Of course my first proper review couldn’t start but with what I call “The Book”.
More precisely, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.
Target audience? Anybody.
Where and When? Barcelona, 1945 – 1955.
Strong points? The style which makes you lick your fingers (and the author’s, too), the sensational humor, the story within the story (where books are on a high pedestal and they can make the difference between life and death), the mystery, the Gothic, which warms up even the tiniest corner of your soul, nostalgia, and, oh, love…in all its shapes: exuberant, salacious, obsessive, magic.
Weak points? I chop off your head, if you find any. 😀
Favorite characters? All of them. Special mention though for Fermin Romero de Torres!
Convince me! “Man…heats up like a lightbulb: red hot in the twinkling of an eye and cold again in a flash. The female, on the other hand…heats up like an iron. Slowly, over a low heat, like tasty stew. But then, once she has heated up, there’s no stopping her.”
Bonus? “There’s no such thing as dead languages, only dormant minds.”
Stars? Maximum possible in my personal rating: 10
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