The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafron

"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."

Tonight, we step into the fog-draped streets of post-war Barcelona through the pages of The Shadow of the Wind, a masterpiece by Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Zafón, born in Barcelona in 1964, was first known for his young adult fiction before writing this literary treasure in 2001. It became a global phenomenon, translated into more than forty languages and selling millions of copies worldwide. The novel was the first in his celebrated series, The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, and it introduced readers to his signature blend of mystery, romance, history, and literary philosophy.

The story begins in 1945, when a young boy named Daniel Sempere is taken by his father to a secret labyrinth of books known as The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. There, Daniel discovers a novel called The Shadow of the Wind by a mysterious author named Julián Carax.

But when Daniel sets out to find more books by Carax, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of Carax’s work. What begins as curiosity quickly spirals into a labyrinthine mystery filled with family secrets, forbidden love, and echoes of the Spanish Civil War.

At its heart, this is a book about books—about the way stories shape us, about memory and identity, about the thin line between reality and imagination. It asks: How do the stories we read—and the stories we live—define who we are?

Zafón’s writing is rich and atmospheric, often described as “Gothic with a Mediterranean soul.” His Barcelona comes alive with winding streets, hidden courtyards, and whispers of the past. As Daniel’s search deepens, the novel invites us to reflect on the power of books to preserve lives, even as time and history threaten to erase them.

Critics and readers alike fell under its spell. Many called it “a love letter to literature itself,” and for countless readers, it rekindled the joy of losing oneself in a story.

So tonight, as you follow Daniel through the misty streets of Barcelona, be prepared: this is not just a mystery about a missing author. It’s a novel about why we read, why we remember, and why, sometimes, books save us.