Hello!

This summer, I hope you also join me in reading and chatting about 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruis Zafon. It is a rich and delicious novel that is a European bestseller, and mixes many wonderful genres into a delectable treat I cannot wait to dive into!

I'll be looking for you all to join me for a wonderful read and rousing discussion.

See you soon!

I'm in!!! Have there not been any other postings yet on this book? I'm new to this online discussion format.

My "real" book club read Shadow of the Wind a couple months ago and I really enjoyed the book.

Looking forward to discussing...

Carolyn

Hi - My book group also read this book a few months ago.

One member (not me) liked it so much that this is the book she generally recommends to anyone looking for a new book. As Nytetyger said, many genres are covered in the storyline and it provides the reader with a great deal to imagine!

Our book club is reading Shadow of the Wind now. I read it several months ago and loved it. I thought it was beautifully written and translated. It has something for everyone: part romance, part murder mystery, part historical, part gothic novel. The setting in post WWII Barcelona adds to the appeal. The author holds your interest by his use of foreshadowing and character development. I loved the way the story unfolded. Some of the chapters opened with unforgettable lines. I think The Shadow of the Wind really pays homage to the art of storytelling and the love of reading.

Hi!

I just got my copy today, and it sounds like one of those books you start reading and have to be dragged away from when it's time for bed.

I'm glad that so many of you want to chat about it with us, and hope to join you after reading a bit more!

--Anne

Hi there Everyone!

We had a lot of interest in this book when it was posted as part of our Summer read and discuss online; where did everyone go?

I'm enjoying what I'm reading and can't wait to talk about it with others reading it along with me.

Why not give a short post, saying where you are in the book, and maybe we can start some early talk about what we're all reading!

--Anne

Hi Anne, SOTW sounds good. Let me get the book, hopefully from the library, and start reading it. Can't wait for a good discussion.

I am absolutely loving this book (listening to it read by Jonathan Vance--fabulous reader), and I know that I will miss people after the book is over, Fermine in particular! Here is why I like the book: Excellent reader, great translation, a million metaphors and flowerly language, romance, intrigue, and humor.

quote:

Originally posted by 2manyhobbies:
I am absolutely loving this book (listening to it read by Jonathan Vance--fabulous reader), and I know that I will miss people after the book is over, Fermine in particular! Here is why I like the book: Excellent reader, great translation, a million metaphors and flowerly language, romance, intrigue, and humor.

You know I never thought to use an audiobook; the story does seem to leand itself to being read aloud; I might have to try and find a copy myself Thanks for the idea!

Our Book Club just discussed The Shadow of the Wind at our June meeting. Everyone loved it. I think the most frequent comment was just that the story itself is so enjoyable. The plot holds your interest and keeps you reading. We would all recommend The Shadow of the Wind to anyone looking for a very good read. My favorite character was Fermin. And the one thing that struck me as I read the book was how beautiful the language was. And Fermin seemed to get the best lines!

I forgot to mention that in the audio version soft piano music plays intermittently. It adds a wonderful atmosphere to the story. I accomplished sooo much housecleaning, gardening, and driving while listening. (Sometimes it's hard to get out of the car).

Our club recently read this book, and I had heard many fabulous things about this novel. However, I was dissappointed. I was not all that "in love" with this book. Although the story was wonderful, the writing was too flowery for me, and I became tired of so many metaphors. It is interesting that you loved the things that I found challenging when reading this novel. Maybe I should have listened to it instead--it might have made a different impression on me. I rated it a 7 out of 10 with my club. (I should mention that I am replying to the comment made by 2manyhobbies)

christine

Hi!

Since some folks have read the book, I'll be posting the reading guide questions for it next..

Please, pick any of the questions in any order, and use as a jump off for a post of your own; this is all in fun, after all, so order is of no importance... just the discussion!

--Anne

The reading guide questions:

=====================================

1. Julián Carax's and Daniel's lives follow very similar trajectories. Yet one ends in tragedy, the other in happiness. What similarities are there between the paths they take? What are the differences that allow Daniel to avoid tragedy?

2. Nuria Monfort tells Daniel, "Julián once wrote that coincidences are the scars of fate. There are no coincidences, Daniel. We are the puppets of our unconscious." What does that mean? What does she refer to in her own experience and in Julián's life?

3. Nuria Monfort tells Daniel, "Julián once wrote that coincidences are the scars of fate. There are no coincidences, Daniel. We are the puppets of our unconscious." What does that mean? What does she refer to in her own experience and in Julián's life?

4. There are many devil figures in the story-Carax's Laín Coubert, Jacinta's Zacarias, Fermín's Fumero. How does evil manifest itself in each devil figure? What are the characteristics of the villains/devils?

5. Discuss the title of the novel. What is "the shadow of the wind"? Where does Zafón refer to it and what does he use the image to illustrate?

6. Zafón's female characters are often enigmatic, otherworldly angels full of power and mystery. Clara the blind white goddess ultimately becomes a fallen angel; Carax credits sweet Bea with saving his and Daniel's lives; Daniel's mother is actually an angel whose death renders her so ephemeral that Daniel can't even remember her face. Do you think Zafón paints his female characters differently than his male characters? What do the women represent in Daniel's life? What might the Freud loving Miquel Moliner say about Daniel's relationships with women?

7. Daniel says of The Shadow of the Wind, "As it unfolded, the structure of the story began to remind me of one of those Russian dolls that contain innumerable ever-smaller dolls within" (p. 7). Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind unfolds much the same way, with many characters contributing fragments of their own stories in the first person point of view. What does Zafón illustrate with this method of storytelling? What do the individual mini-autobiographies contribute to the tale?

8. The evil Fumero is the only son of a ridiculed father and a superficial, status-seeking mother. The troubled Julián is the bastard son of a love-starved musical mother and an amorous, amoral businessman, though he was raised by a cuckolded hatmaker. Do you think their personalities are products of nature or nurture? How are the sins of the fathers and mothers visited upon each of the characters?

9. What does the novel tell us about the social climate of postwar Barcelona? Why did Zafón choose this era in Spain's history for his tale? How are the events of the country related to the upheaval in Daniel's life?

Hello again!

And in case you would like to see the entire reading guide...

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/shadow_of_wind1.asp