The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Title: The Shadow of the Wind
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Translator: Lucia Graves
Published: 2004
Type: Fiction
Pages: 487
Once, in my father’s bookstore, I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later – no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget – we will return.
In Brief:
A fun novel, really all you could ask for in these times – thrilling plot, beautiful language, gloomy noir, young love, all wrapped up in love for literature itself. Lovely recommendation from my friend José.
Rating: 4.5
Synopsis:
In post-war Barcelona, ten-year-old Daniel Sempere awakes one night in tears, unable to remember the face of his dead mother. In an effort to comfort him, his bookseller father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret place where out of print novels are stored, and allows him to take one home. He chooses The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax, and our whole saga begins.
Daniel falls in love with the book, and embarks on a ten-year investigation of the tragic life of Carax, a remarkably unsuccessful author who seemingly died years before. He learns that his copy is one of the few Carax novels still in existence – a mysterious figure named Laín Coubert has dedicated his life to finding and burning them. In Carax’s novel, Laín Coubert is the name of the devil.
The quest to discover the truth about Carax stirs up violent, decades-old feuds, and places Daniel right in the middle of them. He discovers a host of characters with connections to the author: a priest who was Carax’s friend growing up, a woman who loved him unrequitedly for years, the nanny who cared for the girl Carax did love, and a sadistic police officer obsessed with revenge. In the meantime, Daniel grows into a man, falls in and out and back in love, and befriends Fermin, a former Republican agent who helps him uncover the truth. As pieces of both Daniel’s and Carax’s story twist and unfold, they parallel and entangle, drawing the two inescapably together.
Where I’m At:
José recommended this book to me back in January when I visited New Haven. It took me a while to get to it with my book clubs and other activities, but luckily there’s been plenty of time to read the last few weeks!
I mean that (at least somewhat) genuinely, even if the circumstances are distressing (to say the least). Being cooped up inside means I don’t have any option other than to read a lot, really – and even if I miss other things, I’m happiest when I have time every day to bury myself in a book.
The Shadow of the Wind was fitting for this. Clearly, the book was written by someone who loves books, and as another someone who loves books, I loved it. There’s a reverence in the way that Zafón describes books, the way the characters melt into the pages, that could maybe be called overdone or cheesy – but I’m the exact right audience for that. Even more, it’s a great story for escapism: riveting with its plot, rich with details, and bordering on magical.
The only aspect that didn’t quite meet me where I’m at is the romance of it. The Shadow of the Wind is art once a suspenseful thriller, a bildungsroman, and a love story. Though they mostly blend together well, I was decidedly not in the mood for the third. Ashan moved out of San Francisco recently, ending a year that was largely very sweet to us and effectively shutting out any possibility (however small) of a future I might’ve imagined. So Zafón’s deep romanticism irked me, and I found myself rolling my eyes or gagging exaggeratedly at lines like “One loves truly only once in a lifetime, even if one isn’t aware of it.” God forbid that be true.
But don’t let my bitterness deter you! This was an excellent book, and I have plenty more glowing things to say.
Getting Into it:
As already referenced, my first favorite thing about Shadow of the Wind is the love of literature baked into it. Again, this is a book made for people who love books, who feel the adrenaline rush of a good plot twist, who fall in love with characters, who appreciate colorful imagination. If that’s you, then definitely read this book.
But of course there’s more to it. Zafón’s language is spectacular, and made me wish I could read the book in its original Spanish for the poetry. The details and descriptions are elaborate, often creepy and dark enough to give me chills:
“With every step I took, I could feel the cold, the emptiness, and the fury of that place, the horror of its silence, the faces trapped in old photographs that had been abandoned to the company of candles and dead flowers.”
Tell me that doesn’t make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
The setting of Barcelona adds to this beautifully. The city takes on its own character – something I usually hate in books when it pertains to New York, but this felt refreshing and fitting. In the midcentury, Barcelona wasn’t the tourist destination we know today. It’s gothic and dark, its inhabitants distrustful and on edge. You can imagine the press of the narrow, entangling roads, an alleyway that’s "more of a scar than a street," adding to the thrill and mystery of it.
Though I wouldn’t say this book was particularly “literary,” more of something you read for fun than to grapple with serious themes, one that stood out to me was the notion of redemption. Carax’s father bullied him and his mother throughout his childhood, but becomes kind in old age, repentant for his actions and desperate to do anything to make it right. Carax himself (spoiler here) goes somewhat mad, embracing the character of Laín Coubert and destroying his own books, caring not for the lives of others, until he meets Daniel and is bewitched by their connection, Daniel’s innocence. The police officer, Fumero, lives his entire life consumed by hate and anger, bent on revenge, which ultimately leads to his demise and obscurity. It’s a powerful path to see the characters walk, giving the book a decidedly hopeful note despite the darkness.
As often seems to be the case, one of the only things I can really dock Shadow of the Wind on is its portrayal of women. Or lack thereof. Zafón sort of gives himself an out for the by killing off Daniel’s mother before the narrative begins, meaning that Daniel is hopelessly incompetent around women, them being an endless mystery to him. But still – he falls in love early on with a woman named Clara, who doesn’t have much of a purpose in the plot but to break his heart (in a distinctly slut-shaming-type way), pushing him more towards pursuing the mystery of Carax. Then there’s Nuria, a woman who seemingly did nothing throughout her life but pine for Carax while he never really cared in return. And then Bea, the ultimate object of Daniel’s affection – we’re told she’s smart, but she’s left out of the adventures and more serves as a figure for Daniel to talk to and a stand-in for Carax’s former love. I get that not all books have to have a woman as a main character, but a bit more personality or nuance to them is always appreciated.
I’ll also say that the plot drags a bit in the middle, becomes a bit muddled as Zafón juggles an impressive number of characters and tries to advance to storylines at once. I found myself impatient, wishing he could just stick to one or speed things up a bit. But there were really only ~50 pages where that was the case, and for the most part Zafón kept his narrative tight and engaging. (This does help support my assertion that most books should not be over 400 pages)
So, another good book! I fear I’m not harsh enough, or I’m just such a big fan of reading anything that these posts have become a bit repetitive. Still – if you love reading nearly as much as I do, or you want a book that’s fun that will keep your attention and capture your imagination, this one is certainly right for you.
