The Shadow of the Wind is at its best in its exploration of the emergence of post-Civil War Spanish society. Young Daniel's father takes the boy to a secret library where he is choose a book that will be his own to remember. The boy chooses a story by the mysterious Julian Carax, whose books are being systematically destroyed. The plot devices are interesting and the structure of the story serves the plot, but often the narrative turns ponderous and almost comicbook-like, which didn't sit well with the elegance of the storytelling. Although the tone is dark and mysterious, there are few surprises along the way, and most of the story is pretty predictable. Still, an interesting read and worth checking out.