The Shadow of the Wind

Now almost halfway through Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind. I will, without hesitation, say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. It's translated from the Spanish by Lucia Graves and takes place in post-Civil War Barcelona.

What starts out as an intriguing love story for those who love books turns into a twist-filled story thick with mystery, gothic romanticism, and intrigue of the best kind. Daniel Sempere is a young child who has recently lost his mother after the Civil War in Spain. His father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a cavernous, hidden chamber full of books that have been saved from being lost. Daniel is instructed to choose one book, a book that he will guard for life. Daniel chooses "The Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax, and takes it home. Later that night, he devours the book in one sitting, deciding in the wee hours of the morning to discover more about Julian Carax. Soon, however, he discovers that someone has destroyed all of Carax's books, save the one he holds, and that not much is known about the author anyway. Then, in the dead of night, he meets the mysterious figure who wants to purchase the book from him--a person who smells of burnt paper. Daniel declines, extremely suspicious of this man. So his journey begins to learn more about Carax, ultimately learning about himself in the process.

Highly, highly recommended. I started the book this past Monday and I'm already halfway through the nearly 500-page book.