The Shadow of the Wind cover art

The Shadow of the Wind

The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 1

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

The Shadow of the Wind

By: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Narrated by: Daniel Weyman
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £16.62

Buy Now for £16.62

Season's Savings | £0.99/mo for 3 months

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly
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
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1

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
This is a whodunit with a difference. Excellently narrated by Daniel Philpott it is set in Barcelona and spans 50 years.The leading character, who has his own problems to deal with during the course of the book, tries to unravel the mystery surrounding the writer of a book which has entranced him.. The plot is like a tapestry where the different colours are woven in to give an eminantly pleasing whole.Add to that the author's "european" style of writing and I was intrigued to the very end.

Riveting story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A wonderfully evocative book. I have never been to Barcelona but after reading this I feel like I know it very well. The story transports and is one of the few books I have ever read in one day. Part romance part thriller all brilliant.

I wrote to Audible asking for them to make this available on their UK site and within a few days they had. I have never come across better customer service than this. Thank you Audible

With out a shadow of a doubt, brilliant.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to The Shadow of the Wind again? Why?

Maybe now that I know the ending, it would be interesting to hear it again

What other book might you compare The Shadow of the Wind to, and why?

This book is not like any I have read.

What about Daniel Philpott’s performance did you like?

It was fantastic, he gave every character a personality without resorting to silly voices

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Some parts were exceedingly sad. It did make me gasp out loud couple of times, in shock.

Any additional comments?

Really paints a picture of the dusty, mysterious old world of the main character

Captivating and Mysterious

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
5 star quality story grips you start to finish, Gives the reader / listener a memory that will last forever

amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I struggled at first to connect with the characters and location BUT stick with it. I can guarantee within a few chapters you'll be hooked. Fabulous narration completely brings the characters to life. By the end of the novel you'll have walked the streets of Barcelona and totally lived the lives of the cast! Beautifully written, descriptive and incredibly sensitive. I loved it and have already downloaded the other books in the series. Highly recommended 😊

Absolutely marvellous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews