This brilliant fourth book in the Cemetery of Lost Books sequence ties up all the questions and mysteries of the previous books in a compelling and deeply satisfying manner. There is little of the sense of magic and the supernatural of the previous books but it is, instead, firmly grounded in reality dispelling the supernatural whilst still retaining the sense of brooding menace and horror. Despite that menace it is often written with a slightly whimsical and wry sense of humour, particularly in the dialogue but also, frequently in the narrative. This rather strange juxtaposition works well, keeping the 850 pages rattling along at an enjoyable pace with no feeling of ‘Oh God! Is there really 400 pages still to go?’ but rather ‘Oh God is there only 400 pages left?’ The plot is as Machiavellian as ever and intersects beautifully with the previous volumes to make one convoluted but perfectly interconnected whole. My reading of this series has been spread over a number of years and half way through Labyrinth of the Spirits I already realised that I would need to go back and read the whole set again with my much improved understanding of the events. I rarely feel the need to reread a book or series even before I’ve finished it – the last time being with another Latin author; Roberto Bolano and his 2666 – but this is one that demands such a revisit.
There is almost nothing I can find at fault within this book. The sense of place and vividness of description is quite exceptional, the prose is as wonderfully poetic as ever (I wonder how much of that is down the excellent translation of Luci Graves?), the characters so well drawn they that I feel like I know them all personally, the dialogue snappy and witty and the plot takes so many twists and turns it was nigh on impossible to predict quite where it was going. It is possibly worth noting that the horrific scandal that is at the core of all four books, and is only fully revealed in this volume, is firmly based on upon real events. Readers more familiar with the events of the Spanish civil war and its aftermath may well already be familiar with it but it was news to me and truly shocking news at that.
One other thing worth noting is something that Zafon has said of these books: “Each individual instalment in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series can be read in any order, enabling the reader to explore the labyrinth of stories along different paths which, when woven together, lead into the heart of the narrative.” And in the slightly whimsical final part of the book, which almost seems to discuss the writing of these books by the characters in the books, mention is made of each book being a different entrance into the same labyrinth. I like that, though I suspect when I reread them I’ll still read them in published order. Either way I think this last book would be best read last.
It's sad to come to the end of a series that you have loved but the simplest cure for that would seem to be to plan a reread!
5/5 stars
There is almost nothing I can find at fault within this book. The sense of place and vividness of description is quite exceptional, the prose is as wonderfully poetic as ever (I wonder how much of that is down the excellent translation of Luci Graves?), the characters so well drawn they that I feel like I know them all personally, the dialogue snappy and witty and the plot takes so many twists and turns it was nigh on impossible to predict quite where it was going. It is possibly worth noting that the horrific scandal that is at the core of all four books, and is only fully revealed in this volume, is firmly based on upon real events. Readers more familiar with the events of the Spanish civil war and its aftermath may well already be familiar with it but it was news to me and truly shocking news at that.
One other thing worth noting is something that Zafon has said of these books: “Each individual instalment in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series can be read in any order, enabling the reader to explore the labyrinth of stories along different paths which, when woven together, lead into the heart of the narrative.” And in the slightly whimsical final part of the book, which almost seems to discuss the writing of these books by the characters in the books, mention is made of each book being a different entrance into the same labyrinth. I like that, though I suspect when I reread them I’ll still read them in published order. Either way I think this last book would be best read last.
It's sad to come to the end of a series that you have loved but the simplest cure for that would seem to be to plan a reread!
5/5 stars
How would you rate The Prisoner of Heaven? I read and loved the first two books of the series. I totally agree that Lucia Graves' translation is superb, it reads like the books were written in English. That skill I think is second to a writer.
