Publisher's Synopsis
"If you thought the gothic novel died with the 19th century, this will change your mind in Zafon's hands, every scene seems to come from an early Orson Wells movie one gorgeous read." - Stephen King "For the first time in 20 years or so as a book reviewer, I am tempted to dust off the old superlatives and event to employ some particularly vulgar clichés from the repertoire of publishers' blurbs. My colleagues may be shocked, but I don't care, I can't help myself, here goes. The Shadow Of The Wind is a Triumph of the storyteller's art. I couldn't put it down. Enchanting, hilarious and heartbreaking, this book will change your life." - Daily Telegraph "Zafon's book is tremendously enjoyable...his story is impressively well-rounded. Humour, horror, politics and romance are skilfully deployed and...the overall effect is hugely satisfying. Zafon, a former screen writer, is particularly good at contrast and pacing: the book's 400 pages whip past with incredible speed." - Sunday Telegraph Shortlisted for Richard & Judy's Book Club 2005 Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the "cemetery of lost books", a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles. To this library, one cold morning in 1945, a man brings his ten-year-old son Daniel. Allowed to choose one book from the shelves, Daniel pulls out La Sombra del Viento (The Shadow of the Wind) by Julian Carax. Daniel is captivated by the novel from the very first page and grows up haunted by the unusual story of its author. Then one night, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from the book, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's works 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.
