A book I described as “up there with one of the best books I’ve ever read” on my Goodreads, Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind is a masterpiece of literature and one I highly recommend you read.
The Shadow of the Wind is a thriller in which the discovery of a lost book leads to the hunt for a forgotten author who may or may not still be alive. 10-year-old Daniel is brought to a library one morning in 1945 and is allowed to choose one book and picks ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Julian Carax – beginning a journey that lasts decades.
Plot – 5/5
The plot of this book is utterly enthralling and throughout it, you feel like you’re being taken on quite the journey. Daniel’s life takes many twists and turns that see you engaged in his trials and tribulations.
This book features some quite tense moments, some that may haunt readers. But it also features a love story, it features conspiracies, betrayals, personal discovery and so much more. Daniel’s attempts to find ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ turn out to be far from simple and he soon finds out he’s not the only person who has searched for this author and isn’t the only one searching now either. This book had me gripped throughout and had me feeling like I’d experienced quite a lifetime by the end of it.
Characters – 4.5/5
This book sees Daniel encounter many different people throughout his life – some good, some bad, some of whom you can’t decide their intentions. However, every character in this book is memorable – whether it’s for a good thing or for a bad thing. Each character is defined by large personality differences and, as a result, really engages you further into their story.
The main character Daniel may be one of the weakest in terms of the interest you have in him – however, this may well be so that the personalities he meets along the way leave more of an impression. He’s a nice kid/man who experiences a variety of different characters in his life. He doesn’t necessarily need to be the most fun.
The Shadow of the Wind summary – 5/5
This book is one of my favourite books of all time. It had me truly gripped from the very first page and feels like a book that should be read by absolutely everyone. It has laughs, love, loss and leads you on a wicked journey. If you’re looking for something akin to Great Expectations by Charles Dickens where you’re taken through the life of a single person – experiencing their experiences with them whilst also solving an overarching mystery, then I’d pick this up.
Even if you don’t know what to read next and aren’t sure this is for you, I’d still recommend it – it is that good. It’s beautifully written, it’s epic and also… it happens to have a beautiful front cover.
