Reviews tagging 'War'

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

41 reviews

juniperbranches's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I finished this gorgeous novel set in Barcelona in the 50’s on our last day here in Barcelona. It’s a gothic mystery about an author’s novels being systemically eradicated. It’s a gorgeous portrait of the city and the authors prose is so incredibly beautiful that he had me in tears twice before page 15. I loved this so so much

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Torture, and War

breadwitchery's review against another edition

mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Death

Moderate: Rape, Torture, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pregnancy, War, and Racial slurs

emilyathomas's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking, Police brutality, War, Torture, and Child abuse

Minor: Rape

jessamine864's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, and Pregnancy

vilde_a's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It took a couple of chapters getting into it, but in return, there were several chapters I just had to complete no matter time or place. If you like books about books, you’ll love this!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Police brutality, Violence, Blood, Torture, Sexual content, and Murder

Moderate: Classism, Miscarriage, War, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Minor: Excrement, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

prawdziwki's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Carlos Ruiz Zafón you will always be famous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Violence, and Incest

Moderate: Misogyny, War, and Racism

bookish_bry's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book was very good when it was good, but honestly dragged a bit in some places. The story and mystery is great, but there felt like there was a lot of filler. Also, I was often ripped out of the narrative when we were listening to a part of the story from a particular character's perspective and suddenly zoomed out to third person omniscient giving us information that the character we were following could not know. Sometimes that sort of thing works, but it didn't really feel like it worked here. I also wish we'd spent a little more time getting to know Bea. There were also a few annoying loose ends.

Spoiler

Wasn't... Fermín wanted for murder? Clara just disappeared into nothing. even though I expected her to at least have some baring on the plot at some point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, War, Violence, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Stalking, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Misogyny

desireewoodwhite's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Stalking

Moderate: War, Homophobia, and Incest

manish003's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? N/A

5.0

If beauty was a book instead of a word!

One among the few best books i have read todate. I read this wonderful book containing nearly 600 pages through my practicals and end semester exams for it's enchanting grip too strong to escape. The prose is beautiful. Words of Carlos Ruiz Zafon felt like butter and i felt like a hot knife cutting through it while reading them. I started loving this book even before crossing 20%.  Inspired me to research more about the author, sad to know that he died only recently. Will try other books from Cementry of forgotten books series but now i will read some light hearted book next.

This is a book of suspense, thrill and mystery. This is book of love and also heartbreak. It is about hope and optimism while also about living in the past and self hatred, and all other fealings love can inspire. It is not a single love story but multiple. It also has more than one protagonists. It has well sculpted characters each unique in their own way. Most in one way or another has a sad backstory. This book happens in the midst of and the years following the spanish civil war, focussing on state of Barcelona. Really loved the ending. Read it yourself for you may experience the beauty of the book and understand me who is trying in vain at a loss of words to describe its beauty.

"There are worse prisons than words"
- I don't think so

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Infidelity, Torture, War, Animal cruelty, Death, Murder, and Police brutality

This book is not for those who hate good books.

elisaviihde's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, War, Domestic abuse, and Violence