‘The Shadow of the Wind’ is a Book That Stays With You Forever
A review of the Carlos Ruiz Zafon masterpiece
I have written several times about Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and have reviewed several of his books. However, it was not until I was organizing one of my article lists last night that I realized I have not done a review of his most famous (and easily best) novel, The Shadow of the Wind. Having written 500 articles over the past year, this oversight is beyond unforgiveable and must be rectified immediately.
Rarely will a novel be critically acclaimed, a huge commercial bestseller, and still somehow hold the status of a cult classic, yet Carlos Ruiz Zafon accomplished this literary hat trick with his debut adult novel The Shadow of the Wind (he had previously written four novels for young adults). First released in Spanish in 2001 and translated into English in 2004, The Shadow of the Wind is the first of four novels revolving around the city of Barcelona that make up the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series (the other three are The Angel’s Game, The Prisoner of Heaven, and The Labyrinth of the Spirits). To date, the novel has sold more than 15 million copies worldwide; the only Spanish author who has sold more books than Zafon is Miguel de Cervantes, and Don Quixote had a 400-year head start.
