual ghosts 👻 let's just clear that up. It's actually about Nina Dean, a food writer who has just turned 32 and who has also just met Max on a dating app, who she's fallen for hook, line and sinker. Just when everything is starting to click, Max ghosts her (aka disappears out of her life without an explanation) and Nina is left to work out what went wrong and what happens next when everyone's life is moving on.

What I loved about this book is how real it felt. It's those conversations you have with your friends in the pub (remember pubs?) when you're two drinks too far into tipsy territory, it's waiting for a reply back from someone you fancy  with your heart in your mouth, it's receiving another wedding invitation. Dolly has a real talent for wrapping all those up and creating really relatable and interesting characters.

THAT TEXT EXCHANGE CHAPTER MADE ME WANT TO BE SICK. IF YOU'VE READ IT, YOU KNOW.

What surprised me was the tenderness and sadness of the parallel storyline about Nina's father and his progressing dementia. It was the perfect balance of nostalgia and frustration and heartbreak of family issues.

Dolly writes with wit, awareness and I honestly want to be her best friend.

Have you read Ghosts? I'd love to know what you thought?
Mr luvva luvva 💖 Like it or loathe it you're g Mr luvva luvva 💖

Like it or loathe it you're gonna get bombarded with some V Day content and I am here to add to the noise woot woot.

Here are some books for all sorts of love, not just the cuddly-toy heart-shaped-box oh-look-my-partner-sent-flowers-to-work-which-I-definitely-didnt-ask-for (👀) kinda love...

💕 For really gritty everyday love: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
💕 For pure love that'll break your heart into a thousand pieces: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
💕 For when you're heartbroken and need a pep talk: Heartburn by Nora Ephron
💕 For celebrating platonic love and friendships: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
💕 For teenage love and a super cute story for young and older readers alike: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
💕 For millennial love: Exciting Times by Naiose Dolan
💕 For an order of love with philosophy on the side: Essays in Love by Alain de Bottom
💕 For the ultimate will they won't they / an ode to families making love complicated: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
💕 For a story on learning to love and accept yourself: Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Add your suggestions in the comments!

#books #booklove #valentinesday #booksbooksbooks #bibliophile #igbooks #instareads #bookstagram
Are you signed up for a book subscription? I've c Are you signed up for a book subscription?

I've come to the end of my three month personalised subscription from @mrbsemporium (sob) and wanted to share the gems I had selected by the their team!

As part of this subscription you answer a bunch of questions about your reading tastes, what you like or don't like and then they curate suggestions tailor made to you.

I love essay collections, fiction, female writers, and I've started getting into  magic realism so these choices were perfect for me!

This is not an ad (lolz I wish) but was a gift from my lovely bf so feel free to tag in someone you're trying to hint for gift ideas, or if you wanna treat yourself I'd say go for it. Nothing better than a suprise book landing on your doormat each month ♥️

#books #indiebookshops #bookstack #bookstagram

2020 Reading Challenge

2020 Reading Challenge
Megan has read 26 books toward her goal of 30 books.
hide
26 of 30 (86%)
view books

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

2 Comments

  • Cat says:
    May 14, 2020 at 16:33

    One of my favourite books of all time. I’m glad you enjoyed it!

    Loading...
    Reply
    • Megan says:
      May 14, 2020 at 19:48

      It was so good, have you read his others too? X

      Loading...
      Reply

Are you on the list?

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Contact
  • Review Policy
  • Instagram
  • Goodreads
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2020 Behind Her Books
Cressida by LyraThemes.com
%d bloggers like this: