Shadow of the Wind - unabr cass

by Carlos Ruiz Zafon | Audiobooks |
ISBN: 0142800791 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingbooklady331wing of Cape Coral, Florida USA on 6/19/2007
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13 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingbooklady331wing from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Pre-numbered label used for registration.

Unabridged cassettes; unabridged; Read by Jonathan Davis

Translated by Lucia Graves

Journal Entry 2 by wingbooklady331wing from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Tuesday, June 19, 2007
From Publishers Weekly
Ruiz Zafón's novel, a bestseller in his native Spain, takes the satanic touches from Angel Heart and stirs them into a bookish intrigue à la Foucault's Pendulum. The time is the 1950s; the place, Barcelona. Daniel Sempere, the son of a widowed bookstore owner, is 10 when he discovers a novel, The Shadow of the Wind, by Julián Carax. The novel is rare, the author obscure, and rumors tell of a horribly disfigured man who has been burning every copy he can find of Carax's novels. The man calls himself Laín Coubert-the name of the devil in one of Carax's novels. As he grows up, Daniel's fascination with the mysterious Carax links him to a blind femme fatale with a "porcelain gaze," Clara Barceló; another fan, a leftist jack-of-all-trades, Fermín Romero de Torres; his best friend's sister, the delectable Beatriz Aguilar; and, as he begins investigating the life and death of Carax, a cast of characters with secrets to hide. Officially, Carax's dead body was dumped in an alley in 1936. But discrepancies in this story surface. Meanwhile, Daniel and Fermín are being harried by a sadistic policeman, Carax's childhood friend. As Daniel's quest continues, frightening parallels between his own life and Carax's begin to emerge. Ruiz Zafón strives for a literary tone, and no scene goes by without its complement of florid, cute and inexact similes and metaphors (snow is "God's dandruff"; servants obey orders with "the efficiency and submissiveness of a body of well-trained insects"). Yet the colorful cast of characters, the gothic turns and the straining for effect only give the book the feel of para-literature or the Hollywood version of a great 19th-century novel.


Journal Entry 3 by wingbooklady331wing from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Saturday, August 4, 2007
If you are new to BookCrossing and found this book and this site, Welcome!

You have in your hands a free gift. This book is yours to do with as you wish...read it, share it, keep it, pass it on!
I've registered this at BookCrossing.com so that I can keep up on where it goes, who reads it, and what they thought of it. If you like the BookCrossing concept, you might want to register yourself with a screen name, so that you can keep up on this book, and maybe release others also! It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), fascinating, and fun!

Thank you for picking up this book. I'd love to see an entry letting me know it is safe with you. Do with it as you please... read it (or not!), give it to a friend, keep it, leave it in the wild - it's up to you! Enjoy! If you like you can mention me, booklady331, as the one who referred you.

Journal Entry 4 by wingbooklady331wing from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Tuesday, October 30, 2007
US BOOKRAY:

Try to finish the cassettes within a month and pass it on to the next person. Tenative list.

1. Carlissa FL --DONE
2. KateKintail VA --DONE
3. NMReader NM --DONE
4. rooshill CA --DONE
5. tabby90 NC --DONE
6. purple4 NC (a surprise - PM me)--DONE

Journal Entry 5 by wingbooklady331wing from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Sunday, November 18, 2007
This book is as good as everyone says. In the beginning I thought it wasn't going to be as wonderful as I built it up to be, but . . . I was swept away. I enjoyed the background music as I was listening to the book. Now, I wish I had read the book as there are some quotes I would have liked to mark.

Journal Entry 6 by wingbooklady331wing at U.S. Postal Mail in By Mail, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Sunday, November 18, 2007

Released 16 yrs ago (11/19/2007 UTC) at U.S. Postal Mail in By Mail, A RABCK -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Off to Carlissa to begin a bookring. I trust everyone enjoys the book even 1/2 of what I did.

Journal Entry 7 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Sunday, November 25, 2007
I just got back from spending Thanksgiving with my parents, and I found this in my mail box! I am listening to another audiobook now, but I am almost finished with it, so I will start this one next.

Journal Entry 8 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Sunday, December 23, 2007
I enjoyed this audio book very much. The music was nice, but seemed to play at odd times.

Journal Entry 9 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Wednesday, December 26, 2007
mailed to KateKintail today. DC# 03071790000393097932

Journal Entry 10 by wingKateKintailwing from Burke, Virginia USA on Friday, January 4, 2008
Received and started! Thanks so much for including me in this ring. My commute to work is very short and this is a long book, so I'll do my best to get through it as quickly as possible.

Journal Entry 11 by wingKateKintailwing from Burke, Virginia USA on Saturday, February 23, 2008
Times like this, I wish the book rating scale went higher than 10 :-) Had I been reading this book, I definitely wouldn't have been able to put it down. As it was, it was nice listening to it on audio because I could make it last a lot longer, only listening on my commute. However, I found myself thinking up errands to do just so I could get in the car and listen to more of the book.

Booklady331, I love what you said about being swept away- that's it entirely. Even though I figured out the biggest twist VERY early on and a few of the other twists were pretty obvious, I still fell hard for this book- the characters, the mystery, the love of literature, the beauty. Throughout the whole thing, I felt envious that I can't write as beautifully as the author/translator. It wasn't just a wonderful story with wonderful characters, but it was beautifully told and presented. I especially loved listening to it with the music and accents and voices. I'm not sure I liked how the book was divided into parts, but given the POVs I can't see it done any differently. And at first I thought the wrap-up/coda at the end was unnecessary because the story itself ends nicely. However, I loved the very last bit and had tears in my eyes when listening to it! *sigh* Such a good book.

Now I'm considering buying a copy of the book so I can read it again and force it on my friends and family.

The only drawback is that it's only February and I think this will be the best book I'll read all year. It's probably all downhill from here! :-)

Thank you so much for the bookring! I'm PMing the next participant now and I'll do my best to get it out in the mail ASAP.

Journal Entry 12 by wingKateKintailwing from Burke, Virginia USA on Friday, February 29, 2008
Mailing out to nmreader, next in line in the ring. Enjoy!

Delivery Confirmation Number: 0307 3330 0000 9084 9113

Journal Entry 13 by NMReader from Herndon, Virginia USA on Sunday, March 9, 2008
was in my mailbox. I am not sure when it arrived. Will listen and pass on.

Journal Entry 14 by NMReader from Herndon, Virginia USA on Monday, August 4, 2008
I am horrified at how long this book on tape was with me. Unfortunately the only tape player is at my house and so I could only listen while at home.

I really enjoyed the book. It was engaging. I really started to care for all the characters. Towards the end I found the chapter numbers confusing but...

Journal Entry 15 by NMReader at Albuquerque, New Mexico USA on Monday, August 4, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (8/3/2008 UTC) at Albuquerque, New Mexico USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is on its way to rooshill. The confirmation delivery number is 0308 0070 0000 7605 8064

According to the PO:

Label/Receipt Number: 0308 0070 0000 7605 8064
Status: Delivered

Your item was delivered at 8:34 AM on August 7, 2008 in FORESTHILL, CA 95631.

Journal Entry 16 by rooshill from Grass Valley, California USA on Monday, August 25, 2008
Nice...the person I had picking up mail for me while I was away from home *quite a while ago!* just gave me the box this audiobook was in. Somehow she "misplaced it" and forgot to give it to me...? For how long?? I'll be looking for a new mail-getter for next time, for sure! Right after I convince my husband to let me drive the truck so I can listen to this - my car only has CD. Thanks for sending it out, and apologies if there was any worry as to its whereabouts.

Journal Entry 17 by rooshill from Grass Valley, California USA on Friday, January 9, 2009
Wow. I look like a total flake to say the least based on this poor little book's journal. No need to tell the whole long story here, but suffice to say I've had some major life changes and things were and are confused. I just found this audiobook and will now PM the next on the list to get it moving along.
I never had the chance to listen to it, so I can't offer a rating.
Apologies for the delay.
(booklady I got a PM from you y'day that prompted me to open boxes and find this. i've been minimal in email use for some time and it looked like you'd tried a few times - i'm sorry for any worry)

Journal Entry 18 by tabby90 from High Point, North Carolina USA on Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Got in the mail today, thanks!

Journal Entry 19 by tabby90 from High Point, North Carolina USA on Monday, March 16, 2009
I loved the reader and the accents, probably a bit too much since it was easy for me to zone out listening to the rhythm of his voice and the occasional music. Often I would clue back in and find I had no idea where the characters were or what they were doing. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and podcasts and normally my listening skills are much better than this. So there was a lot of rewinding, and frankly it is a long book. I did enjoy it, but I still feel like I need to read it to pick up on everything.

Will go in the mail this week to it's next recipient, surprise!

Journal Entry 20 by purple4 from Ocala, Florida USA on Thursday, March 26, 2009
Received today. Thank you for the surprise. I look forward to listening to the book.

Journal Entry 21 by purple4 from Ocala, Florida USA on Saturday, May 16, 2009
The book was interesting, but I found some parts drawn out. Thanks for including me, it helped my trip from NC to FL go by quicker.

Journal Entry 22 by purple4 at Cape Coral, Florida USA on Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (12/23/2009 UTC) at Cape Coral, Florida USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

passing on

Released 13 yrs ago (5/13/2010 UTC) at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Purple4 gave it to me to pass on.
Enjoy! off to Bascula as a RABCK

Journal Entry 24 by Bascula from Ridley Park, Pennsylvania USA on Friday, May 21, 2010
Thanks, this arrived safely today. I have already read this one, and look forward to sharing it with a couple of people.

Releasing to the 2011 Convention.

To the finder: I hope you enjoy finding this book as much as I did releasing it!

Journal Entry 26 by pritzkit at Arlington, Virginia USA on Monday, May 16, 2011
I caught this at the 2011 BCinDC convention. Sorry I haven't journaled until now but it went straight into my car!

I enjoyed the book...a bit long in some parts and unlike the other journalers, I didn't care for the accents. But, also like the others, I wished I could re-read or highlights some of the passages, comments and quotes.

The book was filled with some wonderful flashes of humor and poignancy. Nice use of language, which I think is especially amazing since it's a translation.

Now, to figure out where to release. I'd like to wild release but don't have a good catch rate and would hate to see its long journey end!

Released 12 yrs ago (2/20/2012 UTC) at ~~~ ♥ ~~~ A Friend ~~~ ♥ ~~~, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

To Audiobook RABCK winner iwillrejoice (finally).

Journal Entry 28 by iwillrejoice at Fort Myers, Florida USA on Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thanks - RABCK med

Wow! Thanks for the big box of books! That ought to keep me busy. Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 29 by iwillrejoice at Fort Myers, Florida USA on Saturday, November 24, 2012
I now have a paper copy of this title, so I'll be releasing this one ASAP. Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 30 by iwillrejoice at A BookCrosser, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, November 24, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (11/26/2012 UTC) at A BookCrosser, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Released to JudySlump612 in Minnesota as one of her selections from my Audiobook VBB. Happy travels, little book!

Journal Entry 31 by JudySlump612 at Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Sunday, December 2, 2012
Arrived here safely earlier this week - sorry for the delay in the journal. Looks good!

Journal Entry 32 by JudySlump612 at Minneapolis, Minnesota USA on Monday, March 4, 2013
KateKintail really nailed this book in her journal entry, especially the part about "It wasn't just a wonderful story with wonderful characters, but it was beautifully told and presented." She's also right about the benefit of listening to it on audio to make it last longer. With me, I'd ration myself to one side per day, balancing the potential pleasures of cheating and listening ahead vs. having a full day to digest and analyze what I'd just heard, and maybe try to guess what could come next.

It's hard to know where to start in heaping up praise. The story is complex and satisfying. The many elements are kept in perfect balance - you'd leave one situation without having it fully resolved, but the next part of the story was so interesting you'd only want to hear more of that. The characters are brilliant, especially Fermin; I liked and sympathized with all of them. The translation is elegant and fluid. The performer, Jonathan Davis, is outstanding. He's crafted a remarkable voice for Fermin, perfect for an older and more worldly character. BTW, we learn eventually that he moved to Spain from Cuba, so it makes sense that his speech would sound slightly accented to Daniel. Oh, and when we first meet Fumero, he's described as speaking with a menacing giggle. Davis gives us the giggle, and oh my word, it's truly creepy!

For the hours I spent with this book, I felt completely immersed in the time and place it depicts. Zafon's frequent use of street and place names, and description of the geography of the city, made Barcelona feel so real and immediate I felt I could see it. He also used the weather very effectively, both to add detail to the setting, and to match the tension of the story.

Really, I'm just blithering at this point. I feel, like KateKintail, that this is probably the best book I'll experience this year. It's certainly the best audiobook I've heard in years.

Journal Entry 33 by JudySlump612 at by mail, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, May 16, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (5/16/2013 UTC) at by mail, A Bookbox -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Media mail to LittleWhiteBird for iwillrejoice's Audio VBB

Journal Entry 34 by LittleWhiteBird at Pasadena, California USA on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Since you all liked the book so much, I'd like to give it a try as well. I chose it from iwillrejoice's Audio VBB. Thank you JudySlump612!

Journal Entry 35 by LittleWhiteBird at Pasadena, California USA on Thursday, November 14, 2013
I finished the book just in time to add it to the next round of iwillrejoice's audiobook VBB.

I enjoyed it a lot. I often get impatient reading long books, but reading this one side of a cassette at a time was just the right pace and length. I always get upset at characters who choose hate (even if something really bad happens to them), but that was the only thing I didn't enjoy that much. The cemetery of forgotten books is such an interesting place that I imagined I'd want to visit it.

Journal Entry 36 by LittleWhiteBird at Pasadena, California USA on Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Released 10 yrs ago (11/26/2013 UTC) at Pasadena, California USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I've only just added this book to iwillrejoice's Audiobook VBB and msjoanna has already chosen it. I'm putting it in the mail as soon as I make it to the post office (It's too heavy to just leave it at the mailbox).

I hope you enjoy the book. Happy reading!

Journal Entry 37 by msjoanna at Columbia, Missouri USA on Monday, December 16, 2013
What a treat to receive such a wonderfully well-travelled book. I'm looking forward to listening to this one. I have it on my kindle so I can switch back and forth with text if I want to.

Journal Entry 38 by msjoanna at Columbia, Missouri USA on Tuesday, January 5, 2021
I expected to like this book much more than I actually did. It's been hyped and won lots of awards and made lots of top lists, but I thought large sections were pretty dull. The concept of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books is a cool idea, but the actual story was more of a mystery than fantasy. Unfortunately, many of the "mysteries" were more just stories told by some character as a recollection of long-past events. I enjoyed the description of Barcelona. While the book is atmospheric and brings out some wonderful feelings about love of reading, I was ultimately disappointed.

The narrator for the audiobook did a fine but not particularly memorable job.

I don't know if anyone listens to cassettes any more, but this is available if anyone wants it.

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