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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love love love this man's writing. It's dark and atmospheric and gothic in the best possible way. This is the kind of writing you can get lost in and take your time with. I generally read pretty quickly, but I spend more time savoring every page with Zafon. This one would have been 5 stars if I stopped half or two-thirds of the way through, but something just gave out for me at the end, and I stopped caring quite as much about the story. Still an excellent read, though.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The second of the series, although they don’t need to be read in order, I couldn’t wait to read the next one.
This one is a bit slow in the middle although I just love his writing!
This one is a bit slow in the middle although I just love his writing!
The pages just flew by.
I don't remember being so engrossed into a novel recently the way I was in this book. I started reading it Thursday last week, and now I am finished with it, and it's just Wednesday evening. If there is something I learned about Carlos Ruiz Zafón, then it is that I can and do devour his writing. I remember reading The Shadow of the Wind back in 2007 (before I even started this Book Review series) and felt the same.
Anyway, this book is actually a prequel to The Shadow. It tells the tale of David Martin, a writer, who is approached by a mysterious character he calls The Boss, who gives him a writing assignment. He gets paid 100,000 French francs for it. And sure enough, people around him start dying soon. Unfortunately, as this is a very superbly written thriller, I do not want to expose too much of it here, or else it'll ruin the reading experience. Let me just say that this novel has plenty of twists and turns up to the very end, and it makes good use of Barcelona's Gothic architecture, providing a backdrop to this Gothic novel infused with magic realism.
One of the things I appreciated a lot in this novel was the fact that it is narrated in the first person, using the point of view of David Martin. We all know what that means: oh, I probably shouldn't say it here. But it's oh so juicy! Anyway, take this as proof that it indeed is a good thriller, because I am so thrilled about it.
Despite the very high body count, I liked this novel because it makes very good use of geographical imagery. Just reading this book makes me feel like I personally have strolled along the narrow alleys in Barcelona. I have never been to the city yet, so I really do not know, but Carlos Ruiz Zafón provides a very nice description of the city's layout as it was in the 1920s.
So, I think I will give this book 4 stars. I did enjoy reading it, but I also have to say that it wasn't very profound. I read it, and after reading it, I think reading this novel will only get you entertainment. It will not shatter nor challenge your beliefs. It will not live on in your head, affecting the rest of your life. Instead, all it did was give your brain a set of mental images to savor and enjoy. That's not bad at all, but I want more than brain pictures in a novel for it to get 5 stars. That being said, I whole-heartedly recommend this to anyone wanting an adventure in their heads.
See my other book reviews here.
I don't remember being so engrossed into a novel recently the way I was in this book. I started reading it Thursday last week, and now I am finished with it, and it's just Wednesday evening. If there is something I learned about Carlos Ruiz Zafón, then it is that I can and do devour his writing. I remember reading The Shadow of the Wind back in 2007 (before I even started this Book Review series) and felt the same.
Anyway, this book is actually a prequel to The Shadow. It tells the tale of David Martin, a writer, who is approached by a mysterious character he calls The Boss, who gives him a writing assignment. He gets paid 100,000 French francs for it. And sure enough, people around him start dying soon. Unfortunately, as this is a very superbly written thriller, I do not want to expose too much of it here, or else it'll ruin the reading experience. Let me just say that this novel has plenty of twists and turns up to the very end, and it makes good use of Barcelona's Gothic architecture, providing a backdrop to this Gothic novel infused with magic realism.
One of the things I appreciated a lot in this novel was the fact that it is narrated in the first person, using the point of view of David Martin. We all know what that means: oh, I probably shouldn't say it here. But it's oh so juicy! Anyway, take this as proof that it indeed is a good thriller, because I am so thrilled about it.
Despite the very high body count, I liked this novel because it makes very good use of geographical imagery. Just reading this book makes me feel like I personally have strolled along the narrow alleys in Barcelona. I have never been to the city yet, so I really do not know, but Carlos Ruiz Zafón provides a very nice description of the city's layout as it was in the 1920s.
So, I think I will give this book 4 stars. I did enjoy reading it, but I also have to say that it wasn't very profound. I read it, and after reading it, I think reading this novel will only get you entertainment. It will not shatter nor challenge your beliefs. It will not live on in your head, affecting the rest of your life. Instead, all it did was give your brain a set of mental images to savor and enjoy. That's not bad at all, but I want more than brain pictures in a novel for it to get 5 stars. That being said, I whole-heartedly recommend this to anyone wanting an adventure in their heads.
See my other book reviews here.
this author is a sex pest.. there I said it.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
It was a really good story.
Carlos is a genius and he has a massive and incredible imagination.
You will drive in the madness sea of his crazy mind.
I loved it ,some parts in the novel scared me to death.
He takes about so many topics in an epic way.
You can't do anything but falling in love with the story.
Carlos is a genius and he has a massive and incredible imagination.
You will drive in the madness sea of his crazy mind.
I loved it ,some parts in the novel scared me to death.
He takes about so many topics in an epic way.
You can't do anything but falling in love with the story.
Ruiz-Zafon, simply put, makes me want to write. What's more, he makes the city of Barcelona come alive. The Cemetery of Forgotten Books will now grace my dreams with its presence. I anxiously await "The Prince of the Mist."
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Just as fun as the first in the series. A prequel of sorts, not exactly an origin story but characters connect to the first in interesting ways. I liked that it was a very fresh story but in the same vein as the original. Could have lived without some of the choices in describing Isabella but they're also fairly mild by comparison. I got curious and looked up the real section of Barcelona this is set in and it looks exactly as I imagined while reading, which to me says something for the world-building.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content