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The Shadow of the Wind
Jul. 27th, 2006 03:51 pmI have just finished reading The Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and because I'm putting off housecleaning (my least favourite job evah), I'm rambling a bit about it.
First, I enjoyed it. It reads as a modern day version (though not too modern) of a classic Gothic novel in the style of Ann Radcliffe or Maturin. It's setting in exotic southern cityscapes helps this (Barcelona, 1900-1955 in this case), as does the language and Spanish titles and names interspersing the English translation. The story of a mysterious character with a burned face, covered by a mask, who is intent to destroy all remaining copies of novels written by a lost author Julian Carax, is very reminisent of the figure of the Gothic villain who haunts the main hero/heroine. Add a wide variety of simpering, colourful characters, very melodramatic language, dilapitated mansions and cellars, the inquisition, grand and doomed love stories, and a huge set of coincidences, and you have a tale comparable to any Gothic tale. The similarity was half the fun for me, in any event.
I'd recommend it for summer reading. Just go with it, enjoy the fun the author clearly has with some of these characters and settings, figure out the mystery and try to not get annoyed with those aforementioned coincidences. Go with it, and you'll enjoy it. It surely is something different from what else is on the shelve.
I've listed some points and thoughts about the book and it's ending under the cut (which isn't all positive.)
( Spoilers )
I worry about Rowling's "last chapter" which will probably list the future of every mentionable character in her books. It will read, summarised: "And they all got married and had lots of babies and lived oh so happily ever after." Rather, just end the story with Harry freed from his destiny and the future bright before him (with Ginny if must), and leave it at that. This way, we can all fill in our own future as we would like to see it for our favourite characters. I hate closing the book at the end, but I especially hate having to close the story because the author wants to map out the entire possible future of everything to do with it so no one, not even one's imagination, can ever touch it again. I like a good conlusion ("tomorrow is another day" is hard to swallow when the tangle isn't resolved), but I hate a brick wall at the end.
First, I enjoyed it. It reads as a modern day version (though not too modern) of a classic Gothic novel in the style of Ann Radcliffe or Maturin. It's setting in exotic southern cityscapes helps this (Barcelona, 1900-1955 in this case), as does the language and Spanish titles and names interspersing the English translation. The story of a mysterious character with a burned face, covered by a mask, who is intent to destroy all remaining copies of novels written by a lost author Julian Carax, is very reminisent of the figure of the Gothic villain who haunts the main hero/heroine. Add a wide variety of simpering, colourful characters, very melodramatic language, dilapitated mansions and cellars, the inquisition, grand and doomed love stories, and a huge set of coincidences, and you have a tale comparable to any Gothic tale. The similarity was half the fun for me, in any event.
I'd recommend it for summer reading. Just go with it, enjoy the fun the author clearly has with some of these characters and settings, figure out the mystery and try to not get annoyed with those aforementioned coincidences. Go with it, and you'll enjoy it. It surely is something different from what else is on the shelve.
I've listed some points and thoughts about the book and it's ending under the cut (which isn't all positive.)
( Spoilers )I worry about Rowling's "last chapter" which will probably list the future of every mentionable character in her books. It will read, summarised: "And they all got married and had lots of babies and lived oh so happily ever after." Rather, just end the story with Harry freed from his destiny and the future bright before him (with Ginny if must), and leave it at that. This way, we can all fill in our own future as we would like to see it for our favourite characters. I hate closing the book at the end, but I especially hate having to close the story because the author wants to map out the entire possible future of everything to do with it so no one, not even one's imagination, can ever touch it again. I like a good conlusion ("tomorrow is another day" is hard to swallow when the tangle isn't resolved), but I hate a brick wall at the end.
