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A review by mayrad
La sombra del viento by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Reading this novel was torture. Such a slow read, completely predictable, and riddled with misogyny, this novel left me completely disappointed. I had such high hopes given the ratings and all the praise it received when first published. However, this was simply not for me. The initial concept was captivating but the execution failed. I could have perhaps walked away given it a respectable 3 star rating if it wasn't for the overused stylized writing. Zafon seemed to have purposely made the language and word choice as complicated as possible, more likely using a thesaurus for every single descriptive word. It was unbearable. Although there were some interesting concepts, the story was predictable and much longer than necessary. This book should have been further -- much further -- edited down.
However, its most fatal flaw was the treatment of the female characters. Every woman in it is objectified and treated as merely a plot-device to further the storylines of the male characters. They are lusted after, their physical beauty being the most important aspect of their personas (especially their breasts which are described in detail for every female character), and they either played the role of virgin or femme fatale. In the end, every female character suffered punishment for giving in to their sexuality. And of course, to tie a bow around it, Zafon threw in a galore of sexist comments and “jokes.” This book didn't just take place in the 1940’s, it appears to have been written then as well.
However, its most fatal flaw was the treatment of the female characters. Every woman in it is objectified and treated as merely a plot-device to further the storylines of the male characters. They are lusted after, their physical beauty being the most important aspect of their personas (especially their breasts which are described in detail for every female character), and they either played the role of virgin or femme fatale. In the end, every female character suffered punishment for giving in to their sexuality. And of course, to tie a bow around it, Zafon threw in a galore of sexist comments and “jokes.” This book didn't just take place in the 1940’s, it appears to have been written then as well.