When Greg heard I was headed to Barcelona, he heartily recommended this book. Cindy had also recommended it a while back, but I skipped it because I had not enjoyed the other novel by Ruiz that I read earlier this year (The Angel's Game). However, once I planned on traveling to Spain, I decided to give him another shot.
This book was much better. It was about a young boy who works in his father's bookshop. He comes into possession of a rare book (also called Shadow of the Wind) by a mysterious author, and the balance of the novel is his unraveling the story of this author. Many people are anxious to get their hands on this book, and he runs into all sorts of characters, both savory and not. The book spans many years, and during that time the boy grows up and as he is consumed by this author, he is also consumed by love for a particular woman. Another present theme is the relationship he has with his father, which changes as he grows up.
The book takes place in Barcelona - but not the one I visited. The Barcelona in this book is dark and mysterious and Gothic. I liked reading this and really enjoyed doing so while in Spain. The story kept my attention and the main character was worth rooting for.
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