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| Photo taken by Ms. C. |
I am the first to admit that I do not quite understand Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Angel's Game. The novel centers around David Martin, a conflicted writer, and a series of spooky, sinister events - that I can assure you is correct. However, much of the plot has left me unsure of what truly happened.
The Angel's Game is creepy and psychologically unnerving. The novel begins with David acquiring a questionably-haunted old house in Barcelona and being asked to write a book for a large sum of money by a mysterious French publisher during the 1920s. Readers are led on David's quest to finish his book while seeking to find answers behind his city's murders and his missing lover. Zafon beautifully describes the streets of Barcelona, antique bookshops, and an eerie mental institution. His characters are well crafted. Yet, his narrative often left me wondering what had actually taken place within the novel.
I read and reviewed Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind this past summer and had to give his next book, The Angel's Game, a read. Both The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game are premised on troublesome writers and the Cemetery of Forgotten Books - almost like a labyrinth library where exceedingly rare, old books are hidden. Zafon suggests that you can read his books in any order... but I think reading The Shadow of the Wind prepares you to explore The Angel's Game's new dimensions on old characters within the series. I would have been completely lost in this books pages without previous background reading.
Bibliographical Information:
Zafon, C. R. (2009). The angel's game. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Like you, I had a little trouble with this book. I thought overall it was pretty good, but I didn't know that there were magical or otherworldly aspects of the story, so I was puzzled by some of the turns of events.
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