Zafon’s writing (at least in its English translation) is darkly atmospheric and haunting. There lurks a promise of mystery, the melancholy of love lost, as well as the shadow of impending doom. I was unprepared for the horror; I’d missed the subtitle on the cover “A Gothic Tale.” Because the thirty-year-old narrator is reflecting on his adventures as a fifteen-year-old, booksellers categorize this as a Young Adult novel, but it’s no more a novel aimed at a young adult audience than King’s Carrie, or The Institute. Great writing combined with great storytelling should appeal to any age. I enjoyed the audiobook narration by Daniel Weyman, who could not have done a better job of setting the atmosphere and voicing the various characters.
Recent Comments