The Shadow of the Wind - Review

The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruis Zafon, is a novel set in Barcelona, Spain. It is about a boy who's father took him to a library, and he picked a book called the Shadow of the Wind. However, many are intrigued by his choice. Daniel Sempere is then obliged to investigate the highly eventful life of the author Julian Carax.

This book is a hidden mystery in itself, because when you start to read you think that the title is obviously only the Shadow of the Wind because this is the main part of the story. But, as you reach the climax, you realise that the title has its own reasoning, and only properly makes sense further in the story, like many other novels. It is definitely one of a kind and there is a lot to think about, but without too much going on at once. The entire plot fits perfectly together. I also love it because it had been a while since I had read a novel that I could not convince myself that the chapter was too long and I had to go to bed. "One more chapter" was a common thought that flowed through my head, usually multiple times every night.

Every time I finish a book as great as this one, I have difficulty deciding what to do with it afterwards. The last words are still floating at the back of my mind as the entire story races through my mind. Though it has happened many times, I still haven't gotten quite used to it, as I thought I should have. While all of this is going on, I still have to decide whether to throw it across the room, shred it, burn it or simply just hug it and calmly put it down...after screaming for a few minutes. With this book however, I could barely move from my bed and it took me 5 minutes to calm down and process all the events of the story.

I recommend this book to people who need a realistic but unpredictable adventure in their own mind.