I seriously enjoyed this book. Written in the style of a classic Gothic melodrama this novel has a little bit of everything. Layer upon layer of mystery, danger, and tragic love. Set in Barcelona during the Franco dictatorship, this book follows the mysteries of a book touched by destiny, the author who wrote it, and a young boy driven to discover the truth. A book about books written for anyone who loves books.

The characters are compelling, well rounded and well written; each with a distinctive voice. The incredible imagery and humor woven through this book make it a pleasure to read. You can taste Barcelona in every scene and the great city almost becomes its own character. The deliciously rich language manages to stay sharp and witty without any obnoxiously long descriptions devoted purely to atmosphere. I read the English translation by Lucia Graves. I would love to compare it in its original Spanish (if I could read Spanish) but feel there was little lost since the prose and dialogue are fantastic. It left me wishing I had copied many of the passages, just so I could read them again and feel their savory velvet roll off my tongue. My only disappointment in the book is Nuria’s letter, which while important, seemed slightly too long (at around 88 pages) and sort of disrupted the flow and cadence of the narrative. The novel was well paced, and I found myself constantly torn between being engrossed in the characters motives and lives and wanting the mysteries of the plot to be unraveled immediately. This is a great book for anyone looking for entertainment that isn’t just fluff. There is some language including the f word. I considered the sex scenes tastefully done.