The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

Hi all, excited to read The Shadow of the Wind this month. I am going to start reading it tomorrow hopefully once I have finished the book I'm reading.

Has anyone here read it yet? If so did you enjoy it or not?

I read it a year or so ago and loved it. I may have to dig my husband's copy out of the bookshelf and have a re-read!

Why do you need to read both? Is it a series? Which one should be read first? I just downloaded The Shadow of the Wind on my Kindle, whew, we need to find some cheaper group reads!! Just joking, the convenience of having it on my Kindle is priceless to me. I keep these books in a folder called "Goodreads group books" and that's so handy.

Pollyanna wrote: "Hi all, excited to read The Shadow of the Wind this month. I am going to start reading it tomorrow hopefully once I have finished the book I'm re..."

I read this when it was first translated and published in the uk. I loved every bit, and cannot wait to read it again. It has to be one of my favourite books ever!

I have read both books, and whilst I think it's an advantage to read Shadow of the Wind before Angels Game, you can read Shadow of the Wind and thoroughly enjoy it without "needing" to read Angels Game afterwards. It's not really a sequel. Angels Game is much darker and has more room for interpretation.

OK, thanks, I think I'll just read Shadow of the Wind and if I really love it I'll get the other one.

Read the Shadow of the Wind when it came out and it is one of my favorite books! It was so different from anything else that was out at that time. He is a fantastic writer and I wish he would write more.

I've started reading this book. First Impressions: Beautiful book, it seems to carry me into this world. It combines my love of books with my love for mysterys.

Hayes wrote: "Sorry, I misread your post... forgive me! (It's early yet here) I thought you were talking about a book called first impressions. *blush*"

that's cool, I was starting the conversation on first Impressions

Shadow of the Wind is one of my favorite books! The language is beautiful, and the translation is very good, too. I especially love the evocative atmosphere. It helps to keep notes of the characters.

I didn't vote for this because I've got no pennies and couldn't afford to buy it - but I've just found a bag of books I'd forgotten I'd bought and it was there, nestled at the bottom! So I'll be starting it tomorrow, once I've finished one of my current reads (even for me, starting another book with 6 on the go is a bit much!) Good times!

I had anticipated that this was going to be this month's read and ordered it from the library. There was a waiting list. It just came in today. Pretty good timing.

Looking forward to reading it. Especially with all the great comments.

Just started this book. I voted for a different book in the poll, but am now sooo glad this one won. The language is beautiful. Love it already.

I was just able to get a copy of this book :)
It will be my first by this author but I have heard good things about his stories....

I just finished this book, and I won't spoil it for anyone; all I will say is; I fell in love with this book

I have started it now and I agree Tina the language is beautiful. I am looking forward to getting into it.

Beth wrote: "... but I've just found a bag of books I'd forgotten I'd bought and it was there, nestled at the bottom! ..."

Serendipity! Love it when that happens!

I remember the beginning so well, and just being pulled so quickly into Daniel's strange magical world. I read this very slowly because I wanted to enjoy the language and the atmosphere. I usually don't enjoy this kind of book, but Zafon managed to balance the mystical and incredible with the credible and real. I loved it.

I don't think I'll have time to re-read it now, but I will get back to it before too long.

I read this book a few years ago, and I'm really looking forward to both re-reading it and seeing how the discussion goes. The whole idea of the Cemetary of Books and the secret society - magical!

Sandy wrote: "I read this book a few years ago, and I'm really looking forward both the re-reading it and seeing how the discussion goes. The whole idea of the Cemetary of Books and the secret society - magical!"

I agree. I want to adopt a book

I finished The Shadow of the Wind early this morning-2:15am. I'm way too old to do that anymore. Very interesting read. When do we start discussion?

Dena wrote: "I finished The Shadow of the Wind early this morning-2:15am. I'm way too old to do that anymore. Very interesting read. When do we start discussion?"

I think it's the books fault, I was addicted too, I couldn't put it down

We can start the discussion whenever, I am still reading it but I would like to hear everyones views on the book. I am still really enjoying it.

Knowledgelost wrote: "Dena wrote: "I finished The Shadow of the Wind early this morning-2:15am. I'm way too old to do that anymore. Very interesting read. When do we start discussion?"

I think it's the books fault, I w..."

I don't want to hurry anyone's reading of such an interesting book.

Okay, I have a technical comment...The dangling letter at the beginning of each chapter distracts me from the story. At first I thought it was the chapter number, since the very first chapter is headed up as "I", and the first few words in a paragraph are in "all caps". In the next few chapters, I guess my mind just auto-filled the first letter of a paragraph.

Then my mind didn't!!! That's when I noticed that the first word was not a correctly spelled word.

Aha, you have to connect that big capital letter down with the rest of the letters in the paragraph below to spell a word.

At page 202 and the book is just starting to pick up the pace. I find myself wondering why people and relationships were introduced and then dropped from the story...there better be a tie in later!

I suppose if I thought that I was reading a "coming of age" novel, then I wouldn't mind. But I'm looking for the mystery.

(view spoiler)[ I just finished Drood and that mysterious "monster" bears an uncanny resemblence to Daniel's in this book. Chopped off nose, no eyelids! Anybody notice that? (hide spoiler)]

I loved this book so much I wrote a review for our local writers group newsletter about a year ago. I will post it if anyone would like me to, but I tell a bit of the story, and give a few examples of the writing that drew me in, not the ending of course.

I am interested in your review. If you post it, you could put the spoiler brackets around it, so we can choose to read it when we want.

Almeta wrote: "At page 202 and the book is just starting to pick up the pace. I find myself wondering why people and relationships were introduced and then dropped from the story...there better be a tie in later..."

I agree with Almeta that is a different kind of mystery than I expected. It's more in line with the Kate Morton (Distance Hours, Forgotten Garden) type of mystery - central character uncovering past events due to her/his personal interest in the situation.

I am about half way through and am enjoying it. Plus, I am attempting to read books set in different countries, so this is a great book for Spain.

T


HE OTHER DAY I WROTE: "Okay, I have a technical comment...The dangling letter at the beginning of each chapter distracts me from the story. At first I thought it was the chapter number, since the very first chapter is headed up as "I", and the first few words in a paragraph are in "all caps". In the next few chapters, I guess my mind just auto-filled the first letter of a paragraph."


It recently occurred to me, that this may be an effect of my eReader. Does the paper copy start each chapter with a "dangled capital"?

We read this book last year for our local library's reading group. It's a wonderful book with an interesting setting.

Almeta wrote: "It recently occurred to me, that this may be an effect of my eReader. Does the paper copy start each chapter with a "dangled capital"? "

Not in my copy of the book

Knowledge Lost wrote: "Almeta wrote: "It recently occurred to me, that this may be an effect of my eReader. Does the paper copy start each chapter with a "dangled capital"? "

Not in my copy of the book"

Aha! An eReader quirk.

Thanks for responding.

I could not get a copy of the book from my library, but I could get the audio book. I'm enjoying the listen, and the language is wonderful for listening!
My husband waited for his dinner last night until I got to a good place to stop!

I finished this last night and gave it 4 stars. I found it dragged in parts at the beginning but halfway through it was hard to put down. I was quite shocked at some of the twists in this story and I found it fun trying to guess what was going to happen. My favourite character was Fermin, I found him such a funny character.

Pollyanna wrote: "I finished this last night and gave it 4 stars. I found it dragged in parts at the beginning but halfway through it was hard to put down. I was quite shocked at some of the twists in this story and..."

Fermin was such a great character :) and I agree it was hard to put down by the middle, but I didn't remember it dragging near the start, but maybe I whipped that out of my memory.

Yeah I think it was because we are introduced to so many characters in the beginning that I think I found it confusing at times working out who was who. I found it a lot easier to read once I found out who everyone was and how they fit into the story.

I finished the book as well. I gave it 4 or 5 stars. I went back and forth and can't remember which I settled on. I am a new member and this is my first book with this group. What is the format of the discussions?

I've owned this book for over a year and have still not read it. Maybe this will motivate me to pick it up finally and give it a go.

I haven't gotten terribly far into the story yet, but I already love Fermin!

Tina wrote: "I finished the book as well. I gave it 4 or 5 stars. I went back and forth and can't remember which I settled on. I am a new member and this is my first book with this group. What is the format of ..."

Hi Tina, There is no set format to the discussion - except care with spoilers - so if you have a question or thought about the book you would like to discuss just go ahead and post it.

I am listening to this book because that was all my library had. An interesting note about the recording is that the author plays some background piano music which he composed! Unfortunately, he's inserted it at very odd times and it instead of lending a dramatic or mysterious air, it just sounds "schmaltzy".
I also noted that this recording is very cheap on Audible.com so I must not be alone!
I am enjoying the narrator. He does a wonderful job with the various characters and the names of the Barcelona locations. I love how he says Barcelona and that word is repeated often!!
I agree about loving Fermin! He is quite a character!! Daniel and his father have such a sweet relationship.
I am at a point in the story where it seems that Daniel's life may parallel the book in some ways. I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
I love the Cemetery of Old Books. What a wonderful idea.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

"It was a well-known fact that the richmess of buttery foods led to moral ruin and confusion of the intellect." (Fortuny re: his french wife Sophie's cooking)

"...the moment you stop to think about whether you love someone, you've already stopped loving that person forever" (Julian, as quoted by Daniel)

"Most of us have the good or bad fortune of seeing our loves fall apart so slowly we barely notice" (Nuria Monfort)

"Time goes faster the more hollow it is." (Nuria Monfort)

"The words with which a child's heart is poisoned, through malice or through ignorance, remain branded in his memory, and sooner or later they burn his soul." (Daniel Sempere)

"Money is like any other virus: once it has rotted the soul of the person who houses it, it sets off in search of new blood." (Fermin)

Carol wrote: "I am listening to this book because that was all my library had. An interesting note about the recording is that the author plays some background piano music which he composed! Unfortunately, he'..."

Hi Carol, I was just wondering if you have an audio copy of the unabridged version, so far I have only found abridged!

Yes, it is unabridged! That is my one rule with audiobooks. I don't listen to abridged versions. It is Penguin Audio read by Jonathan Davis. The date is 2004.
It is very inexpensive on Audible.com and it's cheaper if you happen to be a member.
I am really enjoying this story!

I'm struck by the elegant writing and the ease with which mood is created, right off the bat, for the city as well as the characters. A few words, and so much is evoked. Of course it's a translation I'm reading; has the original Spanish the same beauty, and has the translator caught the tone perfectly, or even improved on the original? Just wondering - I know we are an international group. Can anyone speak to the closeness of the translation into English?

Sandy wrote: "I'm struck by the elegant writing and the ease with which mood is created, right off the bat, for the city as well as the characters. A few words, and so much is evoked. Of course it's a translat..."

I was wondering the same thing. It would be interesting to read this in the original but my Spanish is very rudimentary.

I have also picked up Angel's Game. The author's writing is fascinating. I would love to be able to read it in spanish....

I am spaniard, and I read The shadow of the wind in spanish. I can say that the book fascinated me. That elegant writting is awesome!. I live quite near to Barcelona, and it´s amazing how good the author caught up the soul of the city.

The characters ar fantastic.

One last thing: Angel´s game is much worse (in my opinion)

Stephen King says: "If you thought the true gothic novel died with the 19th century, this will change your mind. Shadow is the real deal, a novel full of cheesy splendor and creaking trapdoors, a novel where even the subplots have subplots. There's a haunted house (ah, but by what?) called the Angel of Mist, and the only horror greater than the thing rotting in its bricked-up crypt is (but of course, senor) the horror of doomed love."

Ok... this book moved a bit slow for me in the beginning; I had a hard time getting into it, and I really really wanted to LOVE it. It felt, well the only word that came to my mind was, "heavy." Anyway, I almost put it down and I rarely do that, but half way through the pace picked up and I became intrigued. Therefore, I have mixed feelings about this. Overall, it was a good read, but I've read better gothic novels.

Javier wrote: "I am spaniard, and I read The shadow of the wind in spanish. I can say that the book fascinated me. That elegant writting is awesome!. I live quite near to Barcelona, and it´s amazing how good the ..."

Thanks, Javier! It's so nice to have the opinion of a Spanish speaker AND of someone who knows Barcelona.