The Shadow of the Wind

By: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 18 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Barry Award

Book Sense Book of the Year

Borders Original Voices Award

Gumshoe Award

Horror Guild Award

Joseph-Beth and Davis-Kidd Booksellers Fiction Award

NYPL Books to Remember

Barcelona, 1945: Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his 11th birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona's guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again.

Daniel's father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax's work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love.

An uncannily absorbing historical mystery, a heart-piercing romance, and a moving homage to the mystical power of books, The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller's art.

Translated by Lucia Graves.

©2001 Carlos Ruiz Zafon; 2004 Lucia Graves (P)2004 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“Gabriel Garcia Marquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[T]here is no question that [The Shadow of the Wind] is wondrous. . . [M]asterful, meticulous plotting and extraordinary control over language. . . . The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero.”—Entertainment Weekly

Have the book handy

The staging of this book is great. The plot is interesting and the characters all have depth...but if you skip a day or two while you are listening to the book, you may have trouble keeping things straight. For most of the novel, the story is actually two similar stories, each with its own set of cooresponding characters. What can make the audio version especially difficult to follow is the sheer number of characters, all with Latin names. This is further complicated by the fact that many minor characters are also addressed by name and for the non-Spanish readers, the street names and places can also sound like names adding to your distraction. Here is an example, Calle Tallers, Nuria Monfort, Lain Coubert, Jorge Aldaya, Fumero, Don Fredico, Fermin, Miquel Moliner, Mr Cabestany and Dr. Anacleto.. The first is a street, the next group major characters we need to remember and the last is a publisher and a then a doctor of less importance. All appear within a few pages of each other and represent less than half the characters you will have to keep straight in your head. In the book it is fairly easy to keep all the plotlines and people organized. When you only have the audio version to rely on you may not keep enough detail in memory to fully enjoy all the nuances. I finally bought a copy of the book so I could go back over the parts I was fuzzy on. I enjoyed the audio much more with the book handy.

Wonderful

I bought the book to read and had started it and liked it very much. The lyrical nature reminded me of Bel Canto. When I saw it come to Audible, I was interested in hearing it. The reader does such a fine job and the Spanish pronunciations are so interesting that I am glad that I finished the book on Audible. A great story told so well.

What a find!

This book is a symphony of all my favorite things about audio books and books in general.
Zafron is a master story teller who delivers unforgettable imagery, vibrant humor, and poignant historical references for his characters. He deftly weaves a riveting and intricate narrative that is hard to put down (this is not a book you can listen to while doing something else - you have to pay attention)
Jonathan Davis is a wonderful narrator and makes the story all the more inviting. He could have helped me a little by letting me know when the main voice changed to a female character. It wasn't a big deal; I figured it out; but it kept me confused for a while!

It has been years since I loved a book this much!

What made the experience of listening to The Shadow of the Wind the most enjoyable?

The language is so beautiful - you are so beguiled by the descriptions - places, things and times I have never lived were brought into reality - I could see it all.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Shadow of the Wind?

It's too hard to name one without spoiling one of several moments for the next reader.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not, but this one was exquisite. I have started The Angel's Game - a different performer is doing that one and I normally love him as a reader, but for these stories, I can't imagine anyone being better than Jonathan Davis.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I guess I had two - first, I was crying at the beautiful ending, and second, I immediately began to listen to it again. I had to make myself go on to another book after I finished it for the 2nd time!!

Any additional comments?

I cannot believe I waited thirteen years to read this beautiful, mysterious book!

A masterpiece

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said better by Stephen King? I don't always agree with his book choices, but this one is spot on. The book is a marvel, it instantly transports you into its world. A masterfully crafted story, wonderful characters, a satisfying ending and superb narration. My only warning - don't start this book when you have work to do, because you won't get anything else done!

Needless music

The story is already a very melodramatic one, so the addition of the music during all of the"tense" and “poignant“ parts simply made me roll my eyes. Some memorable characters. A few good plot twists along with a few predictable ones.

what a great find

this was one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time. the writing is almost poetic in places and the story is intruiging and mysterious. there are things to learn all through the book with many turns and twists along the way. did not want this book to end and the narrator was absolutely fantastic. loved this book. enjoy

A Barcelona Mystery

What does Jonathan Davis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I was taken back to 1945, Barcelona. The narrator has a beautiful spanish accent and captured each character with detail and authenticity. Never once did he falter in communicating the emotional words of Zafon's characters. This book was a treasure.

Subplot heaven!

What a great, unexpected audiobook that was recommended to me by a good friend. I found the story to have layers upon layers of emotional intrigue, going from one subplot to another deeper, surprising subplot without loosing the main story thread. I hope that they make this into a movie one day!

Hated to put it down

What made the experience of listening to The Shadow of the Wind the most enjoyable?

He brought the old city of Barcelona alive, the story had as many twists and turns as the alleyways with in. The characters were as alive as I am but with fresh ways of seeing things that I lack. Often they made me laugh aloud.