Firstly, I want to thank cweb cweb for telling me to read this book above all others.

"A book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us"

If Julian Carax's words are true, then this book bodes well for my state of mind...




I was captured by the book to begin with. There was something in that flashback-ish style of writing from the first page that pulled me in. In some sense I felt attatched to Daniel; maybe its just the power that The Shadow of the Wind has over him when he first read it.

If I'm honest, with the middle part, I started to feel weighed down with too many questions. I felt there was a lot of swings and roundabouts - "lets talk to her ... wait shes lying". I dont think I realised til the last maybe third of the book, when I read solidly for hours, that all that to-ing and fro-ing was relevant, and important.

Maybe I'm naive and didn't see Lain = Julian coming. I didn't think Julian was going to be dead, but I don't see how anyone could add up that he would want to burn his books until the death of Penelope was revealed? I think that's what ultimately destroyed him (obvious?) and made him become this disgusting monster - modelling himself on his own demon.

I loved the way Daniel's life mirrored Carax's. Maybe, deep down, I like to believe in fate and destiny... but when everything was revealed in the Nuria Monfort section everything slotted into place at that point, and I realised the power the book had, as a piece of Literature - but also over me.

Anyone read anything else by Zafon that is as good?

Anyone disagree with my praise and didn't like the book?

Anyone just feel like telling me I'm wrong? :] hehe im all ears

P.S If you doubt Zafon's writing ability, you certainly cant doubt his philosopical quirkiness..
Another gem of genius;;
"A story is a letter the author writes to himself, to tell himself things that he would be unable to disover otherwise"