Reviews

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

mellowbry's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The brain of this author!! This book made me audibly gasp too many times in public istg. And that fucking half-insect twist! HOLY SHIT

Quick nitpicks: 

• There’s too many characters with the same 1st-letter name: Julian, Jorge, and Javier;  Daniel and David. Like my guy, couldn’t you have thought of other names?!? 
• Fermin is a great, softhearted guy but his creepiness towards women got really annoying. I’m glad Daniel called him out, but I still hated Fermin whenever he touched or commented on a women’s body even after that idiot got Bernada!!

Overall, I adore this book and its plot of two vastly different but almost alike arcs coming together in harmonious, destructive fashion. I love my boy Daniel and his father (father of the year btw when he saved up money to buy Daniel the Hugo pen for his b-day 🥹). I grew to love Beatriz and Nuria for their headstrong but sweet personalities. I was saddened by the tragic fates of Jacinta and Penelope who did not deserve their final years of forced isolation, despair and finally death. Javier was such a great villain and I loved how despite Julian’s attempts to befriend him in their younger years, nothing could change the darkness in that boy (literally shot his mama). And I 10000% stand by the belief that Miquel was in love with Julian (aka bi-king. No straight man risks imprisonment AND devotes his entire life for another man unless he a little fruity). 

alexandraknaub's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

siiopacilea's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

seaswift14's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

ibisette's review against another edition

5.0

ik heb deze reeds gelezen jaren geleden

cafes's review against another edition

5.0

Sin palabras. Lo leí en un par de días cuando apenas podía terminarme libros de 100 páginas los últimos meses, una historia que cautiva de principio a fin. Fue leer una historia dentro de otra historia, un libro dentro de otros miles de más, quizás a falta de otra palabra mejor para describirle, es como si fuera una oda a aquellos universos y vidas que descubrimos en la literatura, como un agradecimiento a todos esos autores y autoras que dejan una parte sí mismos en aquellas hojas. Fue también como un abrazo y una caricia para quiénes no escribimos, pero les leemos. Fue como un secreto compartido entre miles pero que pocos saben poner atención.
Me sentí acompañada y entendida, me divertí muchísimo y también sufrí con aquellos personajes inolvidables que conocí en esta Barcelona decadente pero con futuro.
Especial reconocimiento de mi parte a la creación del personaje Fermín Romero de Torres, que me hizo reír a carcajadas y del que me encariñé en su primer diálogo, un ser humano muy bonito que agradecería alguna vez tener la dicha de conocerlo como persona real.
Me dio pena enterarme mientras iba avanzando la novela que el autor ya no está aquí, que ya no podré algún día conocerlo y hacerle preguntas, pero a la vez también sé que sigue aquí, porque como él mismo dijo, seguiremos existiendo mientras no nos olviden. Ojalá algún día ir a dejarle flores como Daniel lo hizo con Nuria, siempre recordándole y manteniendo viva su memoria por sus letras.
Ojalá tener más de la elocuencia y la elegancia de aquellos personajes para expresarme, pero me bastará como conmemoración, el sentir que me dejó guardado este libro.
Gracias, Carlos.

''(...) que un libro es un espejo y que sólo podemos encontrar en él lo que ya llevamos dentro, que al leer ponemos la mente y el alma, y que esos son bienes cada día más escasos''

ravenwilds's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

charlysbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nanlikesbooks14's review against another edition

5.0

This book easily cracks my top 50 favorite novels. (maybe even top 20...? It's a loosely-structured, often-fluctuating list). It was gothic in all the right ways, lengthy and gorgeously written. Not a formula that always works, but when it does it is wonderful. This book is splendid :)

hoppyread's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0