Carlos Ruiz Zafon's Website
"The Prisoner of Heaven" Amazon Link
Carlos
Ruiz Zafon’s The Prisoner of Heaven is a beautifully written book that
continues the story of The Shadow of the Wind.
I’ve
read articles where Zafon states that this four part volume (The Shadow of the
Wind, The Angel’s Game, The Prisoner of Heaven and yet-to-be-released Title)
can be read as independent stories, in any order, or as a set. I gracefully disagree. TPoH should be read after TSotW. I believe without the characters fully
rendered in TSotW, you will miss and not fully understand their passions and
conflicts that move The Prisoner of Heaven forward. And The Shadow of the Wind is one of my
favorite books—if I was stuck on a deserted island with only one available
book, I’d hope it to be that one…yes, it’s that good. If you haven’t had the chance to read it,
pick it up without hesitation.
Zafon
has the ability to compose a 500 page story of a fly crawling up a drape, and
have the prose be beautiful, mysterious, engaging, dark, engrossing and
humorous. On top of that, you’d probably
leave the volume learning a few new words in the English language. Even when nothing is truly happening in his
stories and his characters are just sitting around discussing life, the pages
turn with speed and energy. There are
also lines from every book you will find yourself attempting to remember, and
if you can’t, not to worry, there are reviews and sites found on the internet
dedicated to picking out these timeless, delightful quotes.
The
Story:
The
Prisoner of Heaven picks up a few months after The Shadow of the Wind, and we
find ourselves continuing Daniel’s story.
All the main characters from TSotW are found within the text, even if
their name rests within one line of dialogue.
The Sempere & Sons book emporium is going through hard times during
the Christmas holiday and Daniel has to juggle his own problems and
convictions, along with the book store and the newly engrossing Fermin problem. That’s right…if you loved Fermin’s wit in
TSotW, then you will be pleasantly surprised here, as this book’s story flops
from present day Daniel to Fermin’s mysterious past and the events that led him
to living on the streets. The story twists
and turns and no character is ever mentioned, without having a big or small
part in an event, that shapes Fermin’s and ultimately Daniel’s life.
If
you loved or just liked (which I don’t think is possible) The Shadow of the
Wind, then you’re in good hands with Zafon’s latest page turner The Prisoner Of
heaven; everything that was found in the previous novel, is continued here in
the latest. And now that I’ve read TPoH,
I can’t wait for the last volume of the series.
I’m sure all the plots, subplots and subplots of the subplots, will be
wrapped up nicely in a perfect bow. And
if they’re not—which I highly doubt—it’s the road you’ve taken to the end that
counts, not the actual end—right?
The
Prisoner of Heaven is not as engrossing or subplot driven as its predecessor,
but the elegant prose is equal to The Shadow of the Wind. TPoH should definitely share a spot on your
bookshelf; just make sure to save some room for the upcoming last volume.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
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