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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
I don't understand the conondrum of the Andreas Corelli's secret. I'm not sure if he was a (fallen) angel like Marlasca wrote for him about in Lux Aeterna in which a passage of poet about The Death. David certainly could not time-travel, the photograph of Cristina clearly slipped off by Corelli to alarm David about his and her future.
Surprisingly, I was taken aback by Zafon preferences to make a spiritual creature appeared in one of his book. Though in "The Shadow of The Wind", the Horrifiying Julian Carax turned out to be a mere human with too much tragedy. But in this book, Andreas Corelli and David Martin himself turned out to be spiritual creatures. They could not age after they left Barcelona (or should we call it The City of The Damned) and I keep wondering about Cristina being reborn again just to make David Martin savored her presence.
Surprisingly, I was taken aback by Zafon preferences to make a spiritual creature appeared in one of his book. Though in "The Shadow of The Wind", the Horrifiying Julian Carax turned out to be a mere human with too much tragedy. But in this book, Andreas Corelli and David Martin himself turned out to be spiritual creatures. They could not age after they left Barcelona (or should we call it The City of The Damned) and I keep wondering about Cristina being reborn again just to make David Martin savored her presence.
This was such a masterpiece, I was not sure I would love this as much as the first. This has easily become my favourites or all time.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
It was weird rereading this book - it had been seven years since my first read and I had forgotten mostly everything so it was almost like reading it for the first time. I remembered it was a strange book but I didn't remember that it made absolutely no sense. It kept me in its grip because I was waiting for answers and loose ends to be tied but it never happened and I was once again left wondering what the fuck happened in this book after turning the last page. And feeling a little deceived.
I adore Zafón's writing and I love The Shadow of the Wind and the whole universe he has created in a mystical, beautiful, gothic and bittersweet Barcelona that revolves around The Cemetary of Forgotten Books. The love I have for him and for that world has apparently made me give this book four stars in 2010. And I still can't make myself give it two stars. But I can't give more than three this time. Some open questions are fine but a total mess of a plot, the key points of which are never explained... Well, that is not quite my cup of tea.
Looking forward to rereading The Prisoner of Heaven, though. I remember liking it more than The Angel's Game. And fun part is I have forgotten what happens in it, too, so will get to experience it again before getting my hands on the fourth book, the Finnish translation of which I have already preordered. Exciting times.
I adore Zafón's writing and I love The Shadow of the Wind and the whole universe he has created in a mystical, beautiful, gothic and bittersweet Barcelona that revolves around The Cemetary of Forgotten Books. The love I have for him and for that world has apparently made me give this book four stars in 2010. And I still can't make myself give it two stars. But I can't give more than three this time. Some open questions are fine but a total mess of a plot, the key points of which are never explained... Well, that is not quite my cup of tea.
Looking forward to rereading The Prisoner of Heaven, though. I remember liking it more than The Angel's Game. And fun part is I have forgotten what happens in it, too, so will get to experience it again before getting my hands on the fourth book, the Finnish translation of which I have already preordered. Exciting times.
If you want to get a sense of how you feel reading this book, listen to 'The Man Who Sold The World' (Midge Ure Cover)
After moving into the most cursed house in Barcelona, David Martin writes genre fluff. Although these books earn him the privilege of living through his written work, they are what the woman he loves calls 'whoring his talent out'.
Seven years later, when he courageously writes something he deems the one good thing he has ever done, the world rejects it and calls it 'The worst debut novel ever'.
David is finished as a person. And then he meets The Boss.
Enter Andreas Corelli - A mysterious Parisian publisher who offers him 100,000 francs to write a book on a topic of his selection. Dressed in a white suit with a silver angel shaped brooch in his lapel, he looks David in the eyes and tells him:
'I want you to write me a religion'.
I do hope that is enough of an introduction because I don't want to risk spoiling this novel. I love this book. It's my favorite Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It has it's flaws but reading it always fills me with so much enthusiasm. To me it's the best work of the writer. And although people frequently complain that it's not like The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Number 1)
well, its not.
In Zafon's own words:
"The Shadow of the Wind is a story of redemption. The Angel's Game is a story of damnation. The Shadow of the Wind is a feel good story. The Angel's Game is a feel bad story. If the Shadow of the Wind is the good girl, The Angel's Game is her twisted step sister."
The language is not worthy of any high marks. This is not going to be one of those things that you're going to read and have pink flowers bloom from your heart. But it will read fast and hard. The words do their job. You really do feel like David Martin. In my reading he was who I had become.
My father is killed.
The love of my life and I will never be together.
And because you spit on my soul, I will write a religion for the devil and set fire to the world and burn with it forever.
The plot on the other hand is remarkably original. This is unlike any other book Carlos Ruiz Zafon has written before. You as the reader can decide how it ends for you. Personally I really enjoyed the unreliability of the narrator. He is descending into madness and so it's up to you to make sense of everything that has happened. In this way the story is an active exchange between you and the writer. It's not just a dead wall of text morally obliging you to swallow it whole.
The characters too, are interesting enough to let you forgive their cliche roles. The benevolent aristocrat whom you owe too much 'Senor Vidal'.
The woman who is guilt to be in love with the hero 'Cristina Sagnier'.
These are people we keep coming across in fiction. But one role that I've always felt fascinated by is that of Lucifer. What if the devil really did make a deal with you? How would he behave trying to embody a person? Andreas Corelli is the bad guy you love to see being evil. He's given me enough reason to wait anxiously for the last book - The Labyrinth of Spirits (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Number 4) coming out this October.
This book doesn't have a moral. Honestly you're not going to come out of reading this more informed about the Human Condition or whatever. Just as the song: David Martin is - The Man Who Sold The World. And watching him do it is a lot of fun.
After moving into the most cursed house in Barcelona, David Martin writes genre fluff. Although these books earn him the privilege of living through his written work, they are what the woman he loves calls 'whoring his talent out'.
Seven years later, when he courageously writes something he deems the one good thing he has ever done, the world rejects it and calls it 'The worst debut novel ever'.
David is finished as a person. And then he meets The Boss.
Enter Andreas Corelli - A mysterious Parisian publisher who offers him 100,000 francs to write a book on a topic of his selection. Dressed in a white suit with a silver angel shaped brooch in his lapel, he looks David in the eyes and tells him:
'I want you to write me a religion'.
I do hope that is enough of an introduction because I don't want to risk spoiling this novel. I love this book. It's my favorite Carlos Ruiz Zafon. It has it's flaws but reading it always fills me with so much enthusiasm. To me it's the best work of the writer. And although people frequently complain that it's not like The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Number 1)
well, its not.
In Zafon's own words:
"The Shadow of the Wind is a story of redemption. The Angel's Game is a story of damnation. The Shadow of the Wind is a feel good story. The Angel's Game is a feel bad story. If the Shadow of the Wind is the good girl, The Angel's Game is her twisted step sister."
The language is not worthy of any high marks. This is not going to be one of those things that you're going to read and have pink flowers bloom from your heart. But it will read fast and hard. The words do their job. You really do feel like David Martin. In my reading he was who I had become.
My father is killed.
The love of my life and I will never be together.
And because you spit on my soul, I will write a religion for the devil and set fire to the world and burn with it forever.
The plot on the other hand is remarkably original. This is unlike any other book Carlos Ruiz Zafon has written before. You as the reader can decide how it ends for you. Personally I really enjoyed the unreliability of the narrator. He is descending into madness and so it's up to you to make sense of everything that has happened. In this way the story is an active exchange between you and the writer. It's not just a dead wall of text morally obliging you to swallow it whole.
The characters too, are interesting enough to let you forgive their cliche roles. The benevolent aristocrat whom you owe too much 'Senor Vidal'.
The woman who is guilt to be in love with the hero 'Cristina Sagnier'.
These are people we keep coming across in fiction. But one role that I've always felt fascinated by is that of Lucifer. What if the devil really did make a deal with you? How would he behave trying to embody a person? Andreas Corelli is the bad guy you love to see being evil. He's given me enough reason to wait anxiously for the last book - The Labyrinth of Spirits (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Number 4) coming out this October.
This book doesn't have a moral. Honestly you're not going to come out of reading this more informed about the Human Condition or whatever. Just as the song: David Martin is - The Man Who Sold The World. And watching him do it is a lot of fun.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No