The Shadow of the Wind
In 1945, in Barcelona under the Franco regime remaining wounds of the Spanish Civil War, a ten-year-old Daniel Sempere was taken to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books by his father. At the place Daniel was interested in a book, “The Shadow of the Wind”, and the author Julian Carax. He read soon the book and was impressed strongly.
Daniel meets Clara who is blind and twenty-one-year-old beautiful woman and know the works of Julian very much, takes a romantic interest in her. One evening, he meets a faceless man, Lain Courbert, in the dark who is a devil in “The Shadow of the Wind”. The strange man asks Daniel to sell Daniel's book of “The Shadow of the Wind” at a high price to burn out all Julian’s books. Daniel refuses this request and goes see Clara and happens to see naked Clara on the bed carrying on with a piano professor. Daniel is found by the man and gets punched hard. Daniel's first love was over and he decides not to see Clara again. Then Daniel is helped by a beggar who is Fermin Romero de Torres and will be Daniel's best friend.
Fermin was a Republican's agent and then became a beggar persecuted from Nationalists. He is sort of symbol for this era. This hilarious character is strikingly impressive in this story.
Julian Carax is a hatter Antoni Fortuny's son. His mother Sophie Carax was a piano teacher. Fortuny didn't lay one finger on his wife on nuptial night. Sophie gives birth to Julian soon. Since then the hatter didn't eat dinner and sleep together with his wife, and continued to beat Sophie for long periods.
Julian got the support of the rich and wealthy Don Ricard Aldaya, and goes to prestigious school. He makes friends with Jorge Aldaya, Miquel Moliner, Francisco Javier Fumero. Julian loves 17-year-old Penelope who is Ricardo's daughter. But their love affair was found out and they try to run off together to Paris with Miquel's help, but Penelope didn't come to the station. So Julian goes to Paris alone, in 1919. In Paris, Julian makes a living as a pianist and starts writing his books.
Nuria Monfort who is a intelligent and beautiful woman works for a publishing firm in Barcelona meets Julian in Paris and loves him. In Barcelona, Nuria and Miquel get married and help Julian for life. Nuria finds out the harshest truth of Julian and Penelope’s love and becomes the key person for Daniel's quest.
Francisco Javier Fumero was a murderer for both Republican and Nationalists, and becomes a police inspector of ill repute. He loved Penelope in secret, and got insulted her mother at the Aldaya's party, so he has had a hate on people and has sought the life of his friends, especially Julian.
The story of Julian parallels the story of Daniel twenty years later. The love of Julian and Penelope overlaps the love of Daniel and Beatriz. The danger for Julian engulfs Daniel and we are taken to the climax of this story.
This book is Daniel's adventure for seeking the secret of the book "The shadow of the Wind" and the author Julian Carax. This is the story of love, friendship, incest, betrayal, and sort of Daniel's coming-of-age story.
"The shadow of the Wind" is sort of Gothic novel, and has an exciting and thrilling storytelling nature for readers, which much of contemporary literature have lost, and successfully depict innocent loves of young people. I guess it might have won support from many readers. I think, however, we already know love is not so innocent.
I’d like to point out some criticism.
I can't understand why Sophie who is smart and has independent spirit married stupid Fortuny.
The sacrificial friendship of Miquel for Julian and the improbable hatred of Fumero for Julian (and other people) are unconvincing for me.
The revelation of the core of this story depends on Nuria's testimony too much.
Anyway, I recommend this book to you.
The Shadow of the Wind seems like a set of matryoshka dolls, with one novel holding another inside. I have previously read The Fault in Our Stars, which has also a nesting-dolls plot structure.
ReplyDeleteWidely acclaimed, The Shadow of the Wind may be a little too difficult for me. Maybe I will try to read it next year.
Thank you for leaving your message.
DeleteI'm sure that you can enjoy reading this book.
This book is not as serious as Virginia Woolf's works.
I read this book quite some time ago, and I liked it, though it was very dark, disturbing story. I think the author is a very good story teller. There are a lot of stories one after another, and you feel as if you were dreaming. Anyway, I think you chose a good book!
ReplyDeleteI'm a dreamer, a reading dreamer, maybe.
DeleteI have a lot of books I want to read, but I don't have time so much.
Besides, my English ability is still poor (both reading and writing).
Thank you very much.