The Shadow of the Wind

By Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The first book in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series

I started it in Spanish, finished it in English. I liked the Spanish better. Very funny. Very complex. A mystery stacked on a mystery. Easy, likeable flow. The end is more action/thriller than mystery. Very sad at times also. Very difficult, the culture in Spain at that time. Loved that everyone is happy at the end.

I absolutely loved it. Such a strong sense of place, mood, tone. Enveloped you. Got sucked in. Great writing. Fermin was funny. Great ideas and quotes. Loved discussion of civil war. Loved the parallel stories and how they connected. The whole story had me guessing, kept me interested. Really liked the ending.

The writing was so beautiful. Translation was really good.