As I was reading this novel, Richards body was discovered under a parking lot in Leicaster England. This discovery dovetailed nicely with the book andAs I was reading this novel, Richards body was discovered under a parking lot in Leicaster England. This discovery dovetailed nicely with the book and made it more interesting.
I know much of the novel that has to do with emotions, reasoning and character relations is done with more speculation then with fact. So biased is bound to be evident. However, Ms Penman does a marvelous job of giving the reader a empathetic of not sympathetic view of the controversial king.
The detailed history of not only Richard, but Francis, Anne, Elizabeth, Edward and other prominent figures makes it easier to understand the man and the entire story. To summarize Richard as a usurper is truly slanderous, especially considering the times. But as they say, the victors get to write history.
As I approached the end of the story I felt myself slowing down my reading pace. Knowing the doomed ending that is to befall Richard made me truly reluctant to continue. There are so many "what if" moments that could have changed the ending. And imagining if he had done a few things differently is to imagine a completely different world. ...more
First, let me say this book is ridiculously hard to summarize. It required a little more time and attention than most other fiction I have read, mainlFirst, let me say this book is ridiculously hard to summarize. It required a little more time and attention than most other fiction I have read, mainly because it is the sort of mystery in which tiny details are given throughout, and most of them play an important part in piecing everything together by the end of the book. The story is told in layers and each is interdependent on other layers.
The novel is the story of Daniel Sempere, who at age 10 is taken by his father, a Barcelona bookseller, to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. While there he chooses a book called "The Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax. He is so enthralled by the novel that as he enters adulthood he sets out to find every book Carax has written, but encounters an obstacle. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence.Every copy of every book the author has written is being tracked down and burned by a disfigured man who bears a striking resemblance to a character in Carax's novel and even carries his name. Daniel's quest to save the remaining copies is intertwined with the story of Barcelona and its recovery from the Spanish Civil War. But "The Shadow of the Wind" is much more than a literary mystery. It is a gothic tale, filled with action, romance, mystery and, of course, books.
When I say that it's a mystery, I don't mean it in the traditional "whodunit" sense of the word. The mystery is not just about solving a murder, but about reconstructing the story of a life. This book is a complex tale composed of stories within stories. Throughout the book the reader finds out bits and pieces of the mystery of Julian Carax; who he was and how his life affected those around him. Those facts are not always given in sequence, however, and so there is a lot for the reader to speculate on and guess at while reading.
The characters in this novel are outstandingly portrayed. The surrounding cast each have their own personal history and even some quirks, but they come across as genuine and interesting. In particular, the character of Fermin Romero de Torres was humorous and wise. There are so many instances in this book where you want to underline a line or two of Fermin's dialog in order to refer back to it because you realize the true pearls of wisdom in what he says.
"Destiny is usually just around the corner. Like a thief, a hooker, or a lottery vendor: its three most common personifications. But what destiny does not do is home visits. You have to go for it." - Fermin Romero De Torres
The Shadow of the Wind’ is a novel that offers entertainment, amusement, intelligence and good writing. It has become on of my favorites and I would highly recommend it to everyone. ...more
This is the type of story that you cannot judge as you are reading it. It is the type that cannot be properly evaluated until you reach the conclusionThis is the type of story that you cannot judge as you are reading it. It is the type that cannot be properly evaluated until you reach the conclusion. Yes, it is about Oscar and his brief life; about a nerdy kid and the treacherous ways he is treated.
Of course you cannot tell the tale of Oscar without learning about his family, his mother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, their history and The Fuku Curse. The story bounces back & forth seemingly in a random time frame order informing you about Oscar’s family and how their past actions will effect our hero in the present. But through the entire account, as you think you are learning about Oscar’s own life, in truth you are learning the real heart of the story: the systematic rape of the Dominican Republic by its crusty political class. First it was Trujillo and then it was Belageur. The author depicts pungently, ironically, and emotionally through historical footnotes interspersed throughout the book the horrid offenses of each dictator and their minions. These footnotes have their own cynical way of delivering depressing news of shock and outrage with a sort of tongue in cheek sense of humor that takes the edge off of the sad state of affairs in this part of the Western Hemisphere; a part of the world that is glossed over in history books.
Only when I reached the end of the book did I realize how much more there was to the story. What made it effective was the method in which it was told. If you ever pick up this book, just make sure to finish it....more
This is my second time through The Book Thief and it's still very special. With the movie coming out this weekend I wanted to have the writing fresh iThis is my second time through The Book Thief and it's still very special. With the movie coming out this weekend I wanted to have the writing fresh in my mind. What I think makes this story work so well is that it was told from Death's perspective and I doubt it could work written another way. Death uses foreshadowing and dark humor as a very effective vehicle to tell a story in a non sequential way. It is in no way a feel good or uplifting story. The affects of war on individuals as seen through the eyes of Death are unique. As he says at the end, "I am haunted by humans". An excellent book...more