Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of those writers who can grab you into a book, and not let you go till the last page. When I first read The Shadow of the Wind, a few years ago, I knew I had just read something extraordinary, and a true modern classic. This applies even to the translation to English from the Spanish.

I have just received my copy of the fourth book, Labyrinth of the Spirit, from his series, The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and thought I should recommend these books to those who have never read this series.

The first book, The Shadow of the Wind, (sample) is set in Barcelona in 1945, when a local bookseller takes his 10 year old son Daniel, to a secret library, found in the local cemetery, and tells him he can pick one book from the vast selection of obscure, long out of print, books in front of him. The book he selects is the start of his journey, which carries on through the series, as he grows to adulthood.

This book covers a plethora of subjects from dark prison cells, murder, love, mystery, creepy mansions, humour, politics and loads more. Throughout it all, Barcelona comes to life, and you can practically smell the surroundings, as you pass through streets you feel you already know.


The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Series.

01 The Shadow of the Wind
02 The Angel's Game
03 The Prisoner of Heaven
04 Labyrinth of the Spirit