The Labyrinth of the Spirits: From the bestselling author of The Shadow of the Wind

Product Information

Resignations Not Accepted: Alicia's intended fate, depending on what version of Leandro's story we're meant to accept. If Rovira really was meant to kill her, it was because of her desire to leave the police force, which would've made her a potential liability because of her anti-Francoist leanings. We leave the cemetery of the forgotten books. With three authors, three officers, three owners of the Sempre Library, three women , three girls, and three miscreants. Every single square inch feels like it comes alive when his description touches upon it, the streets dominated by smoke, shadows and deceit, complemented by the dark and ominous architecture towering over all. Once again, I dare say the city becomes a character in its own right, an ever-shifting ominous force of nature blessing some and chewing through others.

As a child, Daniel Sempere discovered among the passageways of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books an extraordinary novel that would change the course of his life. Now a young man in the Barcelona of the late 1950s, Daniel runs the Sempere & Sons bookshop and enjoys a seemingly fulfilling life with his loving wife and son. Yet the mystery surrounding the death of his mother continues to plague his soul despite the moving efforts of his wife Bea and his faithful friend Fermin to save him. The Alcoholic: Since this is late-50s and early-60s Spain and massive alcohol consumption was just an accepted part of the culture, quite a few characters are functioning alcoholics. Vargas is mindful of his intake after killing his family in a drunk driving accident but still has brandy in his coffee, while Alicia readily admits that she self-medicates for both pain and PTSD with booze and is chugging white wine in virtually every scene she's in. Meanwhile, Fermin travels everywhere with a flask of what's essentially moonshine and drinks champagne for breakfast. After she's captured, Alicia escapes Rovira by shooting him in the face at point-blank-range, blowing off a chunk of it but leaving him alive for a while before she finally kills him by shooting him in the torso. With her partner, Juan Manuel Vargas, Alicia sets out on a very long investigation which will lead her to a notorious prison, a rare book, demons from the Second World War, and of course, a vast conspiracy with countless murders and kidnappings tied to the Franco regime. Needless to say, uncovering the sorts of truths Alicia is hunting for puts not only her life, but also those of her friends in great peril, and only together can they hope to overcome the looming darkness which has overtaken the city.Artistic License – History: In-universe for comedic effect. Fermín claims the inventor of the submarine was a guy named Isaac Monturiol, which effectively conflates two real life developers of Spanish submarines, Isaac Peral and Narciso Monturiol . Despite the slow-moving ending, Zafón’s novel is satisfying in many regards. It is full of rich characters, such as Alicia, whose strength and courage are balanced with her vulnerabilities. The supporting characters are well-drawn and easy to discern in a large cast. The novel will also appeal to many groups, including those who want a deeper understanding of Spain during Franco’s regime or who want insight into the secrets and beauties of Barcelona, which Zafón depicts vividly. Critics praised Zafón for creating a fantasy world where books have souls and should be treasured and protected, as well as an epic mystery that unravels slowly. As Mark Lawson declared in his review for the Guardian, Zafón’s The Labyrinth of the Spirits is a “colossal achievement.” Review Sources

Hewitt, Sean (29 Sep 2018). "The Labyrinth of Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafón: a novel to lose oneself in". The Irish Times. Here are the three main sources of the rage I'd love to dispel. If anyone wants to weigh in on some or all of these points, I grant you my eternal goodwill: No lo entiendo, realmente no lo entiendo. ¿Por qué o para qué Zafón convirtió una saga con aspectos tan interesantes como el misterio o el realismo mágico, en una historia lenta y simple atiborrada de partes innecesarias como el caso de este libro? Me duele mucho que esta tetralogía que inició con un gran libro como lo es La sombra del viento tenga que finalizar de este modo: El laberinto de los espíritus más que un libro se asemeja a una telenovela populachera. En este momento me gustaría viajar al pasado para recomendarme a mí mismo solo leer el primer volumen porque aunque me conmovió la historia de Fermín, la de Alicia y la de ese ser tan hermoso llamado Isabella, creo que no vale la pena encariñarse con personajes tan encantadores cuando la historia no tiene la magia de sus protagonistas; magia que inicialmente tenía el argumento, pero que fue perdiendo poco a poco tras cada volumen de manera imperceptible en el caso de El juego del ángel, pero desbordadamente en los últimos dos volúmenes. Fueron más de 2000 páginas que disfruté pero que a la vez me dejaron insatisfecho y con coraje por lo que pudo ser que tristemente no fue. También me duele porque leer esta tetralogía fue una de mis metas para este año, debido a que en el 2017 conocí, leí y me atraganté con La sombra del viento pero extrañamente nunca continué la saga. Ante esa anormalidad en el final del 2019 prometí leer los cuatro libros y esperaba que todos tuvieran la misma calidad del primero, pero desafortunadamente eso no es así y aunque cumplí mi meta no se siente igual cumplirla. Good Counterpart: Valentín Morgado seems to be this to Vicent Carmona, as they serve Sanchís and Valls respectively, but it turns out Sanchís is not fully clean either.Author Appeal: As in past books, Zafon's love of literature is passed on to his positive characters, while evil characters are contemptuous of the written word. Valls is said to have no actual talent, the reason he imprisoned and forced more skilled authors to ghost write books for him. Hendaya, meanwhile, holds to the Franco regime's stance on censorship, and once he learns about the Cemetery of Forgotten books plans to burn it down. Alicia, meanwhile, despite her position in the secret police, is shown to be redeemable through her love of books and dreams of possibly writing herself one day.

As it happens, the latest book marks the end of the highly acclaimed series, and it’s titled The Labyrinth of the Spirits. Just like all the previous novels, it stands as a self-contained story and can even serve as someone’s entry point into the series. However, a complex narrative has been in the making since the first book, meaning reading the previous ones will bring an extra layer of enjoyment. Víctor Mataix is said to have been among David Martín's closest friends (along with another character, Alfons Brósel, whom we never meet) and one of the other great niche writers of his time, and to have reunited with Martín in prison. Neither character appears or is even mentioned in either of the previous two books, both of which explore Martín's life in detail and one of which is an objective retelling of his prison time. More importantly, Daniel became a fully-fledged mature hero and finally deserved the title: Champion of the Series Having said that, there are few fictional worlds as fascinating, as beautiful, as possessing as The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. In the end, they succeeded in creating a feeling that was original. But failed in providing that indispensable part of every story:Nobody must know what I have explained here. Nobody must know the truth, because I’ve learned that in this world truth only hurts, and God loves and helps those who lie.” Ambiguously Bi: Alicia has some Ship Tease with Vargas, Daniel, and Fernandito, but also imagines herself forcefully kissing Bea, and ruminates on her beauty and desirability often throughout the novel. Psycho for Hire: Rovira is a serial killer who calls himself The Observer with a room full of crazy dedicated to Alicia. He also rents out his services to the Secret Police to eliminate members of their own force they want eliminated without drawing attention to themselves.