Summary
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento' by Julian Carax.
But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind. A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love, and the places that obsession can lead.
Carlos Ruiz Zafón was born in Barcelona, Spain on September 25, 1964. He is a scriptwriter and the author of both adult and young adult novels. His first novel, El Príncipe de la Niebla (The Prince of Mist, 1993) received the Premio Edebé literary prize for young adult fiction. His other young adult novels include El Palacio de la Medianoche (1994), Las Luces de Septiembre (1995), and Marina (1999). His adult novels include La Sombra del Viento (The Shadow of the Wind, 2001) and El Juego del Angel (The Angel's Game, 2008).
(Bowker Author Biography)
