“This bewitching novel has all the hallmarks of a classic Holy Grail story complete with mystery, mayhem, romance and labyrinthine plotting.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
This book is a mesmerising one that pulls you into the story it tells, a story that reminded me of the Russian Matryoshka dolls, because of the way the narrative incorporates new tales that contribute to and enrich the main one.
I have discovered that I have a particular fondness for books that have multiple stories set in different times but connected together and this one is a delightful example of that.
The description of The cemetery of forgotten books was enough to whet my appetite and when Daniel, the 10 yo protagonist decided he wanted to know more about the author of the book he chose from there, I found myself egging him on enthusiastically!
Through his childhood, his first experience of love and heartbreak, his teenage rebellion against his father and the new friendships he forms, Daniel continues to search for the elusive Julian Carax , the author of The shadow of the wind, the book that so fascinated him years ago.
The prose is so magical that I could imagine the grandeur of the mansions, smell the sickness in the hospices, sense the horrors that took place within the walls of these places and the cruelty of those who propagated them, and feel hatred for the main villain who was evil beyond imagination!
Life and events in Barcelona in the early twentieth century come alive within the pages of this book that has everything… romance, mystery, thrill, buried secrets and above all the power of beautiful words that weave them all into a colourful tapestry.
If my review sounds poetic, that’s the effect of the book too!
For me, it was like going on the journey with Daniel and experiencing it all myself.
This is the first book of the series that seems to have three more books and I can’t wait to read more!
Reviewed by:
Priya Prakash
Added 12th February 2018
