Book Review: The Shadow of the Wind

Once in a while, a book comes along that makes you believe there are still great stories to be told and authors who can make that story come to life before your eyes.  Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind is a book that will change you.  He made me believe in books and the power of the written word in a time when every story seemed to be about vampires or superficial teenage relationship woes.  The Shadow of the Wind is a novel for people who enjoy the act of reading with every fiber of their being.  

The story begins with young Daniel Sempere being led to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father.  There, he picks out a book written by Julián Carax.  Soon, he discovers that someone is tracking down all of Carax’s books and destroying them.  Daniel becomes obsessed with the elusive author of the novel he cherished, soon becoming entwined in events he never imagined possible. 

The Shadow of the Wind is a story about love, finding oneself, and any number of cliché reasons to write a book.  However, I have never read a book that described so vividly the feelings boiling over in the hearts of the characters.  Daniel became real to me within the first quarter of the novel, so that what he experienced, I felt I too experienced.  While the themes in the novel are nothing groundbreaking, the execution and story surrounding those themes is so well done, I found myself caring more about the message than I would have if I simply read a synopsis and analysis of the book.  It’s a book you have to experience for yourself to understand what I mean.

Bookophile Rating: Ludicrous! (For some of the best characters and certainly one of the best books I’ve ever read).