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Review of The Shadow of the Wind

May 30, 2019

book, fiction, Gothic, literature, review, Spain, Zafón

Some time ago, when I reviewed Michel Laub’s Diary of the Fall, I mentioned how sometimes all the ingredients can be there but the recipe is still a failure. Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind is somewhat similar, I’m afraid. All the ingredients are there, yes. It kinda works, and yet it doesn’t.

To be fair, I think Zafón’s novel works comparatively better. That is, one can still read it and somewhat enjoy it. However, The Shadow of the Wind aspires to be a Gothic tale. And to this Gothic fiction specialist, it comes off as a failed attempt.

the shadow of the wind review — There is a sustained attempt to present *The Shadow of the Wind* as a Gothic tale, taking advantage of the settings. But although all the checkboxes are ticked, something is amiss.

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Review of Diary of the Fall

February 26, 2019

Book Review, Criticism

book, Brazil, fiction, Holocaust, literature, Michel Laub, review

I was at the local library, desperately searching for something interesting to read. I found a copy of Michel Laub’s Diary of the Fall and I was attracted by the concept: Three men from different generations, each facing different problems (and yet with an underlying similarity). Sounded interesting for someone who likes literary fiction, right? Well, that’s what I thought too. But, unfortunately, as this review of Diary of the Fall will reveal, sometimes all the ingredients are there but the recipe is a failure.

review of diary of the fall — The art cover of *Diary of the Fall* is very similar to this stock photo. But here’s a little problem: Despite the author’s (and the protagonist’s) efforts to convince the reader the fall described in the story was some sort of threshold, the result is thoroughly unconvincing.

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Review of A Girl in Exile

February 7, 2019

Book Review, Criticism

Albania, book, fiction, Kadare, literature, review

Albanian literature is not something I’ve been exposed to a lot. Indeed, this review of A Girl in Exile, by Ismail Kadare, is not only the first opportunity for me to review a novel of Albanian literature, but also the first time I even read one.

The story seems deceptively simple. According to the book description:

During the bureaucratic machinery of Albania’s 1945–1991 dictatorship, playwright Rudian Stefa is called in for questioning by the Party Committee. A girl—Linda B.—has been found dead, with a signed copy of his latest book in her possession. He soon learns that Linda’s family, considered suspect, was exiled to a small town far from the capital. Under the influence of a paranoid regime, Rudian finds himself swept along on a surreal quest to discover what really happened to Linda B.

At first glance, A Girl in Exile seems like a mystery thriller with political aspects. Nothing could be further from the truth.

review of a girl in exile — Albania is a fascinatingly mysterious country, and the world of *A Girl in Exile* reveals that marvellously.

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