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sawshiwen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i knew by the first 100 pages that i would enjoy this book, and i did, mostly. however, the way carlos writes women, and the men in this book are all dog shit, literally except Daniel, Fermin and his dad. The writing is so captivating and beautiful, so many quotes i want to remember forever. One major flaw in this book is the ending. Lol Nuria be explaining everything through a letter?? a superrrr long letter? i would rather see it myself and not be told.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Murder, Miscarriage, Incest, Grief, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
kayleyhyde's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Incest
Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Excrement, and Racial slurs
laurenleigh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
I don’t even know what number reread this is, but it hits me every damn time. This is one of the most powerful pieces of literature ever. I dare say it’s my favorite book of all time. Like if my desert island library could only have one book, I can’t think of anything I’d pick over this one. Can you tell how much I love this novel? I don’t think I’ve talked much on Insta about how this book changed my life, but in short, it set me on the path that brought me to Cal and the Bay Area. Which brought me to Ben! I’m forever in debt to Zafón. This book has everything I love. Mysterious intrigue, gothic settings, characters that jump off the page, a bit of heartfelt romance, friendships that become family, and above all, a true devotion to the magic of storytelling. The reason this story changed my life is because it reminded me of the power of books. The written word can uniquely touch the heart in a way unlike any other art form. My number one dream destination for almost a decade now has been Barcelona, because of this book. Fingers crossed I finally get to visit next spring! You better believe I’m dedicating at least half a day to the Barcelona walking tour included in the back of the US print edition. If you haven’t read this, what are you waiting for?? For this one, I recommend print or ebook over audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Murder, and Child abuse
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Death of parent
jashanac's review against another edition
5.0
I read this for the first time back in 2014 and apparently gave it 3 stars and I truly don't know what the hell I was smoking.
I love this book. Despite it containing several elements that I tend not to like. Primarily: the melodrama of it all.
I often find melodramatic, navel-gazing stories where the characters are all a bit morose and despairing VERY unenjoyable. And there's a decent amount of that in this story. However, there is also a particular light-heartedness and sense of humor to it all, which I think is what made me love it so much. That blend of serious, despairing, what-is-the-meaning-of-it-all-and-are-we-all-just-doomed-to-be-tragic moments and the optimism, humor, and tongue-in-cheek moments just really hit for me. Fermin de Torres is by far my favorite character, but Daniel is number two. Fermin is absolutely HILARIOUS.
Also, the prose. I wish I could read Spanish completely fluently, because I can only imagine how it is in the original language. But even in the English translation, the prose is wonderful. I was ENGROSSED in this book.
It might help that I did a summer study abroad program in Barcelona back in college, so re-reading this just made me ACHE for Barcelona. I felt like I was there again, and recognized the atmosphere of the various streets and parts of the city... it was just beautifully described, all the way around.
I also think that I enjoyed it so much because while, yes, it's quite a tragic, gothic, morose story... there's so much mystery involved and you're watching it all unfold and all of the various plot twists (which I had completely forgotten about!) made it so entertaining as well as lush and captivating.
I love this book. Despite it containing several elements that I tend not to like. Primarily: the melodrama of it all.
I often find melodramatic, navel-gazing stories where the characters are all a bit morose and despairing VERY unenjoyable. And there's a decent amount of that in this story. However, there is also a particular light-heartedness and sense of humor to it all, which I think is what made me love it so much. That blend of serious, despairing, what-is-the-meaning-of-it-all-and-are-we-all-just-doomed-to-be-tragic moments and the optimism, humor, and tongue-in-cheek moments just really hit for me. Fermin de Torres is by far my favorite character, but Daniel is number two. Fermin is absolutely HILARIOUS.
Also, the prose. I wish I could read Spanish completely fluently, because I can only imagine how it is in the original language. But even in the English translation, the prose is wonderful. I was ENGROSSED in this book.
It might help that I did a summer study abroad program in Barcelona back in college, so re-reading this just made me ACHE for Barcelona. I felt like I was there again, and recognized the atmosphere of the various streets and parts of the city... it was just beautifully described, all the way around.
I also think that I enjoyed it so much because while, yes, it's quite a tragic, gothic, morose story... there's so much mystery involved and you're watching it all unfold and all of the various plot twists (which I had completely forgotten about!) made it so entertaining as well as lush and captivating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Pregnancy
Minor: War
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