The Shadow of the Wind (2001) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is a richly atmospheric gothic mystery set in post-war Barcelona, where books, love, and vengeance intertwine in a labyrinthine tale. The story begins in 1945 when young Daniel Sempere is taken by his father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library where he chooses a novel by the obscure writer Julian Carax. Obsessed with the book, Daniel soon discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of Carax’s works—and his quest to uncover why leads him into a web of murder, doomed romance, and dark family secrets spanning decades.
Zafón’s lush, cinematic prose brings Barcelona’s rain-slicked alleys and decaying mansions to life, populated by unforgettable characters: the tragic femme fatale Nuria Monfort, the sinister policeman Fumero, and the mysterious book restorer Fermín Romero de Torres, whose wit and wartime scars hide a poignant past. Themes of literary obsession, the haunting power of memory, and the scars of the Spanish Civil War pulse through the narrative, culminating in a heart-wrenching revelation.
The first book in Zafón’s Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, this international bestseller is a love letter to storytelling itself—perfect for fans of Borges, Eco’s The Name of the Rose, or The Thirteenth Tale.
