The Shadow of the Wind : Carlos Ruiz Zafon : 9780753820254 The Shadow of the Wind Paperback US$8.00 US$12.64 You save US$4.64 Free delivery worldwide Add to basket Add to wishlist Description A stunning literary thriller in the tradition of Umberto Eco. The discovery of a forgotten book leads to a hunt for an elusive author who may or may not still be alive...Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento' by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil.

This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind. A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love, and the places that obsession can lead. show more Product details 128 x 194 x 38mm | 379.99g Publication date Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) Publication City/Country English Language: Reading & Writing Skills Review quote 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 show more About Carlos Ruiz Zafon Carlos Ruiz Zafon is the author of six novels, including the international phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind, and The Angel's Game. His work has been published in more than forty different languages, and honoured with numerous international awards.

He divides his time between Barcelona, Spain, and Los Angeles, California. show more Review Text A stunning literary thriller in the tradition of Umberto Eco. The discovery of a forgotten book leads to a hunt for an elusive author who may or may not still be alive, as every last copy of his work is collected by a stranger intent on burning them. This novel explores the obsessions humans have with literature and love and the risks we take for them. 'A popular masterpiece, an instant classic' )Daily Telegraph( show more Customer reviews ***** One of those types of books that you would have to read over and over again! Loved it! show more by Claire Borg I have, as many of you will have, read hundreds of books in my life and I have come across many good books. This book goes beyond that, and I can wholeheartedly say this is the best book I have read in my adult life. I read this book like my life depended on it and did not put it down until its conclusion. This is the kind of book that pulls you in, enchants you and doesn't let go. I stumbled across this book when looking for nothing in particular and I could not recommend it high enough. You must read this book.

show more by Miss Melanie Hume i have spent my live reading books, classics and romances and modern books, but this is my favourite book of all time. it had suspence, mystery, comedy, romance with the bonus of an exellent author. i have given it to some of my friends and they could not finish it. i stand by the fact that it is an amazing book, and you pass it by you are robbing yourself of an amazing read show more by Elena Sorgiovanni This is one of the best books I have ever read - and i have read alot of books. Zafon has a beautiful writing style and i was in love with this book within the first chapter and was entranced up until the very end. Some was predictable however there was a twist I did not pick which made it even better. Fabulous book for the switched on reader who respects great literature as well as the starry eyed dreamers of the world. A great all rounder and something I constantly reccomend to people. Just beautiful. BUY IT! show more by Rachael Wilkinson This is one of the most exquisitely written novels that I have had the pleasure to read. Zafon writes so beautifully.

He'll captivate you in the book's opening line... show more by Evie Zhao This is possibly the most beautiful book I have ever had the opportunity to read. Entirely engrossing, it will pull you into its delicate jungle of words and characters, only showig the way out once you have fallen in love with the foliage. Daniel is merely a vessel Zafon has constructed in order for the reader to experience the story first hand. You will feel yourself becoming a part of this character. Although it is a cliche, you will laugh, cry and gasp in equal measure as the glorious, touching tragedy of the story is revealed. show more by Alyssa Oprandi Shadow of the Wind by by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: Summary and reviews Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers! About The Book The Shadow of the Wind is a coming-of-age tale of a young boy who, through the magic of a single book, finds a purpose greater than himself and a hero in a man he's never met.

With the passion of García Márquez, the irony of Dickens, and the necromancy of Poe, Carlos Ruiz Zafón spins a web of intrigue so thick that it ensnares the reader from the very first line. The Shadow of the Wind is an ode to the art of reading, but it is also the perfect example of the all-encompassing power of a well-told story. At the first light of dawn in postwar Barcelona, a bookseller leads his motherless son to a mysterious crypt called the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This labyrinthine sanctuary houses the ... Media Reviews Richard Eder, The New York Times The melodrama and complications of Shadow, expertly translated by Lucia Graves, can approach excess, though it's a pleasurable and exceedingly well-managed excess. We are taken on a wild ride -- for a ride, we may occasionally feel -- that executes its hairpin bends with breathtaking lurches. Michael Dirda, The Washington Post … anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should. Entertainment Weekly [T]here is no question that Wind is wondrous....

[M]asterful, meticulous plotting and extraordinary control over language.... The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero. Library Journal - Lawrence Olszewski This complex, Byzantine, at times longwinded work, which spent more than 60 weeks on Spain's best sellers list, throws together mystery, romance, and crime into one big mix like an olla podrida....Even the plot and characters of Carax's fictitious work are interwoven into this meticulously crafted mosaic. Publishers Weekly Ruiz Zafón strives for a literary tone, and no scene goes by without its complement of florid, cute and inexact similes and metaphors...Yet the colorful cast of characters, the gothic turns and the straining for effect only give the book the feel of para-literature or the Hollywood version of a great 19th-century novel. Kirkus Reviews The Shadow of the Wind will keep you up nights-and it'll be time well spent. Absolutely marvelous. El Pais The publishing phenomenon of the last year and a half. La Vanguardia Zafónmania...

A thriller, a historical novel and a comedy of manners, but above all, the story of a tragic love...with great narrative skill, the author interweaves his plots and enigmas, like a set of Russian dolls in an unforgettable story about the secrets of the heart and the enchantment of books, maintaining the suspense right to the very last page. La Razon As magnetic as The Dumas Club, as unsettling as The Mystery of the Haunted Crypt­ and with a plot as complex and well rounded as The Name of The Rose - to be recommended one hundred percent. Suddeutsche Zeitung I was enthralled by Zafón's book and it gave me many hours of great delight. Not only because the story is set in a book shop, not only because it is about the search and the hunt for books and there is a library of forgotten books to be discovered, but because The Shadow of the Wind is suspenseful like a thriller, poetic like a love story, sometimes mysterious like its title, and because it describes the characters and the storyline so wonderfully that the reader wants to be a part of it. A paean to reading and to the love of books.

Westdeutscher Rundfunk What a magnificent labyrinth a book can be... the Spanish author keeps us at it with his intense narrative style and delivers to the full what one would call a wonderfully good read... Already one talks of Zafónmania. Now it is your turn. Reader Reviews Elizabeth Ohhhh...outstanding...loved it I would give the Shadow of the Wind more than ten stars if that were possible...this is my all-favorite book. I didn't want it to end. I loved all the twists and turns and connections of the characters and the surprise letter at the end that Nuria... Read More Chach The Shadow of the Wind This book was amazing! I really loved it. It was enthralling with a magical ending that just took your breath away when the whole story unraveled. Definitely is a must read on everyones list. Punchb0wl The Shadows of The Wind A book that flows like poetry, from the descriptive language used for Barcelona to the characters so full of life that you feel a sense of loss when you finish the book. I've read this book twice, lost 2 copies to friends and bought a copy for my ...

Read More Kim Best book I read in 2007 I'd put off reading this novel for awhile, since I typically have trouble concentrating on books that have been translated from another language. It sat on my shelf for about two years, until I got tired of my reading friends telling me to stop ... Read More Free books to read and review (US only) Find books by time period, setting & theme Read-alike suggestions by book and author Book club discussions The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafï¿½n. The Game One morning in 1945, a boy is driven by his father to a mysterious place hidden away in the heart of the old city: The Cemetery of Lost Books. There, Daniel Sempere finds a cursed book which will change the course of his life and plunge him into a labyrinth of intrigue and secrets concealed in the dark soul of the city. The Shadow of the Windis a literary thriller set in Barcelona in the first half of the 20th century, from the fading splendour of Modernism to the shadowy post-war world.

The Shadow of the Wind has elements of mystery, historical, and comedy of manner genres but it is most of all a tragic love story which echoes through time. With great narrative power, the author reveals plots and intrigues as though opening up a Russian doll in an unforgettable tale about the secrets of the heart and the magic of books, maintaining the mystery until the last page. I will never forget the morning when my father took me to visit The Cemetery of Lost Books for the first time... The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® Washington Post's Best Fiction of 2004 Read an Excerpt A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept. My first thought on waking was to tell my best friend about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Tomás Aguilar was a classmate who devoted his free time and his talent to the invention of wonderfully ingenious contraptions of dubious practicality, like the aerostatic dart or the dynamo spinning top. I pictured us both, equipped with flashlights and compasses, uncovering the mysteries of those bibliographic catacombs. Who better than Tomás to share my secret?

Then, remembering my promise, I decided that circumstances advised me to adopt what in detective novels is termed a different modus operandi. At noon I approached my father to quiz him about the book and about Julián Carax-both world famous, I assumed. My plan was to get my hands on his complete works and read them all by the end of the week. To my surprise, I discovered that my father, a natural-born librarian and a walking lexicon of publishers' catalogs and oddities, had never heard of The Shadow of the Wind or Julián Carax. Intrigued, he examined the printing history on the back of the title page for clues. "It says here that this copy is part of an edition of twenty-five hundred printed in Barcelona by Cabestany Editores, in June 1936." "Do you know the publishing house?" "It closed down years ago. But, wait, this is not the original. The first edition came out in November 1935 but was printed in Paris....Published by Galiano & Neuval. Doesn't ring a bell." "So is this a translation?" "It doesn't say so.

From what I can see, the text must be the original one." "A book in Spanish, first published in France?" "It's not that unusual, not in times like these," my father put in. "Perhaps Barceló can help us...." Gustavo Barceló was an old colleague of my father's who now owned a cavernous establishment on Calle Fernando with a commanding position in the city's secondhand-book trade. Perpetually affixed to his mouth was an unlit pipe that impregnated his person with the aroma of a Persian market. He liked to describe himself as the last romantic, and he was not above claiming that a remote line in his ancestry led directly to Lord Byron himself. As if to prove this connection, Barceló fashioned his wardrobe in the style of a nineteenth-century dandy. His casual attire consisted of a cravat, white patent leather shoes, and a plain glass monocle that, according to malicious gossip, he did not remove even in the intimacy of the lavatory. Flights of fancy aside, the most significant relative in his lineage was his begetter, an industrialist who had become fabulously wealthy by questionable means at the end of the nineteenth century.

According to my father, Gustavo Barceló was, technically speaking, loaded, and his palatial bookshop was more of a passion than a business. He loved books unreservedly, and-although he denied this categorically-if someone stepped into his bookshop and fell in love with a tome he could not afford, Barceló would lower its price, or even give it away, if he felt that the buyer was a serious reader and not an accidental browser. Barceló also boasted an elephantine memory allied to a pedantry that matched his demeanor and the sonority of his voice. If anyone knew about odd books, it was he. That afternoon, after closing the shop, my father suggested that we stroll along to the Els Quatre Gats, a café on Calle Montsió, where Barceló and his bibliophile knights of the round table gathered to discuss the finer points of decadent poets, dead languages, and neglected, moth-ridden masterpieces. Els Quatre Gats was just a five-minute walk from our house and one of my favorite haunts.

My parents had met there in 1932, and I attributed my one-way ticket into this world in part to the old café's charms. Stone dragons guarded a lamplit façade anchored in shadows. Inside, voices seemed shaded by the echoes of other times. Accountants, dreamers, and would-be geniuses shared tables with the specters of Pablo Picasso, Isaac Albéniz, Federico García Lorca, and Salvador Dalí. There any poor devil could pass for a historical figure for the price of a small coffee. "Sempere, old man," proclaimed Barceló when he saw my father come in. "Hail the prodigal son. To what do we owe the honor?" "You owe the honor to my son, Daniel, Don Gustavo. He's just made a discovery." "Well, then, pray come and sit down with us, for we must celebrate this ephemeral event," he announced. "Ephemeral?" I whispered to my father. "Barceló can express himself only in frilly words," my father whispered back.

"Don't say anything, or he'll get carried away." The lesser members of the coterie made room for us in their circle, and Barceló, who enjoyed flaunting his generosity in public, insisted on treating us. "How old is the lad?" inquired Barceló, inspecting me out of the corner of his eye. "Almost eleven," I announced. Barceló flashed a sly smile. "In other words, ten. Don't add on any years, you rascal. Life will see to that without your help." A few of his chums grumbled in assent. Barceló signaled to a waiter of such remarkable decrepitude that he looked as if he should be declared a national landmark. "A cognac for my friend Sempere, from the good bottle, and a cinnamon milk shake for the young one-he's a growing boy. Ah, and bring us some bits of ham, but spare us the delicacies you brought us earlier, eh? If we fancy rubber, we'll call for Pirelli tires." The waiter nodded and left, dragging his feet. "I hate to bring up the subject," Barceló said, "but how can there be jobs?

In this country nobody ever retires, not even after they're dead. Just look at El Cid. I tell you, we're a hopeless case." He sucked on his cold pipe, eyes already scanning the book in my hands. Despite his pretentious façade and his verbosity, Barceló could smell good prey the way a wolf scents blood. "Let me see," he said, feigning disinterest. "What have we here?" I glanced at my father. He nodded approvingly. Without further ado, I handed Barceló the book. The bookseller greeted it with expert hands. His pianist's fingers quickly explored its texture, consistency, and condition. He located the page with the publication and printer's notices and studied it with Holmesian flair. The rest watched in silence, as if awaiting a miracle, or permission to breathe again. "Carax. Interesting," he murmured in an inscrutable tone. I held out my hand to recover the book. Barceló arched his eyebrows but gave it back with an icy smile. "Where did you find it, young man?" "It's a secret," I answered, knowing that my father would be smiling to himself.

Barceló frowned and looked at my father. "Sempere, my dearest old friend, because it's you and because of the high esteem I hold you in, and in honor of the long and profound friendship that unites us like brothers, let's call it at forty duros, end of story." "You'll have to discuss that with my son," my father pointed out. "The book is his." Barceló granted me a wolfish smile. "What do you say, laddie? Forty duros isn't bad for a first sale....Sempere, this boy of yours will make a name for himself in the business." The choir cheered his remark. Barceló gave me a triumphant look and pulled out his leather wallet. He ceremoniously counted out two hundred pesetas, which in those days was quite a fortune, and handed them to me. But I just shook my head. Barceló scowled. "Dear boy, greed is most certainly an ugly, not to say mortal, sin. Be sensible. Call me crazy, but I'll raise that to sixty duros, and you can open a retirement fund. At your age you must start thinking of the future." I shook my head again.

Barceló shot a poisonous look at my father through his monocle. "Don't look at me," said my father. "I'm only here as an escort." Barceló sighed and peered at me closely. "Let's see, junior. What is it you want?" "What I want is to know who Julián Carax is and where I can find other books he's written." Barceló chuckled and pocketed his wallet, reconsidering his adversary. "Goodness, a scholar. Sempere, what do you feed the boy?" The bookseller leaned toward me confidentially, and for a second I thought he betrayed a look of respect that had not been there a few moments earlier. "We'll make a deal," he said. "Tomorrow, Sunday, in the afternoon, drop by the Ateneo library and ask for me. Bring your precious find with you so that I can examine it properly, and I'll tell you what I know about Julián Carax. Quid pro quo." "Quid pro what?" "Latin, young man. There's no such thing as dead languages, only dormant minds.

Paraphrasing, it means that you can't get something for nothing, but since I like you, I'm going to do you a favor." The man's oratory could kill flies in midair, but I suspected that if I wanted to find out anything about Julián Carax, I'd be well advised to stay on good terms with him. I proffered my most saintly smile in delight at his Latin outpourings. "Remember, tomorrow, in the Ateneo," pronounced the bookseller. "But bring the book, or there's no deal." "Fine." Our conversation slowly merged into the murmuring of the other members of the coffee set. The discussion turned to some documents found in the basement of El Escorial that hinted at the possibility that Don Miguel de Cervantes had in fact been the nom de plume of a large, hairy lady of letters from Toledo. Barceló seemed distracted, not tempted to claim a share in the debate. He remained quiet, observing me from his fake monocle with a masked smile. Or perhaps he was only looking at the book I held in my hands.

What People are Saying About This From the Publisher Winner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & Books Winner of the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design Award Praise for Shadow of the Wind: "Gabriel García Márquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show." —The New York Times Book Review “ Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Wonderous... masterful... The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero." —Entertainment Weekly (Editor's Choice) The Shadow of the Wind : Carlos Ruiz Zafon : 9781780221885 The Shadow of the Wind Paperback Try AbeBooks Description Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print.

To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento' by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind. A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love, and the places that obsession can lead.

show more Product details 128 x 192 x 32mm | 381.02g Publication date Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd ) Publication City/Country Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon | PenguinRandomHouse.com Add to Cart About Shadow of the Wind "Gabriel García Márquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show." —The New York Times Book Review A New York Times Bestseller Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

“ Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Wonderous… masterful… The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero." —Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice) "One gorgeous read." –Stephen King About Shadow of the Wind From A to Z, the Penguin Drop Caps series collects 26 unique hardcovers—featuring cover art by Jessica Hische It all begins with a letter. Fall in love with Penguin Drop Caps, a new series of twenty-six collectible and hardcover editions, each with a type cover showcasing a gorgeously illustrated letter of the alphabet. In a design collaboration between Jessica Hische and Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, the series features unique cover art by Hische, a superstar in the world of type design and illustration, whose work has appeared everywhere from Tiffany & Co. to Wes Anderson’s recent film Moonrise Kingdom to Penguin’s own bestsellers Committed and Rules of Civility.

With exclusive designs that have never before appeared on Hische’s hugely popular Daily Drop Cap blog, the Penguin Drop Caps series debuted with an ‘A’ for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, a ‘B’ for Charlotte Brönte’s Jane Eyre, and a ‘C’ for Willa Cather’s My Ántonia. It continues with more perennial classics, perfect to give as elegant gifts or to showcase on your own shelves. Z is for Zafón. Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in what he finds in the “cemetery of lost books,” a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

About Shadow of the Wind Barcelona, 1945—just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love.

And before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly. As with all astounding novels, The Shadow of the Wind sends the mind groping for comparisons —The Crimson Petal and the White? The novels of Arturo Pérez-Reverte? Of Victor Hugo? Love in the Time of Cholera?—but in the end, as with all astounding novels, no comparison can suffice. As one leading Spanish reviewer wrote, “The originality of Ruiz Zafón’s voice is bombproof and displays a diabolical talent. The Shadow of the Wind announces a phenomenon in Spanish literature.” An uncannily absorbing historical mystery, a heart-piercing romance, and a moving homage to the mystical power of books, The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller’s art.

About Shadow of the Wind "Gabriel García Márquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show." —The New York Times Book Review A New York Times Bestseller Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax’s books in existence. Soon Daniel’s seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets–an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love. “ Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind.

Really, you should.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Wonderous… masterful… The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero." —Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice) "One gorgeous read." –Stephen King From the Trade Paperback edition. About Shadow of the Wind Barcelona, 1945—just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work.

To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love. And before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly. As with all astounding novels, The Shadow of the Wind sends the mind groping for comparisons—The Crimson Petal and the White? The novels of Arturo Pérez-Reverte? Of Victor Hugo? Love in the Time of Cholera?—but in the end, as with all astounding novels, no comparison can suffice. As one leading Spanish reviewer wrote, “The originality of Ruiz Zafón’s voice is bombproof and displays a diabolical talent. The Shadow of the Wind announces a phenomenon in Spanish literature.” An uncannily absorbing historical mystery, a heart-piercing romance, and a moving homage to the mystical power of books, The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller’s art.

Get the news you want from Penguin Random House Awards Book Sense Book of the Year WINNER Borders Original Voices Award WINNER Gumshoe Award WINNER Joseph-Beth and Davis-Kidd Booksellers Fiction Award WINNER NYPL Books to Remember WINNER Praise Winner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & Books Winner of the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design Award Praise for Shadow of the Wind: “Gabriel García Márquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show.” —The New York Times Book Review “ Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind.

Really, you should.” —Michael Dirda, The Washington Post “Wonderous… masterful… The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero.” —Entertainment Weekly (Editor’s Choice) “One gorgeous read.” —Stephen King Praise for Penguin Drop Caps: “[Penguin Drop Caps] convey a sense of nostalgia for the tactility and aesthetic power of a physical book and for a centuries-old tradition of beautiful lettering.” —Fast Company “Vibrant, minimalist new typographic covers…. Bonus points for the heartening gender balance of the initial selections.” —Maria Popova, Brain Pickings “The Penguin Drop Caps series is a great example of the power of design. Why buy these particular classics when there are less expensive, even free editions of Great Expectations? Because they’re beautiful objects. Paul Buckley and Jessica Hische’s fresh approach to the literary classics reduces the design down to typography and color. Each cover is foil-stamped with a cleverly illustrated letterform that reveals an element of the story.

Jane Austen’s A (Pride and Prejudice) is formed by opulent peacock feathers and Charlotte Bronte’s B (Jane Eyre) is surrounded by flames. The complete set forms a rainbow spectrum prettier than anything else on your bookshelf.” —Rex Bonomelli, The New York Times “Drool-inducing.” “Classic reads in stunning covers—your book club will be dying.” —Redbook About Carlos Ruiz Zafon Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of the world’s most read and best-loved writers. His work has been translated into more than forty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous international prizes and reaching millions of readers. He divides his… More about Carlos Ruiz Zafon About Carlos Ruiz Zafon Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of the world’s most read and best-loved writers. His work has been translated into more than forty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous international prizes and reaching millions of readers. He divides his… More about Carlos Ruiz Zafon About Carlos Ruiz Zafon Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of the world’s most read and best-loved writers.

His work has been translated into more than forty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous international prizes and reaching millions of readers. He divides his… More about Carlos Ruiz Zafon About Carlos Ruiz Zafon Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of the world’s most read and best-loved writers. His work has been translated into more than forty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous international prizes and reaching millions of readers. He divides his… More about Carlos Ruiz Zafon About Carlos Ruiz Zafon Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of the world’s most read and best-loved writers. His work has been translated into more than forty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous international prizes and reaching millions of readers. He divides his… More about Carlos Ruiz Zafon Author Q&A The Shadow of the Wind takes place in the atmospheric, and very palpable, setting of Barcelona—and in fact, this city becomes one of the novel’s more prominent characters. Why did you choose to locate your story here? Barcelona is a complex virtual world of Dickensian lights and shadows, beautiful and mysterious. I wanted to bring its history, its soul, alive in this story in a very cinematic, sensorial way.

A poet once called Barcelona “the great enchantress.” I was born, raised, and have lived most of my life here and wanted to use my hometown not merely as a backdrop, but as an organic character—to convey its romantic and seductive, yet sometimes dark and dangerous allure. You chose post-Spanish civil war Barcelona rather than the contemporary city. Why is that? The first half of the 20th century was a time of tremendous dramatic and historic significance, not just for Barcelona or Spain, but the entire world. I wanted to use this rich, complex historical canvas to explore themes and issues that are as, or even more, relevant today than they were then. You’re a screenwriter as well as a novelist. How has that influenced your fiction? Writing screenplays forces you to consider elements of story structure, and a variety of narrative devices, that can be adapted to the more complex demands of a novel. I believe the modern novel should try to capture the scope and ambition of the 19th century classics while making use of the narrative tools the 20th century has left us, from the avant-garde to the images and sounds of the golden screen.

I also think that this book, being a novel of novels and a book within a book, has the reader bring his own literary and cultural references—from classic Greek tragedy to genre fiction to the classics to the language and images of modern advertising or film—and project them into the story. All of these things come together within the texture of the novel and, I hope, will allow each reader discover something of himself in the stories within stories—their hopes and fears, their own humanity mirrored. I think the reader will enjoy the ride, the images, the language, the humor, the suspense, the sense of adventure, and above all the thrill of pure storytelling. Where did the ideas for The Cemetery of Forgotten Books come from? This formidable labyrinth of books was the first image that came to my mind for this novel, the first brick in the building. It’s a metaphor of all the vital and important things, ideas, and people we tend to forget or neglect in favor of the banal, empty, and often self-destructive elements in our lives. Why books? I’m a voracious reader, and I like to explore all sorts of writing without paying attention to labels, conventions, or critical fads.

I learn a little from everything I read, from genre fiction to the classics, though if I had to choose a particular pantheon I’d say the great 19th century giants have yet to be beat or even remotely approached. Dickens, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Balzac, Hugo, Hardy, Dumas, Flaubert & Co. Dream Team indeed. The Shadow of the Wind uses elements of the mystery novel, the historical thriller, the grammar of film and image storytelling, metafiction, romance saga, gothic literature, the comedy of manners, and many other narrative devices to create a new genre that goes beyond the sum of its parts. My aim was to allow the reader to experience this world and these characters in a sensory, cinematic, tactile way. This book has become quite an international phenomenon—still at the top of Spain’s bestseller list, where it was first published in Spanish, and #1 in Germany. Clearly it crosses cultural and national boundaries. Who do you see as the ideal reader for this novel? I hope this is reading for those who love, really love, to read.

I drew on the Dickensian model of creating a complex world populated by intriguing places, peculiar creatures, and infinite details at work. A good novel begins with a universe that should feel to the reader as real and fascinating, if not more so, than the one he inhabited before he picked up the book. This is a novel for those who love to lose themselves in that kind of universe. Every translation needs some fine-tuning to adapt certain aspects of the context and double meanings. However, I tend to think readers, and lovers of books in general, have a secret nation of their own, and their understanding and intellectual curiosity goes beyond languages, passports, or even the fine points of slightly different cultural and historical contexts. What do you hope readers of The Shadow of the Wind will take away from your book? I think novels should be an experience. I want my readers to be thrilled, to be moved, to laugh, to cry, and to be terrified. To be stimulated. I want them to have the time of their lives and at the same time to look at the world, and themselves, in a different light. Many readers have told me that The Shadow of the Wind made them fall in love again with books and reading.

If my book accomplishes that, I’ll be more than happy. What can we hope to see from you next? I’m working on a new novel that picks up the mix of genres and techniques of The Shadow of the Wind and tries to take it to the next level. It is the second in a cycle of four books that I’ve planned in this “gothic Barcelona quartet,” a sort of narrative kaleidoscope of Victorian sagas, intrigue, romance, comedy, mystery and “newly” fashioned old fashioned good storytelling. Product Details

Question: In which city is the book 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafon set?
Answer: Barcelona