Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Series: Cemetery of Forgotten Books (2)
- Publisher: Orion; Unabridged edition
- Release Date: 1 June 2009
- ISBN-13: 978-1409105282
Synopsis
In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man - David Martin - makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love.
Then David receives the offer of a lifetime: he is to write a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home...
My Review
After reading Shadow of the Wind I was desperate for more, i love Zafon's writing style and I was hungry to get back into the world he had created. I found the Spoken word edition in the library and popped it in my car to listen to as I go about my daily drives.
This book is set a few years before Shadow but you still get a few characters you will recognize, Sempere snr and his son Daniel. This book mainly follows David Martin, a young man, a novelist and a bit of a loner. He finds comfort in his creepy old house, but even the house holds secrets that may come back to haunt him. David receives an offer to write a book for a mysterious older man, but once he has agreed strange events start to happen and David wonders what exactly he has got himself into.
The book is full of mystery and intrigue and exciting action. I found I didn't enjoy it as much as the first, it was harder to get into and I wasn't sure where it was going but the more I listened to it the more involved I became. It seems a lot darker than the first one but held me captivated and wanting to know more.
If you have read and enjoyed the first one I would definitely recommend reading this one, it takes you back into the world you know and I have to say that Zafon is a true master at creating worlds, the visualisation is incredible, I could picture every setting, every character, every event in my head as I listened to it. He really is a master storyteller, and I've just found the third book in the series, so as soon as I can I will be diving into that one. I just can't get enough!
My Rating
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