The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

For every reader, there comes a moment when he comes across a writer, the writer, who will change his life. Suddenly, what he thought was a solitary experience, had apparently been written about and experienced by other people, fictional or no. It is a strange comfort to see your thoughts and feelings expressed either in such familiar, or even an elevated language, one that beautifully affirms the understanding of your presence.

In Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s “The Shadow of the Wind,” we meet one such reader.

For his tenth birthday, Daniel Sempere is brought by his father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and asked to join in its secrecy. As is the custom for first-time visitors, he is given leave to choose one book, just one, among the thousands quietly nestled in the shelves of bygone eras, to guard for life. He is immediately drawn to “The Shadow of the Wind,” written by a Julian Carax, and it is at this point where he, unknowingly, opens a volume of complications. For one, he wanted to know everything about his curious acquisition, and, with well-placed questions, discovers that his book is the last copy not only of that title, but of all Carax’s works in existence. Furthermore, his goal is obstructed by a man smelling perpetually of smoke and paper, intent on getting a hold of “The Shadow of the Wind.” This unlikely chain of events compels Daniel to chase after any information on Julian Carax he could get, introducing the reader to an unforgettable set of characters. There is Clara, the blind scholar Daniel first falls in love with, the crazy Fermin who is a scientist, philosopher and a madman but, above all, we come to know Julian Carax, whose life Daniel unearths a strange and almost miraculous affinity to.

“Destiny is usually just around the corner. Like a thief, a hooker, or a lottery vendor: its three most common personifications. But what destiny does not do is home visits. You have to go for it.”

“The Shadow of the Wind” is at once mystery, thriller, coming of age, and romance. Zafon’s skill in shifting between past and present enables the reader to see into both pre- and post-war Barcelona. However, despite Julian’s and Daniel’s “age-centric” obstacles – avoiding the army, worrying about the family business – they are linked by the timeless thread of growing up, loving and surviving. Finally, there is the universal relationship with literature that is conveyed in every page, be it described in the characters or projected directly onto the readers.

(On a personal note, I’m worried that people will compare it to “Da Vinci Code” because of its “mainstream” appeal (it has been in the Spain best-seller list for over a year), and the fact that it is being made into a movie. Despite that, I am positive that even the choosiest of readers will enjoy this novel.)