"Once, in my father's bookshop, I heard a regular
customer sat that few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first
book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words
we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a
palace in our memory to which, sooner or later-- no matter how many books we
read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget-- we will
return" (8). These words were very true to young Daniel.
The Shadow of the Wind
is a novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This book is set in Spain in 1945 through
1955, the years following World War II and the Civil War in Spain. The story
follows a ten year old boy named Daniel, which spans through his teen years. Daniel's
father, a widower and bookseller, decides to share a marvelous secret and takes
his son to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. This place is described as being
older than the city of Barcelona; no one really knows the origins. The one
thing they do know is when you go into the Cemetery of Forgotten Books; you
must find a book and become its guardian. Young Daniel comes across a book he
has never heard of: The Shadow of the
Wind by Julian Carax. For some reason, Daniel feels pulled by the book. He
says that the book chose him, not the other way around. When he comes home, he
begins reading the book by the unheard of author. He is enthralled by the book.
He stays awake all night reading his beloved book. When he finishes the book,
he wants to know more about the author, Julian Carax, and perhaps find more
books by him. That is when he meets Don Gustavo Barcelo who wills open doors to
for Daniel to learn about Carax. What Daniel learns is that there is someone
who is stealing and burning the remaining copies of all of Carax's books. For
four years, Daniel becomes close to Don Gustavo and his niece, Clara. Clara,
also Daniel's first crush, is blind and asks Daniel to read to her. After
several years, Daniel keeps searching for Carax's books and meets many
interesting people and new friends. One is Fermin Romero de Torres, a beggar
who is rescued off the streets by Daniel and his father. He starts working in
the bookstore and becomes close friends with Daniel. The others are Tomas
Aguilar, the childhood best friend, and Beatriz, Tomas' sister. According to
Sharon A. Stringer in Conflict and
Connection, " Another stereotype is that peer groups overshadow
parents; guidance during adolescence. Research indicates that friends do not
usurp parents' impact on teenagers. Instead, mothers, fathers, and peers have
complementary influences on young adults" (30). She goes on to say that
parents influence decisions dealing with education, careers, and morality.
Peers impact choices regarding current social issues. This does not disregard
Daniel. His father does influence him on morality; we see that in the way they
treat Fermin. Also, Daniel works in the bookshop with his father and you assume
Daniel will follow in his father's footsteps. Fermin and Tomas, influence him
with current issues like movies, actresses, and girlfriends. We follow Daniel as he grows into a young man
and learns more about this mysterious Julian Carax and his own beloved city of
Barcelona. This is a story of mystery, discovery, and doomed love. All because
of a single book a young boy found abandoned under the city of Barcelona,
Spain.
