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abhi_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
5.0
briannaliddell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
marsonism's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
4.0
I kinda love hate this book, sometimes it was incredibly boring and hard to read, other times it was a pleasure. Part of me wants to rate it 3.5 stars but i’ll put 4. I would’ve given this book 5 stars if it was just Julian caraxs story. All my stars depend on Carax alone. Such an interesting guy and I found myself wishing we could’ve gotten a book about just him, details instead of second hand story telling. As everyone else in the book, I too felt drawn to Julian wanting to know more & more. Daniel is a cool chill guy, but frankly, I couldn’t care less (for the most part) about anything he does or experiences.
But yes Julian, his friends, fumero and his lovers were all very interesting to me, but Daniel, Fermin and Beatrice simply weren’t.
As time goes on and I sit on this novel, i’ll probably like it more. I really think it could’ve been one of my all time favorites if it wasn’t for Daniel being the main character -.-
Also justice for Tomas, I didn’t really find a purpose to his character, he was just a tool to be like “omg bea is his bffs sister just like julian!!! :O” and talked TWO TIMES. Daniel basically abandoned him for girls twice, first clara and then his own sister T.T
Also I wish Clara had had her own happy ending, I don’t think she did anything wrong really?? but she was sort of portrayed as this slight villain with a sad lonely ending :/
alanp's review against another edition
5.0
"This book will change your life. An instant classic"- Daily Telegraph
It's too soon to tell if that was life-changing, but fuck me it was good!
There were moments where I had to stop reading and just sit there... take a minute to regroup.
Maybe a TINY bit slow in some parts of the first half, but amazing. Second half had me up until all hours because I couldn't put it down.
9.2/10
It's too soon to tell if that was life-changing, but fuck me it was good!
There were moments where I had to stop reading and just sit there... take a minute to regroup.
Maybe a TINY bit slow in some parts of the first half, but amazing. Second half had me up until all hours because I couldn't put it down.
9.2/10
midwifereading's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to like it. Its opening pages gripped me right away, and I settled in for a gloriously rich and well-told dark and dramatic tale. The writing really is quite beautiful, some of the loveliest I have read.
But then it let me down.
It became frustrating as character after character was introduced and discarded, useless to the plot, or even to the protagonist's character arc.
The mysteries unraveled were disappointing, as the reveal usually came through long side stories conveniently placed. Near the end, a virtual novella outlines, point for point, what actually happened through the voice of a woman who really didn't much matter until then. I couldn't help and wonder why she didn't tell the story from the beginning in the first place? Here at last was the meat of the story, told directly and just as beautifully as the rest of the book. It is, by far, the best section of the book!
There were also so many small plot holes, mistakes in detail, and trailing subplots, it was distracting. Drove me crazy!
I am vaguely dissatisfied, yet still appreciate the myriad beautiful sentences sprinkled throughout. Never have I read such a beautifully written, wholly unimpressive story filled with characters I didn't like and couldn't care about, no matter how hard I tried. I almost DNF'd it. If it weren't for the beautiful writing, I probably would have given up halfway through.
Sigh.
But then it let me down.
It became frustrating as character after character was introduced and discarded, useless to the plot, or even to the protagonist's character arc.
The mysteries unraveled were disappointing, as the reveal usually came through long side stories conveniently placed. Near the end, a virtual novella outlines, point for point, what actually happened through the voice of a woman who really didn't much matter until then. I couldn't help and wonder why she didn't tell the story from the beginning in the first place? Here at last was the meat of the story, told directly and just as beautifully as the rest of the book. It is, by far, the best section of the book!
There were also so many small plot holes, mistakes in detail, and trailing subplots, it was distracting. Drove me crazy!
I am vaguely dissatisfied, yet still appreciate the myriad beautiful sentences sprinkled throughout. Never have I read such a beautifully written, wholly unimpressive story filled with characters I didn't like and couldn't care about, no matter how hard I tried. I almost DNF'd it. If it weren't for the beautiful writing, I probably would have given up halfway through.
Sigh.
bookworm_713's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
linakva's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
florchusb's review against another edition
5.0
This book is so beloved to me, I read it as a teenager and found it fascinating and dark. Its treatment of the hardships brought by the war and family drama takes a new dimension on Zafón pen. I reread it as an adult and fell even harder for its story, this book and all the others by this author have some raw connection to my soul that I both enjoy and suffer while reading.
It's a must read for history lovers and I recommend reading it in Spanish if given the chance, you're not gonna regret it!
It's a must read for history lovers and I recommend reading it in Spanish if given the chance, you're not gonna regret it!