In 1945 Barcelona, young Daniel Sempere discovers a haunting novel by the obscure Julián Carax in the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books and sets out to learn the truth behind Carax's life and death, only to find someone determined to burn every remaining copy of his work. A gothic mystery of books, love, and vengeance unfolds against the ruins of postwar and Civil War-era Spain.
Books mentioned in The Shadow of the Wind (12)
Candide by Voltaire: “his favourite book open in his lap - a copy of Voltaire's Candide, which he reread a couple of times a year”
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne: “'Say no more, for here I have none other than Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island, a tale of high adventure'”
Hamlet by William Shakespeare: “bought a copy of Hamlet signed by Shakespeare in ballpoint, imagine that”
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: “'Have you read Conrad? Heart of Darkness?' 'Three times.'”
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri: “I've read a great deal, and can recite some of the best fragments of La Divina Commedia from memory”
Tractatus Theologico-Politicus by Baruch Spinoza: “a brand-new Curial e Guelfa stood side by side with Spinoza's Tractatus Theologico Politicus”
The Aeneid by Virgil: “boasted he could recite Virgil's Aeneid in Latin without an accent”
Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy: “'Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It's the original. You're bold enough to read Hardy in English?'”
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo: “From that gold nib, we were informed, had sprung the manuscript of Les Miserables”
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky: “the day was turning out to be longer than The Brothers Karamazov”
Mein Kampf by Adolph Hitler: “convinced him that photo romances and Mein Kampf were going to sell like crazy”
Sandokan by Emilio Salgari: “we have an anthology of the best of Emilio Salgari and his epic tale of Sandokan”