Wow--what can I say about this complex and intriguing work?!I absolutley loved "Shadow of the Wind," and while "Angel" took a while to build up steam for me, I became equally entranced.There is a lot of "magical realism" in this book. but i takes us a while to figure that out. Ruiz Zafon's beloved Barcelona (of 1917-1930) becomes a haunted city of the dead, even before the Civil War. The tower house becomes a prison, in multiple ways, and time becomes unhinged as past and present blur. The plot is positively Hitchcockian: our hero is falsely accused and driven to despair by evil plotters. Cristina and Pedro are David's great passions, both of whom he loses. The real "angel" in the narrative is not Corelli, but Isabella, who supports David faithfully.The plot gets more and more tangled, and you become breathless as you hurry to find out what happens next--only to have your expectations dashed repeatedly.The metaphor of writers selling their souls to make a living becomes flesh. Sempere's bookstore and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books become David's (and Ruiz Zafon's) houses of worship.When Inspector Grandet goes to corroborate David's story and it all proves false, the reader has the rug pulled out from under her: is David's narration untrustworthy and flat-out wrong? The surprise ending--that he is looking back 15 years after the events--gives us further pause. Is David ultimately a madman? To me, this is the work of a master author: to constantly mystify the reader and undercut--nay, DECIMATE--her assumptions. Another well-written page turner from the author. I was pulled in and engaged throughout. Ultimately, the novel was disappointing because the plot just didn't make sense. I kept expecting some of the mysteries to be gradually solved, and the enigmatic, rambling plot to come together into something that helped me understand the world I was reading about. I ended up disappointed though, with the main character's narration making little sense. I can get that there may be dual realities going on here, but in order for that to work, we really need some kind of anchor - something we can trust is really real, or at least possibly really real as an alternative to the fantastic elements. Or, perhaps better articulation of either world view. Without it, it is hard to make connections between events and points of view.
What do You think about El Juego Del ángel (2008)?
Book two of the three book series "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" and I read this after reading book three, next I'll read book one. Obviously I'm confused because I am reading these all out of order but Zafon's book still managed to draw me in and terrify me. Is this person sponsoring Martin Lucifer? Is he just some creep-o? Stop walking into dark rooms where you can't see anything!!!! I think I'll end up rereading this after reading book I and following it up with book III again. Maybe--it was scary after all.
—angelicakez
Absolutely fantastic! I don't think it's fair to compare this to The Shadow of the Wind because while they have some things in common such as setting and characters, The Angel's Game is definitely creepier and more a mental horror. The Shadow of the Wind struck me as more of an adventure in comparison. But still, Ruiz Zafon is an amazing writer who can describe the aesthetics of a situation better than any writer. Every sentence is again beautifully constructed. You won't be able to put it down!
—jackmason159
Not as good as The Shadow of the Wind, but I still enjoyed this a lot.
—ana
Absolutely incredible. Had me in it's grasp until the very last page.
—fhaycee
