The Angel's Game

By: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Narrated by: Dan Stevens

Length: 15 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martin, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld.

But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli, who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike anything that has ever existed, a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, and perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realizes that there is a connection between his haunting book and the shadows that surround his home.

Once again, Zafon takes us into a dark, gothic universe first seen in the Shadow of the Wind and creates a breathtaking adventure of intrigue, romance, and tragedy. Through a dizzingly constructed labyrinth of secrets, the magic of books, passion, and friendship blend into a masterful story.

©2009 Carlos Ruiz Zafon (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"The plot resolves in a rush, for the author finds himself with many a loose end to tie up, but once it sinks in, the result is more than satisfying. Zafón delivers a warning about the dangers of obsession, mixed with an obvious passion for literature and the printed word; his book is also a song of love for Barcelona with all its creaking floorboards and hidden subbasements. A nice fit with the current craze for learned mysteries and for spooks of both the spying and the spectral kind." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Wonderful!

If you could sum up The Angel's Game in three words, what would they be?

The Angel's Game is reminiscent of old noir crime movies, of fedoras and cigarette smoke.

What about Dan Stevens’s performance did you like?

His voices were spectacular. Sometimes I would wait for a particular character to come up just because I liked the voice.

Interesting failure

There are structural and pacing issues here that severely limit the success of the story overall. Potentially compounded by the translation, although it seems excellent, given the number of fine sentences throughout the text. And despite the issues, it was rewarding to listen to a long book that wasn't an endless exercise in exposition.

For a story that is set in Barcelona, Dan Stevens has a strange habit of slipping into a Welsh accent for minor characters. As Tolkien might have said, all roads lead back to Welsh.

Omg wow loved this

Just buy the book it's amazing that's really all you need to know about it.

An All Time Favorite!

If you could sum up The Angel's Game in three words, what would they be?

Enrapturing. Mysterious. Imaginative.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Andreas Corelli. Never has a villain been so perfectly poised between terrifying, seductive, and mysterious. Corelli draws you in with rapt fascination even as you know there's nothing but horror ahead. Zafon's ability to give so much weight to a character while only implying his true nature and giving up very little to the reader is pure mastery.

Which scene was your favorite?

I couldn't pick a favorite. The whole book ebbed and flowed like one scene. It was a continuous journey.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Every time I needed to stop the book I wanted to return as soon as possible.

Any additional comments?

This book was excellently narrated. There was enough emotion and variation throughout to make it very engaging without being distracting. Excellent voice changes for different characters and exceptional pronunciation!

Beautifully written but not as well-plotted as “Shadow of the Wind.”

Although the story pulled me in and I enjoyed it, I found the plot of this book had too many twists and turns, and especially the ending is convoluted. The central philosophical musing is about the integrity of the soul of a writer.

Carlos Zafón did it once again…

He left me speechless.
I will never forget the ending of this one!!
This is my first time in the audiobook world, and I definitely enjoyed the narration on this book. Although the audio skipped a few lines once or twice in the book. But overall it was a very entertaining experience!

Amazing and very touching book

This is a beautiful book. Many times I had to rewind the story back to listen again to the beautiful language and metaphors of this book. Sometimes I had to stop and think.
The only drawback of the book is that it is so good that many other books I listened to or read around the same time just feel "lame."

Love the story setting but I got lost a bit

I love the story, setting, tempo and narration. I found it hard to follow in places and feel like I got lost more than once in what was really going on in the story and it’s characters.

I struggled to finish it.

From early on, I wondered if the difference in language was the reason why this book was so difficult to listen to the end, since I listened to the first book in Spanish and I couldn't put that one down.
Having said that, the story was also lacking. at one point, the plot became almost ridiculous.
I am still curious to find out if much was lost in translation and listening to it in Spanish would make a difference.

Mystery and thriller in Barcelona

plot is hard to understand. not as witty as first book. enjoyed the reader's performance.