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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Ruiz Zafón thinks he's smarter than he is. So does this novel.
The Angel’s Game transports readers back to the hauntingly beautiful world of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, weaving a mesmerizing tale of stories, romance, and mystery. Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s lyrical prose brings early 20th-century Spain to life, creating a darkly atmospheric and unforgettable journey. A must-read for those who love books about books and the power they hold.
English review below!
Este libro es una pesadilla muy bien escrita. Seguimos a David Martín, y como narrador no es nada de fiar. Está loco o realmente existe Corelli y todo lo que ello implica? Ruíz Zafón no lo dejó nada claro, porque aunque muchas de las cosas que nos ha dicho David puede que no hayan ocurrido, hay varios elementos que existen fuera de su mente porque los mencionan otros personajes. Por ejemplo, la foto de Cristina de niña con el desconocido, y su libro en manos de Irene Sabino. Otra cosa que no me acaba de cuadrar es que si David no tenía los 100.000 francos en el banco, no sé cómo estaba pagando sus facturas.
Creo que él es el que mató a sus editores, pero Marlasca es el que se fue cargando al resto. Con la que no sé qué hacer es Cristina. Si David era el que llevaba el ángel en la solapa, la agredió él, o fue Corelli? Es Corelli parte de David o alguien separado? Imagino que no lo sabremos nunca y que fue completamente a propósito por parte del autor.
ENGLISH REVIEW
This book is a beautifully written nightmare. We follow David Martín, who is a very unreliable narrator. Is he actually crazy or does Corelli really exist and all that this implies? Ruíz Zafón did not make it clear at all, because although many of the events David has told us about may not have happened, there are several elements we know exist outside of his mind because they are mentioned by other characters. For instance, the picture of Cristina as a child with the strange man, and David's book in Irene Sabino's room. Something else that doesn't quite add up is that if David didn't have 100,000 francs in his bank account, how was he paying his bills?
I think he's the one who killed his editors, but Marlasca is the one who took care of the rest. The one I don't know what to do with is Cristina. If David was the one wearing the angel on his lapel, did he attack her, or was it Corelli? Is Corelli part of David or someone separate? I suppose we'll never know and that it was completely intentional.
Este libro es una pesadilla muy bien escrita. Seguimos a David Martín, y como narrador no es nada de fiar. Está loco o realmente existe Corelli y todo lo que ello implica? Ruíz Zafón no lo dejó nada claro, porque aunque muchas de las cosas que nos ha dicho David puede que no hayan ocurrido, hay varios elementos que existen fuera de su mente porque los mencionan otros personajes. Por ejemplo, la foto de Cristina de niña con el desconocido, y su libro en manos de Irene Sabino. Otra cosa que no me acaba de cuadrar es que si David no tenía los 100.000 francos en el banco, no sé cómo estaba pagando sus facturas.
Creo que él es el que mató a sus editores, pero Marlasca es el que se fue cargando al resto. Con la que no sé qué hacer es Cristina. Si David era el que llevaba el ángel en la solapa, la agredió él, o fue Corelli? Es Corelli parte de David o alguien separado? Imagino que no lo sabremos nunca y que fue completamente a propósito por parte del autor.
ENGLISH REVIEW
This book is a beautifully written nightmare. We follow David Martín, who is a very unreliable narrator. Is he actually crazy or does Corelli really exist and all that this implies? Ruíz Zafón did not make it clear at all, because although many of the events David has told us about may not have happened, there are several elements we know exist outside of his mind because they are mentioned by other characters. For instance, the picture of Cristina as a child with the strange man, and David's book in Irene Sabino's room. Something else that doesn't quite add up is that if David didn't have 100,000 francs in his bank account, how was he paying his bills?
I think he's the one who killed his editors, but Marlasca is the one who took care of the rest. The one I don't know what to do with is Cristina. If David was the one wearing the angel on his lapel, did he attack her, or was it Corelli? Is Corelli part of David or someone separate? I suppose we'll never know and that it was completely intentional.
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have a new favorite book of all time.
The Angel's Game presents itself as one thing, transforms into another, then morphs into something else, and then crumbles into some other thing. The atmosphere and mood created by the author is impeccable. It is dark and moody and filled with the intellectual air of dark academia that gives life to all of the gothic architecture that populates the book. I was constantly impressed by the authors ability to make new phrases and interesting imagery all the way to the end of the novel. I was surprised by the author's writing and his ability to morph his writing into whatever sub genre he was trying to emulate in the novel. The genre bending of this story also was a key highlight for me. In only about 500 pages, we were steeped in melodic literary fiction, eerie horror, nail-biting thriller, tender romance, and everything in between. Ruiz navigating the exploration of genre so impressively, where I could have sat in any section of this book for 200 more pages.
This book explores maybe one of my favorite literary topics, and that is religion and it's function in society. It explores the power of the narrative, and the power of a story to consume, heal, destroy, and revive people, ideas, and entire civilizations. It walks the line of paranormal vs unreliable narrative which is another one of my favorite tropes in stories. It discusses redemption and what we do as people to make ourselves FEEL redeemed and the prices we may pay for our vanity and greed. It is a literature lovers dream in all of it's dealing with books and the souls of the authors it contains.
The plot of The Angels Game was also so well-built and more gripping than any other book of this kind. It is structured so well and the personal journey of David is mirrored in the world around him. He becomes obsessive and melancholic and the the writing and the description of the setting becomes dark and whispering. He has brief periods of happier moments where Barcelona seems filled with promise and light. All of these turns in the story and brought on in such natural ways and is never boring. The gloom builds and builds until our final 100 pages is read like a supernatural thriller. I adored all of the characters in this book. Isabella, Sempere, Pedro, Crisitina are all outstanding characters with side plots and journeys they go on separate from David. I feel like each of them represent some kind of idea or feeling that David experiences in his life. Corelli was such a cool villain and I loved how mysterious and eerie he was. I felt chilled every time he was on the page and loved his final revenge on David.
This book truly was just everything I love in a book. Morally ambiguous and really complicated characterization with really detailed side characters, discussion around romanticizing and academically evaluating life and purpose and religion, supernatural elements, beautifully detailed gothic architecture and a moody European setting, AMAZING writing with vivid imagery and unique phrases, and an overall tone of darkness and gloom. This book is a nihilists dream as well as a treat for anyone who becomes utterly consumed and possessed by art and academia.
The Angel's Game presents itself as one thing, transforms into another, then morphs into something else, and then crumbles into some other thing. The atmosphere and mood created by the author is impeccable. It is dark and moody and filled with the intellectual air of dark academia that gives life to all of the gothic architecture that populates the book. I was constantly impressed by the authors ability to make new phrases and interesting imagery all the way to the end of the novel. I was surprised by the author's writing and his ability to morph his writing into whatever sub genre he was trying to emulate in the novel. The genre bending of this story also was a key highlight for me. In only about 500 pages, we were steeped in melodic literary fiction, eerie horror, nail-biting thriller, tender romance, and everything in between. Ruiz navigating the exploration of genre so impressively, where I could have sat in any section of this book for 200 more pages.
This book explores maybe one of my favorite literary topics, and that is religion and it's function in society. It explores the power of the narrative, and the power of a story to consume, heal, destroy, and revive people, ideas, and entire civilizations. It walks the line of paranormal vs unreliable narrative which is another one of my favorite tropes in stories. It discusses redemption and what we do as people to make ourselves FEEL redeemed and the prices we may pay for our vanity and greed. It is a literature lovers dream in all of it's dealing with books and the souls of the authors it contains.
The plot of The Angels Game was also so well-built and more gripping than any other book of this kind. It is structured so well and the personal journey of David is mirrored in the world around him. He becomes obsessive and melancholic and the the writing and the description of the setting becomes dark and whispering. He has brief periods of happier moments where Barcelona seems filled with promise and light. All of these turns in the story and brought on in such natural ways and is never boring. The gloom builds and builds until our final 100 pages is read like a supernatural thriller. I adored all of the characters in this book. Isabella, Sempere, Pedro, Crisitina are all outstanding characters with side plots and journeys they go on separate from David. I feel like each of them represent some kind of idea or feeling that David experiences in his life. Corelli was such a cool villain and I loved how mysterious and eerie he was. I felt chilled every time he was on the page and loved his final revenge on David.
This book truly was just everything I love in a book. Morally ambiguous and really complicated characterization with really detailed side characters, discussion around romanticizing and academically evaluating life and purpose and religion, supernatural elements, beautifully detailed gothic architecture and a moody European setting, AMAZING writing with vivid imagery and unique phrases, and an overall tone of darkness and gloom. This book is a nihilists dream as well as a treat for anyone who becomes utterly consumed and possessed by art and academia.
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
la sombra del viento es un libro que va a ser una parte de mi de por vida, y aunque este libro no me parece mejor, david martín se ha ganado un lugar en mi corazón. es un personaje consumido por amor, y es ese amor el que le ha dado tantos golpes y decepciones.
While the blurb implies this book is the sequel to [b:The Shadow of the Wind|1232|The Shadow of the Wind|Carlos Ruiz Zafón|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1247930410s/1232.jpg|3209783], it's set a generation earlier and therefore a prequel. The premise works well as the stories aren't really connected – they share only one or two characters. Together, they form a greater narrative of Barcelona and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.
While Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a master of suspense and mystery, I don't believe this book is as good as Shadow of the Wind. I do wonder if it's the distinct paranormal and supernatural qualities that surround the central mystery. Nevertheless, The Angel's Game is still a great book.
While Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a master of suspense and mystery, I don't believe this book is as good as Shadow of the Wind. I do wonder if it's the distinct paranormal and supernatural qualities that surround the central mystery. Nevertheless, The Angel's Game is still a great book.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
"Oops I did it again" es lo que me imagino que pensó Carlos Ruiz Zafón cuando terminó de escribir este libro. Aunque el principio es un poco lento la trama es arrolladora una vez quedas atrapado en ella, no puedes evitar pensar día y noche en los misterios que va descubriendo David y cómo se conectan entre sí; además tengo que admitir que me encantaron los personajes y la complejidad de sus relaciones a pesar de que a simple vista parecen ser simples. No puedo negar que me tuvo engañada durante todo el libro en lo que respecta al señor Sempere y su hijo (los que ya lo leyeron saben a lo que me refiero y estoy segura que a algunos les pasó lo mismo), tampoco puedo negar que me encantó sentirme engañada. Me encantó, que no quepa la menor duda, ¿Que por qué le di cuatro estrellas entonces? Demasiada sangre y demasiada "magia" para lo que yo esperaba de este libro, para lo que yo esperaba de esta saga.