First, let me apologize for being so late in posting this review. In addition to the normal stress of Thanksgiving, my mom got married that same weekend, so there wasn’t a ton of time to finish this book or write a review. Trust me, it won’t happen again!
I absolutely loved this book. Now, normally I’m a little apprehensive when someone recommends a book to me. It’s super hypocritical. I shove books at people all the time, but almost cringe when someone does the same to me. So it was only when a really good friend of mine said it was her favorite book she’s read all year, I was skeptical. I mean, I’m not a fan of Spanish novels, mysteries, and recently had a bad experience with a supposed “gothic” novel. This novel completely blew me away.
The plot revolves around Daniel, the son of a bookseller, as he discovers what happened to the author of a book he rescued from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. There’s murder, romance, scandal, history, and even some entertaining encounters with a horny old man. Daniel’s “romantic” relationships made me wince at times, but the variety of characters, personalities (particularly between Daniel’s closest friends, Fermin Romero de Torres and Tomas Aguilar), and twists kept me on the edge of my seat. It was also the first book in a long time that actually gave me the chills while reading it, so don’t read it late at night with only the creaks in your house for company!
I credit much of my satisfaction of The Shadow of the Wind with the quality of the translation. Lucia Graves did an amazing job with this book and from the moment I began reading, I drifted easily through the text. The skill in which she conveyed the imagery particularly struck me.
“A veil of dark-red clouds bled across the sky, punctured by splinters of light the color of fallen leaves.” (pg.220)
Granted, I haven’t read the original Spanish (and I probably never will), so I can’t compare the original and translated texts, but the ease in which the narrative flowed helped me fall into the plot.
I would say the only negative thing I can point out was the inconsistency in the pacing of the plot. Considering how action pact the last half of the book was, I was surprised how slow the beginning seemed by comparison. Now, this wasn’t something I really noticed until the end of the book, so it doesn’t deter my love of this book.
Final Grade: A-
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Popularity: 1% [?]
I’m the same way! When most people recommend a book for me to read (and expect me to read it), my reaction is “Oh God why??”I’m such a hypocrite.