Discussions
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amnbdad
This is one of my favorite books, it's such a great story. By great I mean interesting, not great in a life changing way like Siddhartha, but great in like a book you can't put down. It has a real Dickens quality to it too, and is reminiscent of Phantom of the Opera or Frankenstein one of those great gothic tales.
posted 5 years ago.
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Shelley
I loved this book and recommend it as often as possible. The complex characters combined with the realities of living in country torn apart by civil war and under the leadership of a brutal government made for a fascinating read!
posted 5 years ago.
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Scriptwriter
This book immerses you completely in it's own world, you are torn away from everyday concerns. Not a lot of authors can do that. I read this book a while ago and I can remember every twist, most books read for pleasure I just enjoy and forget about. This book is like when you catch a fragrance on the wind, it brings back a memory? Thinking of this book I remember the excitement and anticipation of reading it.
posted 5 years ago.
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lwillis
A beautifully told, suspensful love story that was impossible for me to put down. My friend lent it to me and I started reading it and stopped. I saw she rated it a five and decided to pick it up again. I can not stop recommending it.
posted 5 years ago.
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LiteraryMind
I'm sharing a bit of my own writing- here's a PDF selection from Something About Flowers, a novel of Love, Art & Beauty. I decided to write a novel almost immediately after finishing Shadow of the Wind. I had finished one earlier and started another, but I wanted to capture more beauty and less topicality.
http://brewdog.net/shelfari.pdf
if you read it, let me know in a message...posted 5 years ago.
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shezna
does anyone know if the writer has more of his work in english. looked around but found the rest of this books are all in spanish
posted 5 years ago.
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chica_alanna
i LOVED this book! it was excellent! if you have any recommendations for books like this, and as good, please let me know!
enjoy!!posted 5 years ago.
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DAnn29
This book is AMAZING. A must read! Our bookclub read this book, and we were totally blown away.
posted 5 years ago.
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orsia
GREAT BOOK!!those who love this book will definitely will love 'the book thief'
posted 5 years ago.
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Susan S
Thanks for the recommendation. I had never heard of The Book Thief but will find it ASAP.
posted 5 years ago.
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vanesa j
el libro me apasionó, lo compre x aburrimiento pero no lo he podido soltar hasta terminarlo.
posted 5 years ago.
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Zully P removed this reply 5 years ago
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Zully P
Oh yerah, I forgot, only like the last two chapters start being interesting (though the story's tooooo predictable).
posted 5 years ago.
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Philip M
Tooo predicable?! Really? I was totally caught up in the atmosphere - the drizzle and of of Barcelona and the repression of the Franco Regime. Perhaps it is a generational thing. When I studied Spanish lit in college 45 years ago, the department was staffed by elderly Spaniards who only had the nicest things to say about Franco! It was spine-chilling! I read it in English first and then simply had to read in in Spanish!
posted 4 years ago.
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Dianne K
Agree totally. Very predictable. Curious why few people comment on this.
posted 2 years ago.
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rsilver removed this reply 5 years ago
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Sheila P
We read this book for last December's book club and everyone loved it. I particularly thought the story line was most interesting and very well written.
posted 5 years ago.
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aiswarya B
I love it!! Oh God the characters are still haunting me. I am afraid I fell in love with Julian Carax, Daniel, Bea, Penelope and even to Fermin. I feel them as they are my friends.........What a feeling.........Made me crazy...about reading it again and again..........Thanx Zafon to gift us with that excellent piece of art
posted 5 years ago.
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LouanneJacobs
I loved it too. It haunted me for days afterwards. However, I was really surprised to have found it on a 10th grade summer reading list as required reading.
posted 5 years ago.
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Josep removed this reply 5 years ago
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Josep removed this reply 5 years ago
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Josep removed this reply 5 years ago
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Josep
His new book is being released tomorrow! It's the second book of a serie of four...
http://tinyurl.com/5k6mrgposted 5 years ago.
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Katri S
I read Finnish translation: Tuulen varjo. Great book, that actually caused me neck and back pain because I couldn't stop reading it and just forgot to move...
posted 5 years ago.
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Stephanie C removed this reply 5 years ago
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Inkberry
I just loved this book...hated to see the end of it...the characters stick with you.
posted 4 years ago.
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Inkberry removed this reply 4 years ago
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Andrea
“From the misty, crimson-tinged rooftops I am singing the praises of this novel! Brilliant, a dark masterpiece. Zafron's use of descriptive metaphor brings the reader to the streets of Barcelona, circa 1945-1966. This book leaves an imprint on my memory as much as the taste of gingerbread or the smell of clean linen. One can FEEL this book. My pen was kept busy as I wrote numerous phrases from the novel's pages; "A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept." Well, this book for one shouldn't remain a secret to any book lover. A must read!
posted 4 years ago.
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Julie Mary
I finished it a few days ago and I just have to say that this one is one of the best books out there. I recommend it to everyone... and I was lucky enough to read it in its original format: Spanish. :D
Fantastic book, go read it!posted 4 years ago.
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Cari R
One of my favorite books also fortunate to read it in Spanish. Just finished El Juego del Angel the newest from Zafon. I highly recommend it, when I finished it I craved for more.
posted 4 years ago.
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Myrna
I have not enjoyed a book like this in a long time. There aren't books like this written that often. I took forever to finish it because I read it in Spanish but I think I also didn't want it to end and lingered over it. A must read--pure joy of reading. Great characters and plot development. Beautiful language.
posted 4 years ago.
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naniewy
The beginning and ending were pretty good but the immense middle kind of dragged.
posted 4 years ago.
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Marjan T
If only words were enough to express how much I loved this book...I've never enjoyed a book as much as I did when I read The Shadow of the Wind...I'm no morning person, but as soon as I woke up I started reading, till the last second before I went to sleep...This book captivates you in so many ways. The plot, the development of the characters, the writing style..everything was beyond great, and near perfection. The Shadow of the Wind reminded me of how books are supposed to be...
posted 4 years ago.
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Deb K
I loved this book too. Do you any other recommendations for me? I'm an avid reader who has not found many books of this caliber............any suggestions would be welcomed.
Debposted 4 years ago.
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Claudia C.
this book is lovely. the plot is very entertaining and the writing style is easy and enjoyable. the more you read it and the more you want to know what's going to happend next.
it's the kind of story that you can read in every moment, everyy day because you don't need to be in the mood for it.
i suggest it.posted 4 years ago.
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Jill Y
I have never read a book like this before! The translation and the story are absolutely perfect! It is a page turner with depth and "meat"!! I can not recommend it enough! AND....now there is a prequel! The Angel's Game!
posted 3 years ago.
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Elizabeth M
I thought The Angel's Game was more of a book within the same universe, not a prequel.
I know the author intends to write 4 or 5 books that include the Cemetery, but I don't know if it's a prequel.posted 3 years ago.
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Shohreh T
Wow!! What an imagination! I loved this book. The strong and fascinating characters, the love, all in all was an amazing story of human lives. I learned so much from each character. Brilliant, I can't wait to read his next book. I fell in love with reading all over again!
posted 3 years ago.
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Nick S
I thought this book was recommended to me--maybe it was, maybe it wasn't--but I picked it up on a whim when the itch in the back of my head told me it was worthwhile. I followed the itch and then turned page after page over the course of a month until I sighed at the book's end. It was a gripping, entertaining journey with colorful characters with tormented souls and terrible luck. The language and diction made even the driest exposition a wonder to behold. Daniel's sordid adventure will always be held in high regard on my bookshelf. Thank you, itch.
posted 3 years ago.
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Nick S
How many people guessed the identity of Laín Coubert early on? I suppose I don't really think about that kind of stuff, but it didn't occur to me until I realized all the other possible candidates either died or weren't, well, charred.
posted 3 years ago.
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Jodie S
There's a great video interview with Zafon at http://www.bordersmedia.com/borderspresents/zafon. Also check out his website -- http://www.carlosruizzafon.co.uk/--he's composed music to accompany his next English translation The Angel's Game and posted for download there.
posted 3 years ago.
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kim j
This book contains of the best plots i've ever read, maybe because its complexity and easy to read contributes to that. I love the ambiance of this book. I highly recommend this one.
posted 3 years ago.
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vioworld
This book is great, it's one of those heart warming stories, which just touches your heart, and stays there. I loved it. I recommend it!!! :)
posted 3 years ago.
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readingkh
I just finished reading this great book. I loved all the twist and turns of the story and the author's ability to weave so many, seamingly different characters together into one, unexpected ending. I highly recommend this book -- in fact, I already have convinced several to read it.
posted 3 years ago.
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Pamela S
This has got to be one of the best books I've read. It takes you places you never imagine. The plots and characters keep building and changing as the books goes along. I loved it and plan to read another of his books.
posted 3 years ago.
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uma ranganathan
I rate it as one of the best I ever read. So sensitive and simply enthralling the way the story moves. Very finely written
posted 2 years ago.
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artsylady
You put it so well and I am dying to try to find other books by the same author as well.
posted 2 years ago.
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Andrew
SPOILER ALERT DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK: This is the first fiction book I read that wasn't assigned to me in a class. I rather enjoyed it, but there is one thing I did not understand. In the middle of the book he says he would die in seven days but he doesn't end up dying. Now as someone who hardly ever reads fiction, I am assuming that I am taking this death too literal, but I can't figure out what he was referring to, the death of his childhood?
posted 3 years ago.
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Cathy L
Hi. When I read it, I took it to mean his near death experience at the end when he is shot, but also because of the odd connection between he and Carax, he meant it to mean Carax' death since he sort of identifies with Carax.
What a great book.posted 2 years ago.
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Carol O
He did technically die but was brought back to life. Remember when he was shot?
posted 1 year ago.
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Mrs C
Does anybody else like this book. It is one of the best books I have ever read?
posted 2 years ago.
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Katherine T
This is one of the best books I have read. It is strange and dark and also insightful. It stays with you long after you have finished it.
posted 2 years ago.
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artsylady
It does stay with you. that is a good way to put it. I really loved it.
posted 2 years ago.
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sofouly
I've just started reading this book & I was intrigued from the 1st sentence. I think about the characters when I'm not reading it so thoroughly looking forward to the rest of it.
Fermin is such a character!!posted 2 years ago.
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Alisa M
this is by far my favorite book of all time! i beg people to read it! i think it has something for everyone to love! i love daniel, and fermin and senor sempere! i want to go to barcelona now! haha! it's dark and beautiful and i was able to completely immerse myself into the world zafon had created. this book single handedly restored my faith in the power of an amazing story =)
posted 2 years ago.
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artsylady
I really liked it too. it was so different and took me to another time and place. It is nice to hear what other people have to say and especially when someone else likes the book.
posted 2 years ago.
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artsylady
I don't think I could have stated this any better and I am right htere with you. After I read this I went out and bought the Angel's Game and Prince of Mist. I am reading The Angel's Game now and I think it is a prequel to Shadow of the Wind. It is written in the same style, same place, same time, and sempere is in it too. You should try it. I am not very far but like it already.
posted 1 year ago.
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Dianne K
Didn't anyone think most of the book was very depressing? Maybe it is just my frame of mind these days. Yes the ending was happy, but there was so much doom and gloom along the way. And I found it so predictable. I knew that Penelope and Julian were brother and sister very early on. There was nothing suspenseful about that too me.
posted 2 years ago.
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artsylady
it was a depressing book but I still found it to be interesting anyway. I don't know why...it was just different. So I liked it.
posted 2 years ago.
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artsylady
It is a dark book, but it still draws in the reader and even though you figure it out about Penelope and Julian, the reader just has to see if there is ever any redemption or happiness. I think this is probably one of those books either you like or you don't. in my case I really liked the way it was written.
posted 1 year ago.
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delmargal
It was depressing, but that was due largely to the time and place that the story took place so that didn't bother me. I did find that the first 3/4 of the book moved along pretty slowly and the last 1/4 made the book worth the read. I'm glad I stuck with it, because I wanted to put it down a couple times, but by then I really did like the story, had invested so much time, and wanted to see how it ended.
posted 1 year ago.
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TGuza
Was anyone reminded of classics like the Brontes? All that angst over the Penelope/Julian situation.
posted 2 years ago.
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Yasmine Buraik
I bought and read the book in Baecelona. It just came alive because I was walking the places in real life. There even is a tour of places in the book. Loved it and so did friends who borrowed it and read ir.
posted 1 year ago.
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delmargal
Part of my attraction to the book was that I had also been in Barcelona and recognized some of the places mentioned ... Parc Guell being one of my all-time favorite sites.
posted 1 year ago.
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Carol O
My friend gave me this book and I had to start it three times. I wanted to love it but just didn't. I've read hundreds of novels and this one just didn't grab me.
posted 1 year ago.
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delmargal
I had a hard time getting into it as well; in fact, I found that the first 3/4 of the book were slow, but in the end, I liked the story and was glad I stuck to it. I could've read about 4 other books in the time it to took to read this one, though!
posted 1 year ago.
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Polish translators English
I've read it - the original editiona in Spanish - excellent!
posted 5 months ago.
