"Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you," answered Julian.(p.209)
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is the story of a young boy, Daniel, that discovers a book by Julian Carax that may very well be the last of it's kind. As Daniel begins to search for more of the author's work, he discovers that they are being destroyed and that no one seems to have much information on Julian Carax. As Daniel grows up he feels he must uncover the truth, and the mystery that he unravels is an intricate web of deceit, murder, love, and revenge.
It is funny to me that I read two books sequentially that deal with authors and the ways in which they tell their own stories. Though these two novels have similarities, the differences are what linger with me. The Thirteenth Tale was based on the premise that the author desperately wanted to tell her story before she died whereas the characters in this book will stop at nothing to hide the truth and it's possibilities for destruction and/or redemption. The Thirteenth Tale seemed to be veiled with mystery and curiosity but the tone of The Shadow of the Wind felt more ominous to me, as if danger were awaiting the reader around every corner.
I really loved the ways in which Carlos Ruiz Zafon described the relationship between readers and books,as seen in one example above, but also the effect that reading can have on individuals,as seen in the following two excerpts,
"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."(p.8)
"...soon I forgot myself and was submerged once more in the narrative, discovering cadences and turns of phrase that flowed like musical motifs, riddles made of timbre and pauses I had not noticed during my first reading. New details, strands of images, and fantasy appeared between the lines and new shapes revealed themselves, as in the structure of a building looked at from different angles."(p. 41)
With passages like that, how could this book not be worth reading!?
I really enjoyed reading your message! Keep up the good work!
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