The Shadow of the Wind
by Carlos Ruiz Zafón · first published 2009
79% recommend21% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Richly written, atmospheric mystery-tinged novel that readers call beautifully written and immersive; enjoyed by readers who want literary fiction with a sense of place and a story that pulls them in.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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2 Highlights: - "Legends of the Fall by Jim Harrison - "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón These are beautifully written books-- true art. I read intellectually stimulating, non-fiction material every moment of my life. Fiction counterbalances that frenzied information…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗…second incident was noticing that valuable store space was being used to sell toys and kitchenware. Yes, kitchenware in a bookstore. In the end, I got 'The Angel's Game' and Carlos Ruiz Zafon's 'The Shadow of The Wind' at a local store http://www.booksactually.com/. I recommend this store to anyone who love books and is in Singapore. Clear showcase of how domain knowledge and intimate customer relations can help…
on “What Went Wrong at Borders” ↗The Shadow of the Wind
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗…snow crash after some of his later stuff and it's almost hard to believe it's the same author." This happens with more writers (and other artists) than many people think. I read Carlos Ruiz Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game and loved both: they're incredibly rich and detailed yet driven by plot; they have the action that a lot of unsophisticated readers crave and content that can still satisfy someone…
on “The Best Science Fiction Books (According to Reddit)” ↗Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind: http://jakeseliger.com/2012/03/25/jonathan-haidts-the-righte... This is a novel, but Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind is fantastic.
on “Ask HN: Book Recommendations?” ↗Fiction: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón is beautifully written and I've recommended it to many people. I've gotten lost in Carlos' worlds over and over again, and the cemetery of forgotten books is mesmerizing. Humor:…
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗Mostly read fiction. Some of my top books I read this year are: - Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino (as well as his other detective novels) - Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon - The Martian - Dark Forest (and the Three Body Problem) - Shantaram - Age of Myth by Michael Sullivan - Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2016?” ↗…runner" Agatha Christie - "The murder of Roger Ackroyd" (very surprising plot) Andy Weir - "The Martian" Charles Dickens - "David Copperfield" Clare Mackintosh - "I let you go" Carlos Ruiz Zafón - "The Shadow of the Wind" M.R. Carey - "The girl with all the gifts"
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books of all time, and why?” ↗I read Shadow of the Wind with my roommates as a way of passing time during lockdown. I enjoyed it very much.
on “Fuck the Bread. The Bread Is Over (2020)” ↗I love a good book thread and my 2022 reading list now has a lot new additions. Thank you all for the recommendations. The best book I read this year was The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I think I got the recommendation from last year's HN list and picked it up completely blind and enjoyed it immensely. Zafon's prose is a pleasure to read and while the story starts…
on “Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021?” ↗…technical book that comes close to it is "Operation Systems: three easy pieces" by Remzi and Andrea Arpaci-Dusseau. Another great read. Now, in terms of fictions books, I just finished re-reading "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. It's a masterpiece, but I'm not sure if the author is widely known in english speaking countries.
on “Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately?” ↗Oh wow I read “The Shadow of the Wind” and enjoyed it. I didn’t know that there was a series. Thank you for the comment. I now have a few more books to search for in my local used book store.
on “The Neglected Books page: Where forgotten books are remembered” ↗The Shadow of the Wind is a 2001 novel by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and a worldwide bestseller. The book was translated into English in 2004 by Lucia Graves and sold over a million copies in the UK after already achieving…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in 2012” ↗56. The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
This is doubly funny because both _The Angel's Game_ and _The Shadow of the Wind_ take place in or around Sempere and Sons, a small bookshop in early 20th C Barcelona. The proprietor is always a "Senor Sempere" who is integrated with the neighborhood and understands its needs; much…
on “What Went Wrong at Borders” ↗