Book Snails Book Group discussion

Our first second chance winner is the multi-award winning novel The Shadow of the Wind by Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón. This is the first of five books in The Forgotten Cemeteries series. See synopsis below.

Please feel free to comment but remember to use spoilers when necessary.

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals from its war wounds, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax's books in existence. Soon Daniel's seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

I read this before, years ago, and loved it. As I remember it, it’s a story that makes you smell that nice smell of old books, and makes you see the dusty light you can find in old libraries.
I think I’ll read it again now if I can find the time. Or not, because I idealized it big time! ;-)

This is one of those books I feel I should read, which means I then put it off for ages (possibly ever). But I will really try to give it a go after I read Rebecca and Rules of Civility, which I've only recently purchased. 😬😬So many books and only one lifetime.

Apparently I've read it!!! I gave it three stars. As I've only just re-read a book that I'd forgotten I'd read and it wasn't so great, two stars, I will skip re-reading this one. Clearly, it did not make as great an impression on me as it did Pien.

This one has been on my TBR list for quite awhile. Just placed a hold for the ebook, 2nd in line, so it shouldn’t be too long of a wait.

Oooh good, looking forward to it. Sounds promising 😊

I've got this one on the shelf!

Finished yesterday! I enjoyed it, but wasn’t blown away.

Erin wrote: "Finished yesterday! I enjoyed it, but wasn’t blown away."

That's kind of how I remember feeling.
When it comes to mysteries about books within books, I prefered The Historian.
And when it comes to disappearing books, I think I prefer the magic of The Starless Sea.
But both of these were written after Zafón's, so maybe they should be better.

I've finally acquired a paperback copy... will tackle it when I'm ready to dive into a thick-ish (480-ish pages?) fantasy again.

Hope y'all are enjoying it, and thanks for the comments already here.

For those who've finished it: Would you recommend it to a friend?

What's your favorite fantasy/magic book?

What's your favorite fictional book about BOOKS?