Book Review: “Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
I knew Zafón would be a good read, full of a different, brooding Barcelona, but I was pleasantly surprised by the completeness of his story. There are a few soft spots in The Shadow of the Wind but they are more or less forgivable. The characters are just the right amount of maddening but still human enough for us to root in the right direction. The plot is masterfully intricate, and touches like The Angel of the Mist are nice flourishes to see in a modern piece.
People will undoubtedly claim it’s a mystery, and while that’s not exactly far from the truth, it isn’t exactly the right word. There’s no trying to figure out who’s lying, or trying to thwart another murder, and though there is a mystery-typical denouement there is none of that “now we know” satisfaction. Instead The Shadow of the Wind interweaves two lives closely together so by withholding from us one character’s history, we want to complete protagonist Daniel’s life story, which does not end with a lengthy six-chapter explanation but instead just begins.
My biggest criticisms are the unsympathetic side story of Inspector Fumero doesn’t really move anything forward and is there just to tie up ends (which I feel isn’t always necessary). Nuria Monfort’s letters are a bit too convenient, and some of the turns along the road become almost too unreasonable. The end? Mixed. But don’t read it for the conclusion. Read The Shadow of the Wind for the read, for the world Zafón reveals in post-war Barcelona. Read it for endearingly rough around the edges characters like Fermín, with an equally grandiose history. Read it to be reminded that other people too can not only get lost in a world of forgotten books, but can be moved to risk everything in the name of good literature.
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