The Shadow of the Wind
The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 1
Published on 26. July 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
544 pages
978-1-4746-0988-3 (ISBN)
Description
THE MODERN CLASSIC: OVER 20 MILLION COPIES SOLD
A Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard & Judy book club pick
'The real deal: one gorgeous read' Stephen King
'This book will change your life. An instant classic' Daily Telegraph
'A book lover's dream' The Times
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'Cemetery of Lost Books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax.
But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find.
Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from the book, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them.
What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind...
'Marvellous' Sunday Times
'A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading' Independent
'Gripping and instantly atmospheric' Mail on Sunday
'Irresistibly readable' Guardian
'Diabolically good' Elle
A Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard & Judy book club pick
'The real deal: one gorgeous read' Stephen King
'This book will change your life. An instant classic' Daily Telegraph
'A book lover's dream' The Times
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'Cemetery of Lost Books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax.
But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find.
Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from the book, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them.
What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind...
'Marvellous' Sunday Times
'A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading' Independent
'Gripping and instantly atmospheric' Mail on Sunday
'Irresistibly readable' Guardian
'Diabolically good' Elle
Reviews / Votes
Part gothic mystery, past ribald comedy, part political thriller, part Borgesian parable, and all marvellous * Sunday Times * A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading * Independent * A magical tale -- Cecilia Ahern One of those rare novels that combine brilliant plotting with sublime writing * Sunday Times * A book lover's dream * The Times * Irresistibly readable...Walk down any street in Zafon's Barcelona and you'll glimpse the shades of the past and the secrets of the present * Guardian * Diabolically good * Elle * This gripping novel has the feel of a gothic ghost story complete with crumbling, ivy-covered mansions, gargoyles and dank prison cells...this is just the sort of literary mystery that would have found favour with Wilkie Collins * Daily Mail * A deeply satisfying, rich, full read * Sunday Telegraph * A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love * Sunday Express * An astounding critical success. There's an intricate plot, a gothic atmosphere and an elusive quest, as well as murders, intrigue and star-crossed lovers * Guardian * Part detective story, part boy's adventure, part romance, fantasy, and gothic horror, the intricate plot is urged on by extravagant foreshadowing and nail-nibbling tension. This is rich, lavish storytelling * Booklist * Beautiful . . . one of those books I go back and read again and again * Sarah Michelle Geller, as heard on The New Yorker IG *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 126 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
399 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4746-0988-3 (9781474609883)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2009
1st Edition
Weidenfeld and Nicholson
€6.49
Available for download
Previous edition
Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Shadow Of The Wind
Book
04/2009
Phoenix (an Imprint of The Orion Publishing Group Ltd )
€29.90
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
CARLOS RUIZ ZAFON (1964-2020) was the author of eight novels, including the internationally bestselling and critically acclaimed Cemetery of Forgotten Books series: THE SHADOW OF THE WIND, THE ANGEL'S GAME, THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN and THE LABYRINTH OF THE SPIRITS.
His work, which also includes prizewinning young adult novels, has been translated into more than fifty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous awards and reaching millions of readers.
His work, which also includes prizewinning young adult novels, has been translated into more than fifty languages and published around the world, garnering numerous awards and reaching millions of readers.