FROM THE TREASURE CHEST: The Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

From the treasure chest features books that both stand out and stand the test of time. 

Publication date: 27 May 2004 (first published in 2001)
Published by: Penguin Books
Genre: Adult Fiction

Synopsis
The story begins in 1945 with bookseller, Mr Sempere, walking down the street with his 10-year-old son, Daniel.  He tells him that he cannot tell anyone about the place he is about take him.  They arrive inside a majestic building and Daniel learns that it is a secret place known as the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and that when someone visits the place for the first time, they are allowed to choose one book.  It is then their responsibility to protect it and keep it safe.

Daniel choses a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax.  When he gets the book home he begins to read it and is so taken by the story and the characters that he stays up all night reading it.  When he finishes it, he wants to read more by the author and seeks out more of his works.  He discovers that not only are there no other books available in print, but that he has the last copy of The Shadow of the Wind, and that all other copies of the author's works have been destroyed.  He discovers that someone, who calls himself Lain Coubert, is tracking down the books and burning them.  Curiously, Lain Coubert is a character in Carax' novel who represents the devil.  Daniel is determined to find out about the author and why someone wants to burn all his books.  He begins investigating and in doing so digs up aspects of the past that many would rather were left buried... 

My Review:
The Shadow of the Wind is the first in a serious called The Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  I first read it about 10 years ago and was blow away.  It is an international best seller, and is said to be one of the best selling novels of all time - and no wonder.

The upside
I was captured by this story from the very beginning.  There is much in it that is heart-warming.  For example, in the opening scene when Daniel is 10 and his father tells him he must not tell anyone about The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, he asks if he has to keep it from his mother and his father replies, "Of course you can tell her, we have no secrets from her."  We then learn that Daniel's mother died several years previously.

In this story we get to see both the very best and the worst of humanity.  

The author, Carlos Ruiz Zafon said in an interview about the book that he wanted to create a story that would incorporate a mixture of genres: fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, etc.  This novel is all of these and the writing is superb.

The downside
I would like to say there is none, but, to be truthful, I was somewhat irked by the portrayal of female characters in the story.  I understand that it was set in the 1940s/50s, a different time (when the grip of the patriarchy was tight) and so for authenticity this can be justified, but the female characters reminded me of actresses in old movies (made around the same time this story is set).  For example, there is a lot of 'tearing up' for slightest of reasons, as if women in the past were more prone to crying than they are now (??).

The verdict
This is a great novel and one I recommend to all.  I truly believe it has something for everyone.  I daresay there are people who have read it and didn't enjoy it, but they are very rare creatures indeed!