The Shadow of the Wind-Week 1, Post B

Dear Mr. Zafon,
I am sincerely enjoying your novel. This story is unbelievably enticing and is quickly becoming one of my new favorite books. I find myself unable to put this book down and continually convince myself that I can read another chapter when I know I should be done. This is unlike many stories I've read and I can honestly say that I was not expecting this type of story when I picked up this novel. It has been quite a pleasant surprise. You are so creative I don't understand how you come up with these ideas. Everytime they praise Carax in your novel I believe that you deserve an equal amount of praise. I love how you've created a story that incorporates adventure, love, mystery, and growth. Although I am truly loving your novel, I still can't bring myself to like Daniel very much. It could possibly that he began the novel as an eleven year old and I am simply tired of hearing about his relentless obsession with Clara, a girl twice his age. I am finding him pathetic, but it appears that he will be forced to mature if he plans on protecting Carax's novel. That task demands strong willpower. I am delighted to hear that Daniel has almost completely stopped thinking about Clara. I understand that he was angry to find her sleeping with another man, but how angry can he really be? I know he's jealous, but he can't imagine that at sixteen years old, he has a chance with a woman over twenty. I found it ridiculous that he was so tormented by that. I will concede that it wasn't right for Adrian Neri to beat him up for barging in on them, but at sixteen he should be able to move on. I truly hope Daniel finds a nice girl his own age. I think a girl would do well for him.

Thank you for writing this novel,
Emily

The Shadow of the Wind-Week 1, Post A

A prominant difference I'm noticing culturally is the level of comfort with strangers. The protagonist, Daniel Sempere, becomes quite upset one night and decides to take a walk. On his walk he visits a friend's house where he finds an extremely dissapointing sight that he wasn't meant to see. Daniel gets severely beat up that night because of what he saw and is back to wandering around the streets. It's probably around midnight, and Daniel comes across a homeless man who offers him some wine and a shelter form the rain under his cardboard roof.

"'What a minute, at least until the rain eases off,' the beggar suggested. He took me by the arm and led me to a corner under the arches where he kept a bundle of possessions and a bag with old, dirty clothes. 'I have a bit of wine. It's not too bad. Drink a little. It will help you warm up. And disinfect that...' I took a swig from the bottle he offered me. It tasted of diesel oil laced with vinegar, but its heat calmed my stomach and my nerves." (63)

Common sense tells would prevent me from being lead into a place by a strange, degenerate old man, much less drink any of his wine. This novel takes place in Barcelona, close after the war. I wonder if the war is what caused people to be less cautious because there must be quite a few beggars on the street who simply have no where to go. However, this instance is not the only one that displays a certain comfort with strangers which is why it sparked my attention.