Spotted this in a second-hand bookshop and could not resist picking it up.

"Every book.....has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and of those who read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down the pages,its spirit grows and strenghens."

Now if that isn't a recommendation for this site I don't know what is.

This is a form of Gothic thriller set in Barcelona just after the Spanish Civil War, a city of privalege and despair, of rich mansions and pitiful hovels, but a city which is a crumbling vaccuum. It is ruled by those ruthless enough to go out and grab what they want by whatever means neccessary to fill the void. Daniel is but a boy who finds himself dragged into a world he cannot control or understand.

There are many themes within the book, the power of literature to inspire and to destroy, secrets and lies, repression and injustice, the conflicting forces of family duty and natural teenage urges, loneliness and hope, to name but a few. There are some pretty brutal scenes but there is also comedy often deftly produced by Fermin Romero de Torres, an ex-spy turned tramp turned bookshop sleuth.

I really enjoyed this book and would nor be surprised if this does not become regarded as a modern classic in the fullness of time.

Going out to Norfolk as a sort of Brucie Bonus. I hope that you enjoy reading it.

Received in the post today from 4evagreen as a surprise RABCK, along with another wishlist book that I WAS expecting. Thanks very much-I shall really look forward to reading both books.

REVIEW:- I stuck with this book for over 100 pages before giving up and deciding that it wasn't for me. I felt the young Daniel seemed a trifle too mature at 16 years of age, especially back in 1950. The story had a good plot but it seemed over-complicated to me.

I am reserving the book for Snoopy56 who sometimes likes books that don't appeal to me. Snoopy56 reported that she had already read and enjoyed both the book and a recording of this book. Will release soon.

This book will be sent by post to the Falkland Islands for my nephew who will soon be serving there with the RAF.

To the finder:-
Welcome to bookcrossing -you have found a travelling book. Please make a journal entry now to say where you found the book in case it has been moved. Then, when you have read it, please come back and make a further entry saying whether or not you enjoyed the book and why. It is now yours to do as you like with it, pass it to a friend or just leave it somewhere different for someone else to find and help it with its' journey. Of course if you can't bear to part with it at the moment then keep it, but please let me know that you have found it. If you join bookcrossing, which is free and spam-free, you can follow the book on its' travels as you will get an email each time it changes hands, but if you prefer to remain anonymous, that's fine too. Please also say what you intend to do with the book next. Thanks for coming onto the site to let me know you have found the book.

I already have books travelling in Australia, Austria, Brazil, the Canary Islands, the Channel Islands, Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Indonesia, Madeira, Mauritius, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, the U.S.A, Wales and all over England.

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