This book has been a bestseller here in Spain for quite some time now.  In fact, I believe [...]]]> It’s been a while since I’ve written a book review on the site and I thought it was about time.  So, today I’d like to tell you about “La Sombra del Viento” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. 

This book has been a bestseller here in Spain for quite some time now.  In fact, I believe it was released around 2001 or 2002, and since that time it has been pretty popular in bookstores.  It’s no surprise to me that it’s popular here — this book is one of the best fictional novels that I’ve ever read.

The book is about a child named Daniel who one day discovers a forgotten book on the dusty shelves of the “Forgotten Book Cemetery” — a place that his father, who owns a bookstore, frequents.  Daniel becomes so intrigued by the forgotten book that he decides to investigate into the life of its author: Julián Carax.  Of course, there is a problem: Carax’s life turns out to be very obscure and takes many twists and turns.  Daniel soon becomes obsessed with finding out more about Carax’s life and this novel basically tells the story of Daniel’s search for information.

I really enjoyed reading this book because it is set in Barcelona, Spain right after the Spanish Civil War and is written in a way that makes you feel as if you really are in the city of Barcelona.  It describes the buildings there, it describes the things the people do on the street there — it basically transcends you to the Barcelona of the early twentieth century.  Another thing that I found very interesting about this book is that it is full of details and is told through several overlapping stories of love, hatred, mystery, and intrigue.  These intertwined stories make the book extremely interesting to read and come together perfectly at the end of the novel to form a very well-executed closing. 

The book is written in Spanish and the level is a little high.  I would recommend reading the translated English version or using a dictionary for the Spanish version if you don’t read Spanish at an advanced level.  In any event, the book is wonderful and worth reading.  If you don’t believe me, check it out on Amazon and read the five-star reviews for yourself. 

Have you read this book?  Do you have something to add to this post?  Leave a comment below. 

Hasta luego,
Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Well, I’m finally back from my school trip to Barcelona and I’m still alive after spending four days with sixty students.  Honestly, the students were for the most part well-behaved and we, the teachers, really didn’t have to discipline anyone very much at all [...]]]>

A man sells roses on Sant Jordi in Barcelona.

Well, I’m finally back from my school trip to Barcelona and I’m still alive after spending four days with sixty students.  Honestly, the students were for the most part well-behaved and we, the teachers, really didn’t have to discipline anyone very much at all — so, it was a good trip. 

I wanted to write a little something in this post about an interesting holiday that I just happened to be in Barcelona to see.  It’s the day of Saint George (“Sant Jordi” in Catalán) and it’s celebrated on April 23.  You see, Barcelona is quite well-known for its Saint George celebration because there it is customary for men to give women a rose on this day.  Thus, as you can see in the above picture, “Las Ramblas” in Barcelona gets FULL of people buying roses at outdoor stands that are setup just for the occasion.  

It just so happens that Saint George’s Day also coincides with International Book Day because both Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, two of the most talented writers of all time, died on April 23 (of different years, of course).  That’s why the Saint George celebrations of Barcelona are somewhat twofold: the men buy women roses and, in return, the women buy men books.  As a result, there are also temporary “book stands” like the one pictured below along the streets of Barcelona.

Books are also given as gifts on April 23.

It was pretty cool seeing firsthand how Saint George is celebrated in Barcelona and honestly, I was really surprised by the number of people walking along the street buying roses and books.  In fact, there were so many people wandering down the street in the area of the city where the roses and books were being sold that I had a bit of a hard time even getting the above two pictures because every time I went to push the shutter button someone from the crowd stepped into my shot.  In any event, after a while I managed to get the pictures I wanted and I also had the chance to live a celebration that is somewhat unique to the city of Barcelona — it was a good day.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

PS: If you’re planning on taking a trip to Barcelona to see Sant Jordi firsthand and looking for a good place to stay at a great price, you may wish to take a look at Hotel Travel’s fantastic Barcelona Hotels section.