The Shadow of the Wind

By: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 18 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

Barry Award

Book Sense Book of the Year

Borders Original Voices Award

Gumshoe Award

Horror Guild Award

Joseph-Beth and Davis-Kidd Booksellers Fiction Award

NYPL Books to Remember

Barcelona, 1945: Just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his 11th birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother's face. To console his only child, Daniel's widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona's guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again.

Daniel's father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax's work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it, his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness, and doomed love.

An uncannily absorbing historical mystery, a heart-piercing romance, and a moving homage to the mystical power of books, The Shadow of the Wind is a triumph of the storyteller's art.

Translated by Lucia Graves.

©2001 Carlos Ruiz Zafon; 2004 Lucia Graves (P)2004 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Anyone who enjoys novels that are scary, erotic, touching, tragic and thrilling should rush right out to the nearest bookstore and pick up The Shadow of the Wind. Really, you should.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post

“Gabriel Garcia Marquez meets Umberto Eco meets Jorge Luis Borges for a sprawling magic show.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[T]here is no question that [The Shadow of the Wind] is wondrous. . . [M]asterful, meticulous plotting and extraordinary control over language. . . . The Shadow of the Wind is ultimately a love letter to literature, intended for readers as passionate about storytelling as its young hero.”—Entertainment Weekly

Engaging Listen

Memorable story. Very well read. Unique plot. Excellent translation. Interesting characters. Engaging in every aspect.

Music too loud

Great narrator, but I could barely hear him at times due to the loud piano someone decided should play at the same time. Other than that it was great, but seriously it was ridiculously loud and took away from the story because of how distracting it was

Exceptional

In order to read book three in the series I needed to reread book one. Instead I decided to listen to The Shadow of the Wind. I wasn’t disappointed: the only annoyance was the music. Not sure why it was needed. So now, I may listen to The Angel’s Game then read The Labyrinth of the Spirit. That’s what happens when novels in a series are spread out.

A New Favorite

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, this book was a wonderful blend of intrigue, nostalgia and humanity. It's an ageless coming of age story.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Shadow of the Wind?

The revelation of how all the seemingly unconnected characters connected.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Who was the most memorable character of The Shadow of the Wind and why?

Penelope because she represents the tragedy of betrayal and loss we all suffer at some point in our lives.

Any additional comments?

This a well written book with exquisitely crafted characters. A must read.

Everything but the music.

Loved this book. Such a beautifully crafted story. Could do without musical accompaniment. But 5 stars regardless.

Magical

Best book I have ever listened to, by a long shot! The author could be classified as a modern -Day Shakespeare. It helped me get through a very difficult period in my life. Thank-you, Carlos Luis Zafon

shadow of the wind

very long but with excellent characters. I could picture every scene a bit confusing in the middle, but regains composure with a nice finish

The soundtrack was distracting

Would you try another book from Carlos Ruiz Zafon and/or Jonathan Davis?

This book was highly recommended to me by several people. It wasn't terrible, but it was a bit predictable. I would try another book by Carlos Ruiz Zafron, but I'd hesitate if it was read by Jonathan Davis. Mr. Davis reads like he's doing a table reading for a telenovela.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The story was okay. It just didn't knock me off my feet.

What didn’t you like about Jonathan Davis’s performance?

Jonathan Davis has a very soft voice that he doesn't modulate all that much, until he's in a passionate section. Then he sounds like he's doing a comedy sketch about fiery Latin types. Also, all of his female characters sound the same.

Could you see The Shadow of the Wind being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I don't know. I wouldn't watch it.

Any additional comments?

The worst part of this audiobook was the horrible soundtrack. Underlying huge emotional moments is this overblown piano soundtrack. It's extremely distracting and it adds nothing. In fact, it's hard to hear the narration.

fantastic book and the narration was the best

a classic mystery and love story with many wonderful characters. the narrators pronunciation of the streets and sights of Spain brought an added richness to the story.

phenomenal

A true piece of art. It takes a master novalist to create a story so masterful that it truly could not be told in any other form than writing. This is one of those works. The twists and turns in the plot are all nearly impossible to predict and the story keeps you engaged from start to finish. The characters are all believable, and all have wonderful arches. The loves stories make even a hard hearted person like myself believe in true love, and the tragedy makes them all the more compelling. I do wish for a slightly different ending, but I wont say more in order not to spoil what is a truly amazing work for a perspective reader.