I’m really excited about my next book. I’ve chosen The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. A friend recommended it to me well over a year ago, and like many book recommendations that come my way, I’m just now getting to it. I’ve only read a few pages, but I can already tell I’m going to love it. I mentioned in my last blog that I don’t do plot summaries, and besides I would only be quoting someone else’s summary at this stage of the game anyway. So all I can say is that I’ve met Daniel and his father. Early in the summer of 1945 in Spain, Daniel’s father takes him to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. It’s here on the third page that I decided that this book is definitely for me. Daniel’s father says, “This is a place of mystery, Daniel, a sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens.”
How great is that? Anyone who enjoys reading understands how it feels to completely immerse oneself in the pages. It creates a feeling inside you and an aura around you. Often one has the opportunity to pass that experience on to someone else and that’s when the book’s spirit grows. As an English major, I am often so pressed with deadlines that I am forced to simply scan the books I’m required to read. That is such a shame. Here I can submerge myself in the words and the pages and really dive into the stories. I am really looking forward to rolling forward with The Shadow of the Wind.
If you are so inclined, pick up a copy and join me. You know you’ve got that bookache!
Just signed up to start a blog and looking for people to follow. This post was one of the first I clicked on, which isn’t surprising given that my favourite book is Shadow of the Wind (the inspiration behind my blog
). I do hope you enjoy the rest of it – it truly is a remarkable book. There are 3 other books in the series after this – I don’t think they are as good – but they are worth a shot; especially the last one which ties up some of the issues in the current story nicely.