From the Publisher
From master storyteller Carlos Ruiz Zafón, author of the
international phenomenon The Shadow of the Wind, comes
The Angel's Game-a dazzling new
page-turner about the perilous nature of obsession, in literature
and in love.
"The whole of Barcelona stretched out at my feet and I wanted to
believe that, when I opened those windows, its streets would
whisper stories to me, secrets I could capture on paper and narrate
to whomever cared to listen . . ."
In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man,
David Martín, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels
under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has
taken refuge in the world of books and spends his nights spinning
baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark
imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room
deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at the
mysterious death of the previous owner.
Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones
as he struggles with an impossible love. Close to despair, David
receives a letter from a reclusive French editor, Andreas Corelli,
who makes him the offer of a lifetime. He is to write a book unlike
anything that has ever existed-a book with the power to change
hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, and perhaps
more. But as David begins the work, he realizes that there is a
connection between his haunting book and the shadows that surround
his home.
Once again, Zafón takes us into a dark, gothic
universe first seen in the Shadow of the Wind and creates
a breathtaking adventure of intrigue, romance, and tragedy. Through
a dizzingly constructed labyrinth of secrets, the magic of books,
passion, and friendship blend into a masterful story.
From the Jacket
Fans of Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind and new readers
alike will be delighted with this gothic semiprequel. In 1920s
Barcelona, David Martin is born into poverty, but, aided by patron
and friend Pedro Vidal, he rises to become a crime reporter and
then a beloved pulp novelist. David's creative pace is frenetic;
holed up in his dream house-a decrepit mansion with a sinister
history-he produces two great novels, one for Vidal to claim as his
own, and one for himself. But Vidal's book is celebrated while
David's is buried, and when Vidal marries David's great love, David
accepts a commission to write a story that leads him into danger.
As he explores the past and his mysterious publisher, David becomes
a suspect in a string of murders, and his race to uncover the truth
is a delicious puzzle: is he beset by demons or a demon himself?
Zafón's novel is detailed and vivid, and David's narration is
charming and funny, but suspect. Villain or victim, he is the hero
of and the guide to this dark labyrinth that, by masterful design,
remains thrilling and bewildering. (June) --
Publishers Weekly, starred Review
Another delicious supernatural mystery from bestselling Catalan
author Zafón (The Shadow of the Wind, 2005).Mix Edgar Allan Poe
with Jorge Luis Borges, intellectual mysterian Arturo
Pérez-Reverte, and maybe add a dash of Stephen King, and you have
some of the makings of Zafón's sensibility. Fans of his earlier
book will be pleased to find themselves on patches of familiar
ground, including a revisit to that wonderful conceit, the Cemetery
of Forgotten Books. Indeed, this is a prequel-but only of a kind:
Familiar figures turn up at points, only to seem less than familiar
as the narrative twists and turns. The none-too-heroic hero, David
Martín, is an aspiring journalist who bucks hackwork to turn in a
crowd-pleasing series for a tough boss. This leads him into an
onerous contract with the usual crooked publishers and, indirectly,
into a rivalry with his former mentor-all of which, naturally,
entails love triangles and smoldering egos. The picture is
complicated by the arrival of another curious publisher, Andreas
Corelli, who offers David piles of pesetas to write, well, a book
of a different sort, involving research that yields piles of
corpses and occasions ample cliffhangers. Zafón has a fine talent
for inserting unexpected hitches into a story line already
resistant to graphing, whose outcome is definitely not seen from
afar. The plot resolves in a rush, for the author finds himself
with many a loose end to tie up, but once it sinks in, the result
is more than satisfying. Zafón delivers a warning about the dangers
of obsession, mixed with an obvious passion for literature and the
printed word; his book is also a song of love for Barcelona with
all its creaking floorboards and hidden subbasements.A nice fit
with the current craze for learned mysteries and for spooks of both
the spying and the spectral kind. -- Kirkus Reviews
Praise for The Shadow of the Wind
"One gorgeous read"-Stephen King
"Diabolically good"-Elle magazine
"Superbly entertaining"-Washington Post
"Breathtaking"-New York Times
"Wondrous"-Entertainment Weekly
"Magic"-New York Times Book Review
"Absolutely marvelous"-Kirkus
"Infectious"-The Economist
"Outstanding"-Library Journal
"Lavish"-Booklist
"Gripping"-Philadelphia Inquirer
From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
CARLOS RUIZ ZAFÓN, author of The Shadow of the Wind and
other novels, is one of the world's most read and best-loved
writers. His work has been translated into more than forty
languages and published around the world, garnering numerous
international prizes and reaching millions of readers. He divides
his time between Barcelona and Los Angeles.
Audio Book (CD)
5.06 x 5.88 x 1.58 in
June 16, 2009
Random House Audio Publishing Group
English
073938192X
9780739381922