Barcelona in the early decades of the
twentieth century is again the evocative setting for this, Zafon’s follow up to
his excellent ‘Shadow of the Wind’.
The narrator is David Martin, and the early
part of the book follows developments in his career, domestic arrangements and
love life. He rises from cub reporter to star writer on the ‘Voice of Industry’
newspaper, then to contracted writer of ‘penny dreadful’ novels that are
popular and lucrative but unfulfilling. However the cash earned enables him to
lease a long abandoned tower house in the disreputable Ravel quarter of the
city from which he draws his literary inspiration for dark deeds and criminal
intent.
He was inexplicably drawn to the tower house
and soon uncovers elements of its unhappy past. The presence of damp and decay
is unhealthy and the atmosphere of tragedy and evil is only lifted by the
periodic presence of Cristina Sagnier (a childhood friend he would like to be
more) and Isabella Gispert (an aspiring teenage writer he takes on as an unpaid
apprentice, who would like to be taken on as something more).
And there are the periodic intrusions from
the mysterious, as yet unseen, Andreas Corelli who seemingly has an interest in
David’s well-being (shades of Great Expectations here – David’s favourite
book).
As the story progresses David’s life descends
into turmoil: overworked by commissions and other self-imposed writing obligations;
oppressed by the increasingly spooky history of the tower house; and racked by
fractious relations with Cristina and Isabella. Amongst it all is the looming
presence of Andreas Corelli, now materialised in physical form, which could tip
him over the edge, or be his salvation.
The plot cannot be summarised; it has multiple
threads that entangle enticingly, then bewilderingly, that drive the reader on
through action (exciting), tension (dramatic), sex (tasteful), mystery
(unfathomable), topography (fascinating), and metaphysics (deep but bemusing). People
die horribly, David Martin escapes perilous cliff-hangers to tell the tale, but
something or someone is always one step ahead of him.
And when he (and the reader) get to the end
(of 500 pages) the reveal still leaves much to ponder.
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