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balancinghistorybooks 's review for:
The Midnight Palace
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s author note in The Midnight Palace states that the novel is the second in a series, but nowhere does it say what it is a sequel to, or which series it makes up. (NB: I am still clueless about this). Judging from its blurb, the story looked relatively well contained, and so I decided to go ahead and read it anyway. The book is billed as a ghost story – to be more precise, as ‘a haunting story for the young, and the young at heart’ – and I suppose it is one of sorts, but as it is aimed within the young adult market, any suspense or creepiness which Zafon is quite capable of building up feels lost in the slightly cushioned choice of genre.
The Midnight Palace begins in 1916 and takes Calcutta as its setting. The Midnight Palace of the book’s title is an abandoned mansion, where seven boys from an orphanage meet. The sense of place is well drawn throughout, and the first few pages – and, indeed, the blurb – definitely hold intrigue: '1916, Calcutta. A man pauses for breath outside the ruins of Jheeter’s Gate station knowing he has only hours to live. Pursued by assassins, he must ensure the safety of two newborn twins, before disappearing into the night to meet his fate. 1932. Ben and his friends are due to leave the orphanage which has been their home for sixteen years. Tonight will be the final meeting of their secret club, in the old ruin they christened The Midnight Palace. Then Ben discovers he has a sister – and together they learn the tragic story of their past, as a shadowy figures lures them to a terrifying showdown in the ruins of Jheeter’s Gate station.'
Sadly, I found that the intrigue which was well built up at first was not consistent in the novel, and I soon found myself drifting away from the story and unable to get really ‘into’ it, as I have been able to do with the rest of Zafon’s tales. The pace was well realised, and I enjoyed the plot, but the distancing – made particularly apparent by the choice of a third person narrator – really held me back with my reading of the book.
The mysteries throughout are introduced at intervals, so I occasionally found that my interest in the book was piqued, but the entirety did not hook me as I expected it to. I had no problems with the execution of the book or its storyline, as such, but I found its characters so flat and distinctly lacking in substance. Even though The Midnight Palace was quite a quick read, I personally found it quite a slog to get through. Those who already enjoy his books for younger readers, however, are sure to very much enjoy it.
The Midnight Palace begins in 1916 and takes Calcutta as its setting. The Midnight Palace of the book’s title is an abandoned mansion, where seven boys from an orphanage meet. The sense of place is well drawn throughout, and the first few pages – and, indeed, the blurb – definitely hold intrigue: '1916, Calcutta. A man pauses for breath outside the ruins of Jheeter’s Gate station knowing he has only hours to live. Pursued by assassins, he must ensure the safety of two newborn twins, before disappearing into the night to meet his fate. 1932. Ben and his friends are due to leave the orphanage which has been their home for sixteen years. Tonight will be the final meeting of their secret club, in the old ruin they christened The Midnight Palace. Then Ben discovers he has a sister – and together they learn the tragic story of their past, as a shadowy figures lures them to a terrifying showdown in the ruins of Jheeter’s Gate station.'
Sadly, I found that the intrigue which was well built up at first was not consistent in the novel, and I soon found myself drifting away from the story and unable to get really ‘into’ it, as I have been able to do with the rest of Zafon’s tales. The pace was well realised, and I enjoyed the plot, but the distancing – made particularly apparent by the choice of a third person narrator – really held me back with my reading of the book.
The mysteries throughout are introduced at intervals, so I occasionally found that my interest in the book was piqued, but the entirety did not hook me as I expected it to. I had no problems with the execution of the book or its storyline, as such, but I found its characters so flat and distinctly lacking in substance. Even though The Midnight Palace was quite a quick read, I personally found it quite a slog to get through. Those who already enjoy his books for younger readers, however, are sure to very much enjoy it.