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The Shadow of the Wind

The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 1

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About this listen

 Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento' by Julian Carax.

But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind. A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love, and the places that obsession can lead.

Read by Daniel Philpott

(p) 2005 Isis Publishing Ltd©2001 Carlos Ruiz Zafon Action & Adventure Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Fantasy Magic

Continue the series
The Angel's Game cover art
The Angel's Game By: Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Critic reviews

Part gothic mystery, past ribald comedy, part political thriller, part Borgesian parable, and all marvellous
A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading
A magical tale (Cecilia Ahern)
One of those rare novels that combine brilliant plotting with sublime writing
A book lover's dream
Irresistibly readable...Walk down any street in Zafon's Barcelona and you'll glimpse the shades of the past and the secrets of the present
Diabolically good
This gripping novel has the feel of a gothic ghost story complete with crumbling, ivy-covered mansions, gargoyles and dank prison cells...this is just the sort of literary mystery that would have found favour with Wilkie Collins
A deeply satisfying, rich, full read
A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love
An astounding critical success. There's an intricate plot, a gothic atmosphere and an elusive quest, as well as murders, intrigue and star-crossed lovers
Part detective story, part boy's adventure, part romance, fantasy, and gothic horror, the intricate plot is urged on by extravagant foreshadowing and nail-nibbling tension. This is rich, lavish storytelling
Beautiful . . . one of those books I go back and read again and again
All stars
Most relevant
I read this book some year's ago and immediately fell in love with it. The atmosphere that the writer evokes is reminiscent of the best 19th Century Gothic novels replete with lost loves and ghostly supernatural occurrences. This story is great to lose yourself in and the narrator does a great job of bringing the characters to life. Highly recommended!

Beautiful Story

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Excellent read. Beautifully read.
Spellbinding story. Fantastic characters.
So descriptive and entertaining all the way through with some lovely twists.

World class

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The Shadow of the wind is the best book I have ever read. And I have read many...

best book ever

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I read this book some years ago and liked it so much I tracked down the next two in 2nd hand book shops but the fourth kept illuding me until I listened to it on Audible. I been an admirer of 'Carlos Ruiz Zafon' for years and now I decided to get them all on Audible. The Cemetery of Lost Books is a fascinating series spread over four decades from the Spanish civil war through to the 60s. Other than that I'm just going to say it's a journey worth taking. I recommend all of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's books, check him out.

The Shadow of the Wind.

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love it. I've just found out the author died this year and it broke my heart a little. I felt I knew him.

One of the best books written.

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