A review by lee_ann_a
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

adventurous mysterious slow-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? No

3.5

 Daniel and his father own a bookshop in post-WWII Barcelona. One day Daniel is introduced to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, where he uncovers a brilliant novel by one Julian Carax. He wants to read more by this author, and his hunt for the books opens up an investigation that will change the course of his entire life. 

This book gives me that chilly Autumn night under a blanket with a hot beverage feel, when you can hear the tree branches tapping on the window in the rain. Even the title makes me feel that way, I suppose this is why it’s in the gothic category, eh? I would venture to say this is not for the casual reader. There are LOTS of words. Ok ok, I know all books have lots of words but this one has an abundance. I mean that to say, the language is flowery and descriptive, to a fault at times.  I saw somewhere they consider this novel to be at a 6th grade reading level, pardon? It might be the translation, and I consider myself intelligent and well-read, but I had to use kindle to look up the definition of several words. No shame there.  Alright then.  

Part of the charm of this novel is that there’s a great deal of tongue in cheek humor laced through the story, along with a little romance, and lots of mystery with surprising twists.  It’s a journey through years of time, which I generally love. The characters are quirky and three dimensional. But it’s heavy.  Not so much the subject matter but the reading itself. At times I felt as though I was slogging through some of the (not always relevant to the plot) story lines.  At times I was ready for it to be over. But overall I enjoyed it and was glad I saw it through to the end .