A review by laviskrg
The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
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.