Since I’d seen Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Prisoner of Heaven mentioned on several blogs over the last year or so, I figured it was a novel worth reading when I came across a copy in the international authors section of my public library. After grabbing a few additional works of international fiction and later, after navigating the automated check-out machines, I still asked myself if I’d made the right call by grabbing Zafon’s 2012 novel. The next day, when I began reading it I soon had my answer. After reading just a few pages I quickly fell in love with The Prisoner of Heaven. This is a wonderful piece of fiction.
Written as the third installment of a trilogy comprising The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel’s Game, one can still read and enjoy The Prisoner of Heaven without having read the other books in the series. (According to the author’s introduction, this was Zafon’s intent.) The novel begins in Barcelona, Spain in 1957 when a mysterious and disfigured stranger enters the sleepy Sempere family bookstore. His purchase of a valuable edition of The Count of Monte Cristo serves as a catalyst in bringing to light secrets that have remained hidden for decades. The action is quick, the dialog crisp and the characters complex and at times even mysterious. When a novel combines a bookstore full of old books, life during Franco’s oppressive rule, a body and soul crushing prison filled with political prisoners and people’s thirst for revenge, what’s not to like?
I’m happy to recommend this novel to anyone. I’m also happy to report that The Prisoner of Heaven helps fulfill a number of reading challenges: the Everything Espana Reading Challenge, European Reading Challenge, Books in Translation Reading Challenge, Global Reading Challenge and I Love Library Books Reading Challenge. Since I enjoy reading challenges as much as I do an excellent novel, that somewhat serendipitous bit of good fortune made me very happy.
I’m thinking that The Shadow of the Wind may have to be my book for Spain. I’ve heard so many good things about it. (And despite the author’s intent, I’d still rather start with the first one.)
After reading Prisoner of Heaven I wanna read the other two books in the series. If you do end up reading Shadow of the Wind I can’t wait to read your review!
I love any novel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and can only highly recommend all of them. I would definitely start with “The Shadow of the Wind“, even though it does not really matter in this series.
Marianne from
Let’s Read
Excellent! Thanks for the advice! I believe I will!
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I just saw The Shadow of the Wind recommended on someone else’s blog last week. And now your recommendation. Looks like this series will definitely make it onto my to-read list!
Excellent! Glad I could help!!
Oh, do read the other two books if you enjoyed this one! I personally prefer Zafón’s YA novels to this trilogy, though.
Thanks! I believe I will!
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Glad you enjoyed the novel! I’ve read all of his books thus far (save Marina) and the two books that preceded this novel and enjoyed it as well. It certainly seems to be shaping up towards an interesting conclusion to the quartet! 🙂
By the way, I hope you’re enjoying Giles Tremlett’s Ghosts of Spain; it’s such an excellent book 🙂
Thanks! I’d like to read his others. I enjoyed this one and I’m curious about his novels.
As for Tremlett, so far so good. I’ve taken a small break from it, but after reading your comments I want to go back to it!
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