60 pages 2 hours read

Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Shadow of the Wind

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2001

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Essay Topics

1.

There are many parallels between Julián Carax's and Daniel's lives. However, Carax’s story end in tragedy while Daniel’s ends in happiness. What similarities are there between the paths they take? What are the differences between Carax and Daniel that allow Daniel to avoid tragedy?

2.

What is the purpose of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books? Does Zafón want the reader to believe that it is a “real” place? Discuss the purpose and role of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books as a powerful metaphor in the novel, and its impact in Daniel’s, Bea’s, and Julian Carax’s lives.

3.

Nuria Monfort's dying words are: “There are worse prisons than words” (p. 166). What does she mean by this? To what is she referring? Explain in terms of Nuria’s relationships with Julián and with Miquel Moliner, as well as Julián’s relationships with Nuria and Penélope.