The international bestseller and modern classic - over 20 million copies sold worldwide 'Shadow is the real deal, a novel full of cheesy splendour and creaking trapdoors, a novel where even the subplots have subplots. One gorgeous read' STEPHEN KING 'An instant classic' DAILY TELEGRAPH The Shadow of the Wind is a stunning literary thriller in which the discovery of a forgotten book leads to a hunt for an elusive author who may or may not still be alive... Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'Cemetery of Lost Books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax. But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from the book, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind... A SUNDAY TIMES bestseller and chosen for the Richard & Judy book club. 'Part gothic mystery, past ribald comedy, part political thriller, part Borgesian parable, and all marvellous' SUNDAY TIMES 'A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading' INDEPENDENT 'A magical tale' CECILIA AHERN 'One of those rare novels that combine brilliant plotting with sublime writing' SUNDAY TIMES 'Gripping and instantly atmospheric' MAIL ON SUNDAY 'A book lover's dream' THE TIMES 'Irresistibly readable...Walk down any street in Zafon's Barcelona and you'll glimpse the shades of the past and the secrets of the present' GUARDIAN 'Diabolically good' ELLE 'This gripping novel has the feel of a gothic ghost story complete with crumbling, ivy-covered mansions, gargoyles and dank prison cells...this is just the sort of literary mystery that would have found favour with Wilkie Collins' DAILY MAIL 'A deeply satisfying, rich, full read' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 'A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'An astounding critical success. There's an intricate plot, a gothic atmosphere and an elusive quest, as well as murders, intrigue and star-crossed lovers' GUARDIAN
As a child, Daniel Sempere discovered among the passageways of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books an extraordinary novel that would change the course of his life. Now a young man in the Barcelona of the late 1950s, Daniel runs the Sempere & Sons bookshop and enjoys a seemingly fulfilling life with his loving wife and son. Yet the mystery surrounding the death of his mother continues to plague his soul despite the moving efforts of his wife Bea and his faithful friend Fermin to save him. Just when Daniel believes he is close to solving this enigma, a conspiracy more sinister than he could have imagined spreads its tentacles from the hellish regime. That is when Alicia Gris appears, a soul born out of the nightmare of the war. She is the one who will lead Daniel to the edge of the abyss and reveal the secret history of his family, although at a terrifying price. The Labyrinth of the Spirits is an electrifying tale of passion, intrigue and adventure. Within its haunting pages Carlos Ruiz Zafon masterfully weaves together plots and subplots in an intricate and intensely imagined homage to books, the art of storytelling and that magical bridge between literature and our lives.
THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN returns to the world of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere & Sons bookshop. It begins just before Christmas in Barcelona in 1957, one year after Daniel and Bea from THE SHADOW OF THE WIND have married. They now have a son, Julian, and are living with Daniel's father at Sempere & Sons. Fermin still works with them and is busy preparing for his wedding to Bernarda in the New Year. However something appears to be bothering him. Daniel is alone in the shop one morning when a mysterious figure with a pronounced limp enters. He spots one of their most precious volumes that is kept locked in a glass cabinet, a beautiful and unique illustrated edition of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Despite the fact that the stranger seems to care little for books, he wants to buy this expensive edition. Then, to Daniel's surprise, the man inscribes the book with the words 'To Fermin Romero de Torres, who came back from the dead and who holds the key to the future'. This visit leads back to a story of imprisonment, betrayal and the return of a deadly rival ...
The echo of the novels of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series resonates in the stories of Carlos Ruiz Zafon: gathered here for the first time - and some never before published in English - these stories are a celebration of one of the world''s great storytellers A boy decides to become a writer when he discovers that his creative gifts capture the attentions of an aloof young beauty who has stolen his heart. A labyrinth maker flees Constantinople to a plague ridden Barcelona, with plans for building a library impervious to the destruction of time. A strange gentleman tempts Cervantes to write a book like no other, each page of which could prolong the life of the woman he loves. And a brilliant Catalan architect named Antoni Gaudi reluctantly agrees to cross the ocean to New York, a voyage that will determine the fate of an unfinished masterpiece. A celebration of a master storyteller, beloved by fans around the world: ''The real deal: one gorgeous read'' Stephen King ''This book will change your life. An instant classic'' Daily Telegraph ''A book lover''s dream'' The Times ''A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading'' Independent ''Gripping and instantly atmospheric'' Mail on Sunday ''Irresistibly readable'' Guardian ''Diabolically good'' Elle
The long-awaited new novel from the author of the global bestseller and modern classic, The Shadow of the Wind. In the heart of Barcelona's winding alleyways, Daniel Sempere runs the Sempere & Sons bookshop - a place of refuge for booklovers and wandering souls. Married and with a young son, Daniel is still haunted by the strange rumours surrounding his mother's death. One night, he dreams he is standing in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a secret library of forgotten titles known only by a few. There he finds a white coffin containing the body of his mother. As he reaches towards her, she utters the words ' You must tell the truth, Daniel.' Aided by his trusted friend Fermin, Daniel realises he must lay her ghost to rest. It is a journey that will take him back deep into the past. To a young girl abandoned amid the wreckage of the civil war. To a wealthy government minister tormented by an anonymous blackmailer. To the secrets behind a series of prohibited books called The Labyrinth of the Spirits. And at the heart of the enigma is Alicia Gris, born in the shadows of the war, who holds the secrets to the family's past. An electrifying story of passion, intrigue and adventure, The Labyrinth of Spirits is a Russian doll of a novel, of plots within plots, where even the shadows have a story to tell.
