Reviews

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

librosamo's review against another edition

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5.0

5 stars. What can I possibly say about this book? Nothing that would add to the numerous things that others have already said.

That said, you need to read this book.

The way the author masterfully weaves together multiple plot strands into a cohesive story that doesn't discard any of those threads is simply amazing. I can admit that about 25-30% of the way through, I was struggling to see why some things were mentioned and why the book was slow in building up anything. However, once you hit a certain point in the book, everything begins to make sense and you can see the cohesion taking place. The plot isn't terribly ingenious and can be a bit predictable if you're paying attention, but I found I didn't mind at all.

The author's writing is masterful in a way that you don't see very often. His ability to write lyrically and descriptively without it being over the top is beautiful. There were times where I marked passages, sentences, even phrases, because of how gorgeous he expressed things.

Just a warning, though: this book will tear out your heart.

“Once, in my father's bookshop, I heard a regular customer say that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later — no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget — we will return.”

paulasreads's review against another edition

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5.0

gracias a mi novio por esta increíble recomendación

brrlinda's review against another edition

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3.0



Eh. I enjoyed it, but it could have been shorter. The majority of the story is laid out, but then there's still a quarter of the book to go. It was seriously entertaining for the first three quarters though.

iamkarla's review against another edition

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2.0

DNF - this book was quite drawn out and revolved around a mystery that I never ended up caring about. I didn't feel very interested in the characters or their motivations (probably because I don't know what the motivations are to begin with). It's too bad, this is rated highly and I was hoping to enjoy it but was just bored instead.

marianbarlage's review against another edition

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4.0

Loved the writing in this book! Wish I could read Spanish so I could read the original. There were some twists thrown in that I wasn't so sure about. However, you find yourself feeling for the characters. I now want to go to Barcelona!!!

jillyenfuego's review against another edition

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I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12112310

nzagalo's review against another edition

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4.0

Cheguei até “A Sombra do Vento” através de várias reviews de amigos no Goodreads, não sendo poucos os que dão 5 estrelas, feito pouco comum, nomeadamente com obras contemporâneas, e a que se juntam ainda vários prémios internacionais. A sinopse tratou de me atrair ainda mais, nomeadamente a ideia de um “cemitério de livros”… Acabei hoje de o ler, e não lhe consigo dar mais de 3.5 estrelas. Deixo algumas razões para tal,

1. A escrita é fluída, escorreita, mas banal, quando sai do normal é para usar palavras retiradas do dicionário que atribuem um ar mais elaborado. Na mesma lógica segue o uso por vezes excessivo de adjectivação.

2. Os parágrafos de metáforas elaborados que vão surgindo sofrem de falta de criatividade, operando por meio de alguma vulgaridade nos atributos. Deixo um exemplo,

“Lágrimas de pólvora inflamada e lascas em brasa salpicaram o rosto do inspector. O fedor a carne chamuscada inundou a sala.”

3. Algumas das metáforas são também demasiado localizadas no espaço e tempo, faltando-lhe universalidade para chegar a quem não viveu nos anos 50 do século passado em Espanha.

4. O suspense vai sendo desenhado, e o storytelling mantém-nos agarrados, mas a estrutura raramente se densifica, cada pedaço da trama é tratado a seu tempo, como se o leitor não tivesse evoluído, e precisasse de ser guiado pela mão. O livro alonga-se por incapacidade na conjugação dos fio narrativos do enredo, e alguns destes são mesmo completamente secundários ou irrelevantes.

5. Estou a levar em conta que estamos perante um romance de aventura, e não uma obra com pretensões estéticas. Mas se comparada a escrita com por exemplo outro autor do género, como Dan Brown, nota-se uma falta de edição. A história está lá, os personagens, os nós narrativos, o suspense e mistério mas faltou trabalho de edição final. Faltou o design do storytelling, por forma a enfatizar o que tinha de o ser, e a secundarizar e paralelizar o que era menor. Desenvolver uma estrutura mais sólida, capaz de suportar um enredo mais intenso, porque concentrado e menos disperso.

6. O último ponto e que foi o que acabou por me afastar ainda mais foi que o conceito inicial que tanto me tinha atraído, acabou por servir apenas de catapulta do romance de aventura, nada mais. O “cemitério dos livros” é no fim de contas um mero adereço, um artifício narrativo completamente menosprezado pelo autor.

hadidee's review against another edition

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2.0

While I really liked and enjoyed Fermin and Papa Semper, Daniel was rather annoying and, dare I say, boring. The plot is intriguing but unfolds a little too slowly. The first 100 or so pages relating to Daniel and Clara could have been omitted without impacting the story at all.

The writing is a little florid in parts and every so often there a massive Exposition Dump (and there's a section towards the end that's entirely exposition which made reading the previous several hundred pages seem a bit pointless). Carax himself wasn't written in a way that made me understand why women fell in love with him and friends gave themselves up for him or hated him.

I did enjoy the visit by Fermin and Daniel to the poor/mad house, and some of the scenes in the deserted Aldaya house, but I won't be making a effort to read more by this author.

woozy_woozle's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

gingerclopper's review against another edition

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4.0

This is a book for people who love books. I listened to the audio and wished I could read in Spanish to hear the poetry of the words. This is my favorite new read so far from Penguin Drop Caps.