... their steps lost forever in the shadow of the wind ...

This was my second reading of Carlos Ruiz Zafon "The Shadow of the Wind". The first time I read it more than a year ago and it was in fact in audio.

I guess I returned to the novel for two reasons. The first was the craving for regular paper & black letters experience with this very book. The second was to understand better the link between two last Zafon's novels, this one and "The Angel's Game".

And I must confess - "The Shadow of the Wind" literally overshadows "The Angels Game". It is more epic if I could say so; it is magical, yet realistic, it tells us about the power of love, but does not succumb to supernatural climax. It does not leave you with a feeling of incompleteness...

I must also confess, that there is some greater value in reading the book with your eyes rather than with your ears. Beyond the narration and the words - there IS something magical in physicality of the book. For many books it is good to start with audio, but when you arrive to the traditional form, you suddenly understand the magic of impatient page turning ...

To those who could take this short review as a discouragement for "The Angels Game". It is not my intention and it is not like it sounds. Both books are just great, the fantastic narration and incredible story telling is the virtue in both of them.

Zafon's Prequel to "Shadow of the Wind"

I had been reading "Shadow of the Wind" about a year ago and it was great, captivating reading.
This year I have chosen "The Angel's Game" - designed as a prequel to the first novel. The reading experience was just great. Literally, you devour page by page and you just can not stop until you reach to the end.

"The Angel's Game" is set in Barcelona in the beginning of XX century. The protagonist of the novel is a writer who, at some moment in his life is commissioned to write about (or rather create) a new religion.

But the fantastic Zafon's narration is not the only value of the book.

As it was in "Shadow of the wind", in the background, the novel is about books and their value and importance. In the Act I we meet the problem of an author who, while writing under his own name fails, while he is highly acclaimed when doing it under other names.
In Act II we are exposed to the dilemmas of the author whose writing power greatly exceeds the notion of literature. Together with the hero, we ponder upon the role of religion...

The entire novel is full of relations to the books and their specific existence. It describes the world in which book's physicality is so important. The plot takes us to the "Cemetery of forgotten books" (direct connection to SOTW)- where we literally feel how important this physicality of books was.

Good for reflections today, when with all these electronic books we no longer have such "physical" bonds between the words and the book as an object.

However, I have some reservation and small issues to the book. At some moment in the narration, we loose this fantastic Zafon's soul-searching tone about books, religion, love and we are overwhelmed by the action, action, action. As in good thriller. In particular, I missed that thread about the very content of the book commissioned in Act II. It was extremely interesting, yet it disappears from the book under the heavy matter of plots.

Also, the very end of the story was not satisfactory and a bit exaggerated.

But - I do not want to spoil it for you !!! All-in-all - it was a very good reading !!!

Come back to digital world

I spent three weeks on my holidays. One full week with my daughter riding our bikes and making millions of photos of ordinary things in North Poland. Later with all the family and finally on my canoe on wild rivers in Pomerania.

I (almost) disconnected myself from digital world and that was what I truly needed.

I will post more pictures soon. Two of them now:

During this weeks I was reading "Angel's Game" by Ruiz Zafón. Not finished yet :-) and Maimonides "Guide for the Perplexed". Not finished as well :-(

It is sometimes good to put your brain out of digital world.

Shadow of the Wind - The Aftermath

Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind is indeed a great and powerful novel. In addition to fantastic reading experience it offers a lot of philosophical and moral implications.
And all with a dose of good humor and in very imaginative way.
I also strongly advice to read/listen to Carlos' interviews. One of them (in English) is added to Audible.com audio version of the book.
What is interesting there is to discover how honest and humble to us, his readers is Carlos.

And, finally - all is about the Love ....

The Shadow of the Wind - Power of imagination - Power of Spirit

I started to read Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind.
Increadible book. Imaginative and captivating. I promise to write more when I finish it - I hope in few days ...