songforsunshine's review against another edition
4.0
Foi um prazer regressar a este universo de Zafón cuja escrita é exímia.
motivoslobos's review against another edition
5.0
Ya solo a uno de terminar la tetralogía wohoo
Entra ese sentimiento de no querer dejar de leer estas historias tan fabulosas creadas por Zafón.
En "El prisionero del cielo" continúa la historia luego de "El juego del ángel" y "La sombra del viento" donde ambas historias convergen para mostrarnos el origen de uno de los personajes más apreciados en toda la tetralogía, Fermín Romero de Torres.
Me encantó reencontrarme con otros personajes que desde el primer libro no sabíamos y la forma en la que ambas historias tanto de Daniel Sempere como David Martin cobran más sentido preparándonos para un final que tanto se ansía en "El laberinto de los espíritus".
Doy 5 estrellas por lo que me causó al conocer "la verdad" detrás de este personaje, puede que en aprecio al libro como tal sea menos que el anterior pero debo esperar al final para decidir si realmente valdría la pena darle menos o más estrellas de las que merece.
¡Atrapante desde el inicio hasta el final! ¡No esperaba menos de CR Zafón!
Entra ese sentimiento de no querer dejar de leer estas historias tan fabulosas creadas por Zafón.
En "El prisionero del cielo" continúa la historia luego de "El juego del ángel" y "La sombra del viento" donde ambas historias convergen para mostrarnos el origen de uno de los personajes más apreciados en toda la tetralogía, Fermín Romero de Torres.
Me encantó reencontrarme con otros personajes que desde el primer libro no sabíamos y la forma en la que ambas historias tanto de Daniel Sempere como David Martin cobran más sentido preparándonos para un final que tanto se ansía en "El laberinto de los espíritus".
Doy 5 estrellas por lo que me causó al conocer "la verdad" detrás de este personaje, puede que en aprecio al libro como tal sea menos que el anterior pero debo esperar al final para decidir si realmente valdría la pena darle menos o más estrellas de las que merece.
¡Atrapante desde el inicio hasta el final! ¡No esperaba menos de CR Zafón!
mamaquiereleer's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
mkinne's review against another edition
4.0
The title sounds schmaltzy and I found myself questioning why I was reading it, but it is actually sarcastic. Part of the story is set in a Barcelona jail just after the Spanish Civil War, when those opposed to Franco's regime were, at best, imprisoned. One of the prisoners is David Martìn, author and the focus of the previous book in the series, The Angel's Game, who "...because of his ravings and his status as the prison's resident lunatic, had [been] jokingly nicknamed 'the Prisoner of Heaven'." Despite the title, The Prisoner of Heaven is centered mainly around Fermín (another recurring character) and how his past has come back to haunt him on the eve of his wedding.
Zafón is a pleasure to read, with exchanges like this, between Daniel Sempere & Fermìn:
"'For days you've been looking like a cockroach stuffed in a raincoat.'
'Since you mention it, that's an adroit comparison, if I may say so. For the cockroach may not have the swaggering good looks required by the frivolous norms of this daft society we've had the dubious fortune to live in, but both the underrated arthropod and yours truly are characterised by an unmatched instinct for survival, an overwhelming appetite and a leonine libido that won't relent even under extreme radiation levels.'"
And this, about the head of the Montjuïc prison where Fermìn & Martin are kept: "His life seemed destined for the bitter, grey existence of mediocrities whom Go, in his infinite cruelty, has endowed with delusions of grandeur and a boundless ambition far exceeding their talents. The war, however, had recast his destiny as it had that of so many others, and his luck had changed when, in a situation somewhere between chance and fortune-hunting, Mauricio Valls, until then enamoured only of his own prodigious talent and exquisite refinement, wedded the daughter of a tycoon whose far-reaching enterprises supported much of General Franco's budget and his troops."
My only regret is not knowing Spanish well enough to read and appreciate it but, as with Zafón's other books, they are translated by Lucia Graves, daughter of poet Robert Graves and author in her own right.
Zafón is a pleasure to read, with exchanges like this, between Daniel Sempere & Fermìn:
"'For days you've been looking like a cockroach stuffed in a raincoat.'
'Since you mention it, that's an adroit comparison, if I may say so. For the cockroach may not have the swaggering good looks required by the frivolous norms of this daft society we've had the dubious fortune to live in, but both the underrated arthropod and yours truly are characterised by an unmatched instinct for survival, an overwhelming appetite and a leonine libido that won't relent even under extreme radiation levels.'"
And this, about the head of the Montjuïc prison where Fermìn & Martin are kept: "His life seemed destined for the bitter, grey existence of mediocrities whom Go, in his infinite cruelty, has endowed with delusions of grandeur and a boundless ambition far exceeding their talents. The war, however, had recast his destiny as it had that of so many others, and his luck had changed when, in a situation somewhere between chance and fortune-hunting, Mauricio Valls, until then enamoured only of his own prodigious talent and exquisite refinement, wedded the daughter of a tycoon whose far-reaching enterprises supported much of General Franco's budget and his troops."
My only regret is not knowing Spanish well enough to read and appreciate it but, as with Zafón's other books, they are translated by Lucia Graves, daughter of poet Robert Graves and author in her own right.
laviskrg's review against another edition
5.0
It is hard for me to explain how long I have desired this book. How long I wanted to hold it in my hands and read my way through my favourite city in this entire world: Barcelona, a city of immense and unparalleled splendor and mystique, a city with a turbulent past and a glorious present, the city I have been blessed to see and visit in detail, in which I am currently lodged, and which, if it were entirely up to my desires, I would never, ever leave. This book is a gem, a splendid continuation to one of the best possible series out there, true literature, instant classics. The first book of this series, "The Shadow of the Wind" changed my life in many ways. It enriched my reading experience so much, I was unable to return to anything less astounding and brilliant. It was the passing into adult and serious literature, and my first encounter with beloved Barcelona. Now, after so many years, the third installment of the series regarding the Cemetery of Forgotten Books caresses my soul with its musical prose, its witty and often melancholy dialogue, and with the characters I adore so much.
It is a great and absorbing read. Its short chapters make reading it a breeze, but do not be fooled by this book's structure. It has depth, substance and elegance rarely seen in books written today, what with the infinite amount of garbage one keeps bumping into while in any bookstore in the world (entire shelves of the fucking mistake that is the Shades of Gray bullshit, for example).
"Prisoner of Heaven" tells a touching story. To fully enjoy it I recommend reading "The Shadow of the Wind" and "The Angel's Game" first because they will introduce the characters depicted in this book and will also offer a more in-depth introduction to the concept of the Cemetery of Forgotten books, the City of the Damned and Barcelona in general, in the time period in which the stories take place. The prose is beautiful, the dialogue flows well, the setting is both dark, depressing and deeply enchanting. The political situation in Barcelona in that age needs to be taken into account. This is a mystery-fantasy book, but it is also historically relevant. Like its predecessors, it celebrates the love for books, which, after all, unites us readers around the world. It is a book about reading, about writing, about the horrors of war, corruption, despair, hope, love, and survival. It is not the beginning, nor the end, but a brilliant chapter in the lives of vivid characters one learns in the quickest time to love.
It should be no surprise that I recommend this work of art and its predecessors to all who love and appreciate fine literature, to those who live for the thrill of travel, of discovering new and glorious places, and who want to embark on mysteries they will remember for the rest of their lives.
It is a great and absorbing read. Its short chapters make reading it a breeze, but do not be fooled by this book's structure. It has depth, substance and elegance rarely seen in books written today, what with the infinite amount of garbage one keeps bumping into while in any bookstore in the world (entire shelves of the fucking mistake that is the Shades of Gray bullshit, for example).
"Prisoner of Heaven" tells a touching story. To fully enjoy it I recommend reading "The Shadow of the Wind" and "The Angel's Game" first because they will introduce the characters depicted in this book and will also offer a more in-depth introduction to the concept of the Cemetery of Forgotten books, the City of the Damned and Barcelona in general, in the time period in which the stories take place. The prose is beautiful, the dialogue flows well, the setting is both dark, depressing and deeply enchanting. The political situation in Barcelona in that age needs to be taken into account. This is a mystery-fantasy book, but it is also historically relevant. Like its predecessors, it celebrates the love for books, which, after all, unites us readers around the world. It is a book about reading, about writing, about the horrors of war, corruption, despair, hope, love, and survival. It is not the beginning, nor the end, but a brilliant chapter in the lives of vivid characters one learns in the quickest time to love.
It should be no surprise that I recommend this work of art and its predecessors to all who love and appreciate fine literature, to those who live for the thrill of travel, of discovering new and glorious places, and who want to embark on mysteries they will remember for the rest of their lives.
sarai_te's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
vakardien's review against another edition
4.0
šis laikam ir mans "harijs poters", kuru sākt lasīt un nespēt aiziet gulēt, cik ļoti gribas izlasīt vēl mazliet. līdz izcilībai gan netika, jo man bija sajūta, ka grāmata beidzas tikai tāpēc, lai pietiktu nākamajai, un tas man nešķiet forši. bet tiešām novērtēju, ka lasot šo trešo grāmatu, nejutu otrās iztrūkumu (to kaut kā vēl neesmu izlasījusi), toties tiku pie intrigas par to.
jhockey13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
opinante's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75