This is a mystery and a ghost story, a frustrated romance mirrored and reflected, a book about a book, and a story with such a strong sense of place that, if interrupted while reading, you look up with confusion that you are not, in fact, in 1945 Barcelona. It is well written, disturbing, and engrossing.

i’m not a big fan of mysteries, but this is a good book, although it’s one of those where the middle is supposed to build suspense but for me it was unnecessary. it wasn’t that it dragged on, but i thought the action could have been evened out throughout the story. instead, it was a bit mushed together near the end. also, it’s a bit sad to me that the main character didn’t have a bad ending. i guess i like those.

zafon is skilled at creating characters who [whom? i am an english major, i should know this. damn!] you feel for, but not so much at characters who you are supposed to despise. truly, i just felt confused, ambivalent about the villain.

This was a really good book.